Exploring the Lauca national park - 4000 + Putre 3600 m, once the sun sets, it gets cold, really cold. Temperatures drop around 0 at night. Better to get thick blankets and warm clothes. It reminded us when we were in Himalayas. In Putre we felt the same sensation. When the cold pierces to your bones, every movement is painful. In the morning it is hard to get started, fighting the cold to get a bit warm. Everything you touch, is frozen, the water is icy. Breathing is also difficult; your lungs are numb. Outside the Andean nature is silent, await the sun to rise to wake up. For breakfast we got our paila – a Chilean breakfast – two fried eggs with local bread and a tea or coffee. Early morning, we set off... so exited to finally meet with Parinacota. We asked whether we could find anything to eat there: of course, no problem, you can find things in Parinacota. Great so we just took some biscuits and chocolate, nothing else. Lauca We could already feel it - the puna or the altitude sickness- lack of oxygen, dizziness. Once it gets you, it won´t leave you. Deal with it or take some medicine that make you sleepy. It made it very challenging to take pictures. It affects your body in all aspect and makes you feel weak too. We chose the first one: be tough and enjoy the Altiplano! Altiplano or high plains comes from the Aimara language. Always heard of it, but never seen it. Today was the day. We drove the whole day in the park and discovered incredible landscapes where the light is so bright and powerful. What our eyes could see was a wide colour contrasts: dark blue for the sky and the lake, white, pink, yellow, grey for the mountains, and green too for the vegetation. It literally turns our head. If you look closer, you can see some brown stains and sometimes white, black or a mix of all this colours: there are vicunas and lamas. Lamas are not shy but vicunas as soon as they hear a noise, they run away. We saw also some Andean ducks, gulls and diverse birds that walk very fast. At that altitude, there is no noise, no signal, no radio, no INTERNET :))) Motionless and soundless! Chungara lake and Parinacota volcano Back to Santiago, when on a Saturday morning on my way to my class I saw a huge ad for Parinacota and its volcano. After asking my google friend, I messaged Önder and showed him some pictures of that place. This is how this trip started. The majestic Parinacota, a 6380m volcano, whom last eruption was 300 years ago. It is at the Chilean and Bolivian border. Because of its conic shape it reminded us of Mount Fuji. It will be our landmark for the day. The Chungara and the Cotacotani lakes are the highest in the world. They were formed after the Parinacota volcano collapsed into the Lauca river about 18 000 years ago. A curious lama We made a break to take a picture and out of the blue a lama with pink bobbles came to me. Afraid of what it could do, I did let it observe what was inside the car. Apparently it was a very peaceful lama but I did not want to risk anything. It just wanted to have a chat... It was so cute but what the picture does not show: the smell or the stench! I noticed its fur, wearing that you can not only survive but also live there! It looked thick and warm. Clouds dancing in the sky Vicunas and Lamas in the way We witnessed a couple of scenes where vicunas chased each other during a long time, running from one side to another of the road, jumping in the lake. Was it to play, to challenge each other, to gain control? As non vicunas experts, we will never know. It was a magic moment. Conceived to live in such an environment we envied their endurance. We also observed lamas crossing the roads too. First they gather on the road and formed a huge queue. The leader waits and scrutinizes for quite a bit the environment. Then he decides to cross over while the rest of the herd stays quiet until the leader gives the signal to pass. For them time does not exist, it goes of their survival. About 100 lamas cross the road, at a slow but steady pace. What a wonderful spectacle! Cotacotani lake formed 18000 years ago Average surface: 4,5 m Average temp: 1 degree In Aimara: Quto lake Parinacota It was our first and last chance to get some food. Please Parinacota save our day! A part from vicunas, lamas, and birds we did not see much of food! A tiny village on the Parinacota foothills where silence is your best friend. Only two souls that live permanently in the village. Either people left to live in a bigger cities and a more livable environment. As Parinacotat has a rough, dry, icy cold climate and is empty. Or people come a couple of days to look after their animals and go back to the city. They are two survivors that resisted the time and the temptation to escape. A couple that has got a souvenir shop and a huge 4x4 that contrasts with their little house. We hoped that the lady would offer meals but no at all only clothing stuff. We were condemned to starve! As we could not bargain so just what we bought a couple of things at an expensive price but needed for Önder that did not have any warm clothes!? The two people were as the climate is unfriendly, aggressive and angry. However we met a week later someone that had a totally different experience! When exploring the village, we discover a 3 km path that goes to another lake. Although we suffered from altitude sickness (weakness and headache), we walked slowly to the lake. The green and blue colour hypnotised our brain, our breath is too short to make us speak, we are dizzy not to have eat or because of the scenery? Reaching the lake lamas were there for us, grazing the Andean herbs and bathing in a frozen water. As if they were dropped off there for us, tourists for one day. We did not bother them at all, they checked us and kept on grazing. On our way back to Parinacota, we saw a dust devil, a whirlwind, that usually does not harm. For us it is something we only watched on TV! Hidden under rocks, plenty of animals escaped when they heard our footsteps. Here they are: the famous vizcachas, rodent animals, that are similar to rabbits. Their tails are longer and curly. It was time to get back, around 4 - 5 o´clock. We were hungry, tired, and had terrible headache too! But we captured the most of our experience that day.
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