Atacama 2/2

The alarm clock rings at 6:30. I get up, make myself a coffee and wait to be picked up. At 7:30 sharp, Miguel, the same funny guide from yesterday, is standing at the door and we greet each other warmly. Yayyyy! This can only be good.

We drive to a bakery and pick up more tourists from the hotel before Flavio, the driver, takes us to Salar de Atacama, specifically to Laguna Chaxa or Reserva Nacional de los Flamencos. I'm already looking forward to seeing flamingos live in their natural habitat. So far, I have only seen them in various zoos that we visited on school trips.

Arriving at Laguna Chaxa, Miguel briefly explains the rules of conduct. No smoking, drinking, shouting, feeding, or leaving official paths!!! Ok! I can do that. The landscape is barren and there are salt crystals everywhere, forming sharp rocks. I can already see the flamingos in the distance. What a sight! I walk around, observe the beautiful birds, and take some photos and videos. Suddenly, four flamingos take off in formation, right above my head. Amazing! I am delighted :-)

Back at the parking lot, Flavio is waiting with a fantastic breakfast for us. And so we have a picnic with a view of Salar de Atacama, while the flamingos continue their socialist routine in the medium distance.

We continue up into the Andes and the numerous volcanoes. The landscape changes from barren to colorful. The special thing about the Atacama Desert is that it has many different ecosystems. We receive a detailed explanation of why this has developed over millions of years, but I will refrain from summarizing it here. If you're interested: WIKIPEDIA :-)

We climb up to over 3000m to the Piedras Rojas and Salar de Aguas Calientes. On the roadside, we constantly see herds of vicuñas, an ancestral form of alpacas and llamas. I see a landscape that I can hardly capture with photos. We stop at two viewpoints and enjoy a fantastic view.

This nature is so untouched, I observe vicuñas galloping over the Salar de Aguas Calientes through binoculars. It is simply beautiful and I am deeply moved and happy to be here!

After these experiences, Flavio takes us further up to Laguna Miscanti and Laguna Meñique, both at an altitude of over 4000m. On the entire journey and on site, Miguel explains EVERYTHING to us in great detail and enthusiasm. Funny guy, he speaks 5 languages and more, including German.

Once we reach the National Park, we only walk about 500m uphill and I already run out of breath. It is truly something different to even lightly exert yourself at over 4000m!!

And here again, nature shows itself in its most beautiful form. In one lagoon, I discover flamingos once again, and in the other, some other strange large black birds. And all around us, herds of vicuñas...

After lunch, we head back via Socaire and Toconao. In Toconao, there is a special church, or rather the bell tower with a door made of cactus wood. I didn't even know that cacti shed wood. Well then!

I have some homemade quinoa ice cream from a local kiosk and then we head back to San Pedro. We arrive happily and exhausted around 17:30.

Here is a "find the hidden object" image. I'm curious to see if and what you see :-)