Northern deserts, part 2: into Bolivia

   With early alarms becoming too frequent for my liking, we rose at 6:15 on Monday morning to have our last showers for a few days. We were taken to the Bolivian border by minibus, where we went through the regular border control procedures before being allocated to a four wheel drive for our journey.

   In considering our journey through the high Andes I had resolved not to try the coca leaves, said to help with altitude sickness.  However, after my discomfort at the geysers the previous day I was ready to grab at anything that had even a slim chance at helping me.  I still had my unidentified herbs, which I dutifully added to my tea and took the remainder across the border.  As I don’t know what they are, I have no idea if they are legal, but thankfully Bolivian border control aren’t too fussy at 4,200m.  Fortunately, I wasn’t gripped with nausea and headaches so there was some merit to my combination attack of western medicine, Bolivian narcotic, and heaven-knows-what in my tea.

   Joining us for the trip were Maud and Vincent from Paris, and Simon and Corinne from Bonn.  For the first day we were driven by the enigmatic Quinto, who defied every horror story we had heard for this trip and drove pleasantly and sedately, gently navigating the rough roads on his Landcruiser’s soft suspension. 

   The first day was marvellous.  We travelled past lakes of vivid colours: green, white and red expanses of water coloured variously by minerals and algae.  We ascended to the literal high point of our travels when we reached the Sol de Mañana geyser at 4,800m above sea level.  Having being told that the Geyser del Tatia was the world’s highest geothermal field at an altitude of 4,300m we were surprised to find this beauty.  I enjoyed it a lot more, but perhaps that had something to do with my physical wellbeing.  There was another thermal spring, this one a pleasantly consistent warm temperature and without the freezing cold costume change. 

   Our day finished with an hour or so at Laguna Colorado, a vivid red with its algae active in the afternoon sun and home to a few thousand flamingos only too happy to pose for our photos.  It was a marvellous start to a trip that ranks among the best things we’ve experienced in South America.