Today was our first full day trip by car to the Tara salt flats. We left Awasi at 0900 and headed towards the Bolivian/ Argentinian and Chilean border - as we passed the ever present Licancabur volcano we could see the landscape in Bolivia. We climbed quite quickly to over 4000m and at times I could feel the effects of altitude on my chest. As we continued we passed the worlds highest telescope - on the edge of a volcano and run in conjunction with a Japanese university. Not long after were the domes of the highest international radio telescope project and where they daily make new discoveries about space - the final frontier. Next stop was an area of wetland - the light was so good that you could see the reflections of the Andean flamingos in it. There were also Andean geese and gulls on the edge of the lagoon.
We then progressed to a great viewpoint of a salt lake and surrounding rocks - there were excellent examples of wind eroded rock statutes -one called the guardian looked just like an Indian Chief. We were now off road, driving over an old gravel crater and passing a small herd of vicuña - grazing on minimal desert grass - but clearly thriving, enroute to a look out over the lagoon. We then drove down, a steep slope to the lagoon edge where we got out and walked to the lunch spot. With binoculars you could see hundreds of flamingos - all 3 species - Chilean, Andean and the smaller Janes - alongside geese and avocets and several small finch like birds including the puna mina. A great walk to our lunch spot allowed Pablo time to get a lovely salad spread on the table. ( for the views see photo for 6/12/14). After lunch Santiagao spotted a Mountain Viscacha sitting high in a rock hollow. It looks like a cross between a rabbit and a chinchilla - a first for us and today's photo.
We headed back to San Pedro arriving just after 1600.There was still plenty of time to relax and I did, my now daily ritual of, 100 lengths in the pool.
Refreshed we enjoyed yet another excellently crafted dinner.