Sun 10 Mar
Eleven hour drive to Santiago, arriving late afternoon and checked into Hotel Espana situated near Plaza Armas, very central. Unfortunately, within an hour of arriving, one of our group was mugged in the street and had her bag snatched, containing money, passport, camera, phone - everything. She may not have been careful as surely muggers will only go for 'soft' targets. Still very traumatic for all of us.
Farewell dinner (for this first group of 21) was at a nice restaurant in the Bellavista area.
Mon 11 Mar
Spent the day sightseeing in this vibrant city. Started with a walk to Santa Lucia gardens and lookout followed by a four hour walking tour at 10am. This was very informative and extensive. The tour guide was particularly good and passionate about this city.
6pm briefing meeting with new group members (7 continuing, 7 new). Dinner was at a Peruvian restaurant.
Tue 12 Mar
Had an extra day in Santiago as we didn't leave until 4pm. This is because the highway we're taking is under reconstruction so traffic travelling from Argentina to Chile can use the road from 1200 noon til 1200 midnight; and vehicles going east from Chile to Argentina (us) can only use the road midnight to midday. There was quite a long queue lined up ready to pass through when the road opened eastbound.
The drive to Mendoza over The Andes was via a windy road through a mountain pass. Border crossing at midnight was so officious, and to make matters worse it was realized an hour into Argentina that a police stamp was missing from the truck's documentation. So we had to turn around and go back to the border. Then on arrival in Mendoza we got a bit lost and finally reached the hostel at 5.30am next
Wed 13 Mar
After catching up on lost sleep, we have the day to wander around Mendoza, a smart European-style university town. Found a small local restaurant around 4pm and had late lunch / early dinner. Back at the hostel everyone was busy organising activities for the next day. We hoped to do a bike tour to some wineries.
Thu 14 Mar
Unable to do wine/bike tour (fully booked) , we organized a bus tour to Alta Montana - Mt Acongua, South America's highest mountain at over 6000m. It was a very scenic drive almost back to the border and gave us the chance to see the scenery we missed when driving though the previous night. Interesting to study the brittle composition of The Andes mountain range - loose soil fill of ancient sea/river pebbles, leading to many landslides, even across the main highway.
Fri 15 Mar
Left Mendoza and drove all day to Estancia Los Poteros (a working horse and cattle ranch) where we shall spend two days. Arrived in the dark around 8.30 pm after a scary drive through the thickest fog and then negotiating a rough muddy track to the homestead. Fortunately we all had beds to sleep in rather than the expected camping.
Greeted by owner Kevin, wife Louise and staff Helen and Jess. Invited into his drawing room for introduction to history and life on the estancia with wine & cheese - very gracious surroundings.
Crew cooked dinner after such a long drive.
Sat 16 Mar
First full day at the estancia (ranch) and after a leisurly breakfast we were taken to the stables where we donned riding helmets and were given basic but sound instruction in horse riding.. Rode 3 hours in the cold mist. Lunch provided then another hour's ride back. Very enjoyable but sore back afterwards.
Dinner and evening sing along in El Tambo (the games room).
Sun 17 Mar
More horse riding available but not many went as the weather was drizzly.
Went for some walks instead and spent the afternoon in the games room playing Uno. Estancia staff put on an amazing BBQ with local wines provided.
Mon 18 Mar
Left the estancia 9.30 after Anna tried for half hour to get truck into reverse - then got bogged. Finally left at 11am, passing spectacular scenery (again!). Spent the night at Tap so where we were pleasantly surprised to find a relatively new hotel to stay in (we upgraded to a room while others were happy to camp in the hotel grounds.
Tue 19 Mar
Continued on seven hour drive to Cafayate, another (white) wine producing town.
Wed 20 Mar
In the morning some of us hired bikes and pedalled along dusty roads to three local wineries, including the oldest in the region which goes back to 1860. The town had a typical Spanish central plaza with churchs, eating places and colonial buildings.
Left around 2pm to drive to Salta, passing through colourful sandstone landscape and crossed the Andes again intro Chile (3rd or 4th time?). Drove to 4170m and felt the effects - slight dizziness and headachy.
