We spent the entire day in town yesterday. This place has such a chill vibe; it makes you quickly realize why it has become so popular with travelers. If it weren’t for tourism, you’d swear you’ve been catapulted back in time. All roads in town are dusty and unpaved, even the main thoroughfare. We’ve met people from Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, the UK, the USA, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, but I suspect there are many more nationalities. The houses are all made from adobe, as are the property walls, and the roofs are a mixture of clay and pampas grass.
Bolivia is 30 miles away, Argentina only 60.
The village itself would cause tourists to come here, but after you take a look at today’s photographs, you should realize that it is San Pedro’s surroundings that scream “Wow”!
Our day’s journey took us to a National Reserve called Los Flamingos. We coasted the incredible conical volcano called Volcan Licancabur (19,685 feet), then began to climb, slowly but steadily until we reached Paso del Cajon, at a whopping 18,500 feet.
We then came to las Vegas de Quepiaco, a plateau lagoon where the green of the short grass contrasted marvelously with the blue of the sky, the white of the puffy clouds and the rusty shades of the Altiplano. We spotted hundreds of vicuñas and guanacos, and several pink flamingoes.
Further up, minutes from Argentina, the Salar de Pulsa was another spectacle to behold.
I must say that never like today have we felt the high altitude. We had never even come close to being at 18,500 feet. Breathing started being difficult, the stomach a bit queasy, the head a bit lighter, and the scorching sun felt so much hotter here than we ever experienced before. Think that the tallest mountain in the continental US tops out at 14,504 feet, and Mt. Blanc, the tallest mountain in the Alps, reaches only 15,780’, and you should have a pretty good idea of what this environment is like.
We arrived back at San Pedro completely wiped out, even though this was one of the shortest drives. Our MG SUV would only manage to go as fast as 24 mph, in 2nd gear. It had no more to give.
We enjoyed surprisingly good dishes of pasta at a local restaurant, but we are so relieved to be back at the lodge. Let us know your thoughts thus far. Gracias.
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