Tag 102: Villa Abta

6:30 AM, the alarm clock rings. We force ourselves out of our bed, layer all our clothes on top of each other, and get ready for the second day. After breakfast, we take a walk through the village and wait to be picked up by our driver. The sun rays are pleasantly warm, the wind is kind today and stays calm. It is quiet. Next to the village, a crystal blue creek runs through the mossy green meadow like thick veins. This paradise-like sight is completed when a small herd of sleepy llamas suddenly grazes into the scene, followed by a noticeably slower older Bolivian woman with a small child, wrapped in a sling on her back, and two puppies at her feet. I enjoy the moment and try to discreetly take a few photos without being too intrusive. However, our fellow travelers also notice the situation and gather around the local group, taking selfies in a semicircle. Fortunately, our driver arrives to take us to the next attraction with the Jeep. The first sights of today were various rock formations in the middle of the desert. One looks like a soccer trophy, the next like a sleeping camel, and another one resembling a large gate. Typical tourist attractions. We continue driving. As we get out again, we come across a landscape that is very similar to the one from this morning. Tall rock walls on the left and right, with deep blue creeks and mossy green meadows alternating in the middle, carrying many llamas. So we walk through this incredibly beautiful valley for a while until our driver stops at a spot and climbs up the cliff on the left. We follow him. Once we reach the top, we stare at the 'Laguna Negra,' a deep black lake surrounded by beige rocks. We spend some time here. Some spend it walking around and experiencing the scenery from different perspectives, others try to take the perfect selfie, and still others simply lie on the warm rocks and enjoy the sun. The moment is beautiful. But like everything beautiful, this too comes to an end, and we walk back to the Jeep to drive to lunch. Satisfied and rested, we make a short stop at the 'Cañón de Anaconda,' which got its name from the small green river that slithers like an anaconda along the bottom of the canyon. After a few quick photos, we continue to Villa Abta, where we make a stop at a small shop to try a cactus and quinoa beer, like every good tourist. The beer wasn't bad. But we have to keep going. Next stop: Hotel de Sal, our last accommodation on this trip. The hotel is beautiful, the floor and walls made of salt. We are assigned to our rooms, take a hot shower, while the owner stops the clock outside the door, and wait for dinner. There is a kind of Chorrillana with llama meat and a bottle of local wine. Exhausted and satisfied, we go to bed. In a cold, not freezing, room.