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El Tatio

Beneath a starry sky, we left the hotel at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. We were driven hard and fast up steep mountain tracks to reach our destination before sunrise.

Unlike the smooth main roads, the rough mountain tracks shook our bones and with my face close to the window, I could feel the temperature drop as we climbed above the snow line.

As we approached our destination, the dawn twilight revealed a vast area of intense geothermal activity.

Climbing out of the vehicle, I became acutely aware of the environmental changes. At 4,500 meters above sea level, I, like several others, felt dizzy and somewhat breathless.

Walking the pathways between the geysers required extra physical effort and some members of the group needed blankets provided by our guides to keep warm, but for everyone, the experience was truly amazing.

Boiling pools surrounded us. Some simply bubbled, while others pulsated energetically. A few had a slower yet more powerful cycle, producing a deep, guttural note that lowered in pitch as the water was drawn deep into the Earth’s crust. Then, with a menacing force and a gradually increasing pitch, the water surged back to the surface in a bubbling cascade.

We saw a mountain fox which ventured close and, in the surrounding hills, there were several Vicuña. They were quite timid and difficult to spot with their camouflaged woolly jackets.

The temperature rose quickly as the sun came up and at a convenient viewpoint our guides set to work preparing breakfast which consisted of a wide selection of cereals and cold meats plus scrambled egg on toast, all cooked in the back of the van. Excellent!

Coca leaves were also available to chew. It is generally accepted that this will relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness. It seemed to help a bit.

On the way back my altitude sickness soon disappeared as we gradually descended and now in the daylight, the true beauty of the area unfolded.

We stopped by a small lake and the guides spotted a Viscacha watching us from his hideout in the rocks. These animals look just like rabbits, but in fact they are rodents and not related to rabbits at all.

On Sunday afternoon we flew back to Santiago.

The Bodegas RE Winery

On Monday, we toured the Bodegas RE winery in the Casablanca region near Santiago. A chance to relax after the strenuous activities over the previous few days.

The wine goes well with barbecued chicken and steak.

We stayed one more night in Santiago then on Tuesday journeyed by road to Valparaiso to re-join the Bolette.