Salt, sand and steak

So we just couldn't resist going for another enormous steak before we left La Paz, just in case they ran out of steak in Argentina.

We headed to Coroico for some relaxation but slightly overlooked the fact that it was Easter weekend and the whole world and his wife had the same plan. So it wasn't quite the getaway we were hoping for, nevertheless we found ourselves a quiet corner with a nice French restaurant to relax in!

So back to La Paz and up a little further to an eco retreat, set just over the brow of the crater in an stunningly tranquil setting.

Illimani comes out to play

La Paz from the edge of the crater

Feeling fully recharged after the hectic two weeks we had with Jacques, we took to the road to visit the Salt Flats of Uyuni, eventually crossing the vast desert into Chile. The tour included a lot of time spent riding in a cramped jeep, but it was well worth it for the truly EPIC scenery. Words nor pictures can fully describe the vast desolate landscapes, but as usual we'll give it a go.

An abandoned train left to the elements, transforming it into a playground for adults and children alike.

Hopping on a train

Beth was blown away

Climbing the ultimate French peak

We stayed in one-horse towns with very basic accomodation. Very high and so very cold with not a glimpse of a heater or open fire to warm our bones. James decided to get food poisoning just prior to the trip (it would seem it was to be one or the other of us with bad bellies) which was particularly bad timing as there were no toilets or even a rock to hide behind in many places! But he stuggled through, trying to enjoy the magnificient views anyway.

One-horse town, missing only the tumbleweed

Resting on a living green 'poof'

A "tree" for a "tree"

Plenty of wildlife along the way to keep us entertained...

Our first sight of flamingos, not a bad one either as they flew in formation alongside the jeep

           This variety of flamingo is the James flamingo - and just as flamboyant it is!

Non-native wildlife

And some fabulous chances to get panoramics...

The algae in the lake are what make it red and the flamingos feathers pink... FACT!

After 3 days we arrived into Chile, crossing the border in no-man's-land and all of a sudden onto smooth tarmac road! We only stopped in Chile a short time, staying in the desert town of San Pedro de Atacama for a few days to soak up some deserved warmth after far too long spent on the Altiplano!

Wanting to explore the desert somewhat we took some bikes out for what we thought would be a gentle ride in the desert, which quickly turned into a hardcore workout up steep switchback roads, across rivers and through deep sand patches. It was worth it for the red rock canyons and views (only can I say this now as at the time, with a recovering James and an unfit Beth, neither of us enjoyed the uphill). Downhill on the other hand was great fun and our clean, soft bed was a welcome change from the concrete slabs we had across the salt flats.

On on last night in San Pedro we went on one of the well-established sky-at-night tours offered by local Frenchman Alain. An experienced stargazer, he spent several hours talking us through the various wonders visible to us, pointing out planets, different types of stars, constellations and even the Magellenic Cloud galaxy (which we thought was just a cloud).

Our next stop was to be in Argentina, after yet another magnificient journey (this time on a swanky Argentinian bus) across the Paso de Jama for more views of deserted wilderness and herds of wild vicunas.

The small cluster of buildings you can just about make out on the left are the Chilean/Argentinian border posts

Within an hour of getting off the bus in Salta, Argentina, we found ourselves in a restaurant enjoying huge tasty steaks and two bottles of very decent house wine. Thankyou Argentina for a very warm welcome!

More salt hexagons on the way to Argie

Adopting a new lifestyle of wine for lunch and dinner we felt quite at home here. Running short on time, we whizzed across the country to Rosario to visit some friends we met way back in New Zealand, Daniel and Hugo, who kindly showed us around the city and even a typical Argentinian ranch so Beth could see the difference between farming practices out here and back home.

With less than 10 days left, today we leave for Buenos Aires to see what Capital City is all about.