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Day 1 : Our
first day is spent in Copiapo, a larger mining town at the foot of
the Andes mountains. |
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Day 2: We
leave Copiapo and drive east moving gradually up the arid western Andean
slopes. |
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Arriving
at the pass of 4000m which leads to the lagoon of
Santa Rosa, barely seen in the middle of the picture. |
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As it was unoccupied we
used the small refuge at the edge of the lake, otherwise we would
have put up tents.
Some remains of a
small Inca settlement can be visited not far off the refuge. |
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Our first
sunset in the high Andes was as promised spectucalur with its colors
warming up the cold evening... |
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Day 3:
...but not only sunsets also
sunrises are touchingly beautiful. |
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Our first
acclimatization hike takes us around the small lagoon. The trail
leads through arid hills and a salt plain. |
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That
lagoon and its borders are an oasis for birds, like snipes,
coots, ducks and others. But the main attractions are the
graceful
flamingoes feeding in those shallow and saline waters. 3 species
can be found with the Chilean being the largest. |
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View from the top of the
hill down to the lake where it meets the edge of the salt plain Salar de
Maricunga. |
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Day 4: Wolfgang
getting his drinking supply ready for today's hike with Pierre
looking on. The top of Maricunga does not look that high but
reaches almost to 5000m and makes for a good and long
acclimatization hike. |
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