Going from 30+ degrees in the Amazon, to -4 was not the smartest decision I've made since being here. But the salt flats of Bolivia were calling to us all, so here we are on a 2 night 4WD tour. First stop .... the salt flats. What a beautiful spot - all be it freezing! The derelict salt hotel sits in the middle of the flats, beside the Dakar salt sculpture. Its unreal to be here. Not quite the 'pinch me' moments I felt in the Amazon but I was certainly having conversations in my head about where you are right now Mish and how fortunate you are to be experiencing this.

After the obligatory crazy perspective photos and lunch, we headed off across the flats to 'fish island' - named so because its fish like shape. It's an island in the middle of the flats, thriving with giant cactus. Beautiful in a harsh kind of way.

From there we head out to the edge of the salt flats, watching the sun setting on another day.

Our first night is spent in a salt hotel that looks a bit like Hobbiton. Salt walls, floor and bed frames with straw roofs. Surprisingly warm-ish and certainly not as freezing as I had expected. Having said that it was a sleeping bag and multiple blankets kind of night. We all had showers before bed as the pipes freeze overnight so very little chance of any water flowing in the morning - let alone it being warm.

Day 2 and we head into the heart of south Bolivia. Vast mountain ranges and multicoloured lagoons. We spend some time hanging out with the pink flamingos and feeling tiny in this immense, solitary and peaceful environment. Quite the contrast from the busy and chaotic La Paz.

While the sun is blazing and there's not a cloud in the sky, the temperature is deceptively bitter. Everytime we step out of the 4WD we suck in our breath at the icy air. The altitude is high, fluctuating between 3,500 and 4,800.

We arrive after dark at our 2nd nights accommodation and I'm over the cold. I desperately want to go back to the jungle warmth and in this moment, am hating every minute of this tour. The accommodation is less than basic. Shared dorms, no showers, no heating of any kind, the toilet is outside in the minus degree pitch black night. It also isn't just like any normal toilet, for a start it doesn't flush like a toilet is supposed to - you have to fill up a bucket of water from a large barrel of freezing cold water and throw it down the toilet. No toilet paper, no hand soap, no hand towel … in fact not even any running water to wash your hands with … just the big icy water barrel. Dinner was a barely warm vege soup and cold spaghetti bolognaise, which I suspect was hot when it left the kitchen a few meters down the hallway.

Now my friends on this journey have been known to tease me from time to time, calling me 'princesa' (Spanish for princess). It may or may not have had something to do with the fact that part way through the Amazon trekking I burst out laughing following the realisation, as I looked down at my shoes, that I was in fact walking through the jungle in heels.

My sneakers have a wedge in them …. but technically (and in my defence) they ARE sneakers. Possibly that, and the multicoloured handmade fan I was using to fight the muggy unbreathable air of the jungle, contributed toward the nickname. It did provide ample opportunities however for us all to regularly quote the following phrase in Spanish to each other "aguantar te lo princesa" which loosely translates to "suck it up princess". But to be fair, I think my life over these last few days has proven that I'm no princesa. Although, I'll let you in on a little secret ….. the freezing cold, this toilet and the abysmal accommodation was very nearly my all-time breaking point.

I was relieved to wake in the morning, knowing that we were departing the tour to cross over into Chile. It was a long 4 hours though as we made our way to the border, queuing outside in the cold to get our stamp saying we had left Bolivia. Then sitting around in the cold, waiting for the officials on the other side to get things moving so we could officially enter Chile. A cute native fox greets us as we drive out of immigration and into the Chilean midday sun.

Finally, we arrive at our accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama. What a delight! The sun is powerful, the air is dry and warm and the people are super friendly. This small town was founded in the 1450's and is overlooked by the Licancabur volcano, an impressive sight. The 5,000 locals that call this place home love tourists and the place is set up to reflect this. Beautiful boutique shops, artisans in house and a plentiful array of restaurants and cafes line the dusty unpaved streets. All adding to the charm. Wifi is available free in the parklike town centre, encouraging people to stay and hang out. Just what the 3 of us needed!! We are so relaxed here in fact, that we ask to stay a 3rd night.

Our hosts at the accommodation, Fernando and Charlie, are fantastic at making us very welcome. Fernando's old school friend and his wife arrive from Santiago, for a visit and we spend an evening sitting around sharing stories from our respective countries over local craft beers, a few special bottles of Chilean red wine and some cheese platters. Later they take us for a drive into the desert to see the stars. Another opportunity to gaze at our amazing milky way. A beautiful, clear night, just like the experience in the Amazon …. except that the temperature is the complete opposite! Back down to barely above zero. What do they do to remedy this? Go inside and get warm? Nope. They drink and iced Pisco and cola of course. Affectionally called 'Piscola' (as I point out to them ... not the best name in the world) this drink does seem to alleviate the pain of the freezing desert night air in our lungs.

Emz and I had only planned up to the salt flats, hence we use our time here to sort out our lives for the next few days. We loved the idea of Patagonia but hear this is not the best time of the year to visit - it'll be colder than the salt flats, and we all know how badly I handled that. So instead, after picking Fernando, Charlie and a few other guests at San Pedro's brains, we decide to grab a brief stop-over in Santiago, then head into the Argentinian wine country of Mendoza for a few days. Time for some decent red meat and a wine tour!

Since flights are about the same price as the 21-hour bus ride, we opt to fly. Santiago is a fantastic city, especially after the chaos of Peru and Bolivia. They obey road rules here - outstanding! It's actually safe to step out onto a pedestrian crossing. Such a welcome change. There is art and culture everywhere you look, buskers, preachers, chess players, musicians, artists, protesters …. the city has it all in the main square.

On the not so great side, the stares were back. Men who have no qualms about intensely ogling at the exotic white girls. Oh, how I have not missed these uncomfortable moments. Come on Peruvian and Chilean men, what's the deal? Bolivian men don't seem to do it.

Maybe its time to jump the border and hope for the best with the Argentinian fellas …..