Generally we don’t get up too early during this round-the-world trip. Of course, we don’t sleep until noon because that would be a waste of time, but a wake-up call at 3.45 am was absolutely extraordinary. Luckily it was worth it!
Our day started so early because we were about to see Geysers del Tatio, which are active only very early in the morning. They are situated up in the mountains at the altitude of 4321 m above sea level. Geysers’ activity start when the underground water unfreezes after the night and runs down the hill where it meets the underground layers of volcanic lava. The heat of the lava makes the water so hot that it erupts from underground. The view is exceptional!
Another day we drove for many hours to see other beautiful things in the area called Altiplano: the Miscanti Lagoon and the Miñiques Lagoon. Both situated at 4200 m above sea level. They were created less than a thousand years ago after an eruption of the Miñiques Volcano, which blocked the waters of the rivers passing through this area and formed those two lakes. Nowadays both lagoons and the animals living in this area (Vicuñas, Guanacos, Vizcachas, Culpeo Fox and others) are under the protection of National Reservation of Flamingos. The view is magnificent and the walk at the height of more than 4000 meters is breathtaking!
We spent four days in San Pedro de Atacama and this time was just enough to see the most interesting places in the surroundings. I must say that it was one of the most beautiful area we’ve visited so far on this trip. I’m aware that as we travel there will be more and more picturesque places that make a big impression on us and that this statement will appear often. Well, this is one of the reasons we travel!
