From Arica to the Altiplano also known as the Andes

tooday

Arica, dec 8th, 9.00 am: we took a taxi to the airport where a rental was waiting for us to take us to the Andes. Exciting to drive in Chile on our own for the very first time...the good thing is that there is only one road to the Andes, the Ch 11 heading to Bolivia.  We stopped to all the recommended stops, both to sdmire villages, hyroglyfs on the sand or stunning views. This also allows us to slowly get used to the altitude as we left at 0 mt to reach 3370 mt 5 hours later with help of coca mate and chichicoma which is a herb much stronger than coca to help you sustain the great hights without too many side effects as headache, pressure on the chest and vomiting. I only took a paracetamol before bedtime to knock down a mild headache in order to be fit the second day for a long drive to even greater hights. Arrival in Putre to our hostal and a walk in the village with 5 shops with french like opening time :open til 24.00 and then again from 17.00 to 22.00, siesta seems to be appreciated here as well. We enjoyed a late lunch/early diner. I took an ice cold shower and had of course  the good idea to also wash my hair and use conditioner. Came out of the shower frozen to the bones and had to warm myself up with Antoinette's hairdryer bbbrrr!!! Cold nights in such great hights...I woke up couple of times also frozen in my bed...Antoinette had the dame frozen shower in the morning as after my horrible experience she decided to go to bed durty hihihi!!!

Second day 8.00 am at the breakfast table in order to visit Salar de Surire. Into the car eith special snti altitude brew, sandwiches and chewing gums for the ears ( no not to put them in the esrs but to chew them in order not to feel the pressure). And of we sent with a simple map as only two roads...a german older man in the hostal checked the car and said it was high enough to cope with the bad road and told me to drive luke a french snd all will be fine !?!&@$  so I did, I drove like a french for 8 hours. not a single tourist during the entire day...all truck drivers waiving hello to us...they must either thought we were crazy or had kind of respect for us...we like to believe the second option is the real one. Road was sandy, dustyand full if stones for 250 km...I felt like I was taking part of the program Top Gear. Lost few times the control of the car and had to counter turn the stirwheel few times in a row to get the car straight again, we laughed our heads off after every small incidents and were wondering what we were actually doing here alone in the Andes in a small car...combination of National Geographic for the stunning views, Top Gear with Jeremy Clarckson and Mr Bean for the stupidity

we got rewarded for daring it all Salar de Surire are beautiful as well as the alpacas beautifully fluffy beasts, one emu, lamas, flamingos, vicuñas... 

for your info in Patagonia live Guanacos, in the desert and hete vicuñas, lamas up to 350" mt and alpacas from 35"" to 500 mtd. water boils at 80 C in high altitude.

today we reached 4230, tomorrow 4950...lots of coca, chewing gums and driving