Asi es la Pura Vida This journal includes my previous trips, y es para my future trips. Empezando ahora I will catch up con fotos y stories ya del pasado, and will continuar mas in depth with the travels to come my way.

The northern edge of this 3000-square  kilometre basin covered by a vast crust of aline minerals lies some 10 km south of San Pedro.  ?The largest salt flat in Chile, SALAR DE ATACAMA is formed by waters flowing down from the Andes which, unnable to escape from the basin, are forced to evaporate, leaving salt  deposits on the earth.  It's not a dazzling, white like the Salar de Surire, or Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, but it's fascinating all the same -- especially when you get out and take a close look at the crust, which looks like coral reef, or ice shards, and clanks when you walk on it.  The salar congtains several small lakes, including Laguna Chaxa, home to dozens of flamingoes, and the beautiful Laguna Salada, whose waters are covered with floating plates of salt.  Many tours companies include a stop at the salt flat as part of a visit to the oases and lakes south of San Pedro.