Truck is VERY slow up hills and through mountain passes which makes for extra long driving days, often arriving at our destination late at night rather than the preferred late afternoon in daylight hours. Group morale and high spirits are sometimes tested on such days, especially for the cooking groups! Our drivers also then have trouble locating the hostel or campsite at night.
Thu 21 Mar
Quite a large city with, again,a central plaza, etc. We took a cable car ride to a mountain for city views, and visited a number interesting museums, including the historic Di Norde Museum. In fact, one of the museums has as an exhibit two mummified Incan children who had been used as human sacrifices pre-16th century.
Fri 22 Mar
Up at 4.15am for 550km drive to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Magnificent mountain scenery again. Amazing rock formations due to erosion and so many colours - red, pink, green, grey, white - all due to different minerals in the mountains. Breakfast stop along the road with packed sandwiches for lunch on the truck. Border crossing around 8pm (all bags off), and arrived at campsite around 9.30pm. Gosh they're getting more grotty as we go. Even our upgraded room is so basic we decide to sleep with our sleeping bags and sheets on the bed rather than trust those provided. Bathrooms are not very nice either.
Then we went star-gazing! This rubble of a town is close to famous salt plains and is also internationally reknown for its clear skies, so we were taken at 11.30pm to a field full of telescopes and viewed the night sky. Very interesting, but after such a long day.... Finally got to bed 2.30am after being up for 22 hours.
Sat 23 Mar
Late start today and wander around San Pedro. Not too much to see in this quirky adobe village - old church in central square and lots of artesan shops, tour offices and of course restaurants. We ate nice lunch in lovely little cafe.
At 4.30pm we drove to the Valley of the Moon which is an extraordinary landscape of salt encrusted weathered and eroded rock formations. Stayed for sunset then returned to town for dinner. We aimed to have a quiet dinner by ourselves at a chosen restaurant but, after being there for half an hour or so, all our fellow travellers also turned up. So many restaurants to choose from and everyone chose the same one!
Spoke with Allison.
Sun 24 Mar
Early departure to The Altiplano (5000m). Entered the National Park, took on our local guide, and drove and drove and drove along rocky tracks through the most arid landscape full of colours and various formations. Visited Lago Blanca, Lago Verde, Laguna Colorado, geysers, thermal bath, and sighted Volcano Licancabur (6000m).
Around 7pm we blew a rear tyre. Anna, Tom and our guide changed the tyre in cold blustery semi-darkness while we all huddled outside the truck in the cold night air. Arrived at our hostel around 8.30pm and were pleasantly surprised to find that instead of the expected crude camping conditions we were all given clean private rooms in a very basic hostel in a remote adobe village called Vilamar.
This was much needed as Julie had been suffering symptoms of altitude sickness since midday - headache, queasiness and immense tiredness. She went straight to sleep with minimum dinner and slept very well. Peter is faring okay. Even co-driver Tom was suffering with slight altitude sickness, so Anna did most of the driving this day.
Mon 25 Mar
Woke 7.15am - Julie feeling slightly better but still mildly lightheaded. She ate minimum breakfast and started to feel better as the morning went on. Water bottle leaked in handbag which required drying out - nuisance!
En route to Uyuni we visited more rock formations at Valley of the Rocks, and spotted llamas, flamingoes and quinoa plantations while driving through more arid countryside.
Lunched in an dusty town called San Cristobal and photographed children playing soccer on a typically dusty field. Lunch was veg soup followed buy stew & rice - very nice for 15 Bolivianos each (A$1 = 7Bols).
Arrived at Uyuni (elevation 3700m) around 5.30pm and checked into a really nice hotel. Had the best shower to wipe off the many layers of dust that had accumulated over the past few days! For dinner we chose a nice restaurant in town and Julie chose llama steak off the menu.
Uyuni is a typical dusty adobe town expanding to cater for the ever-growing tourist trade visiting the nearby salt flats which are the largest in the world, covering 12,000 sq kms - where we go tomorrow.
Tue 26 Mar
Today we visit the Salt Flats driving in a convoy of three 4x4 vehicles. We have the benefit of our 'Altiplano guide' Braulio driving and Tom as front seat passenger so we're able to chat and discuss things with Braulio,with Tom translating. The expanse of salt is enormous - for as far as the eye can see. We start by visiting a local salt processing plant where they heat the salt to dry it, crush it finely and package it for local consumption. All very crude in its simplicity. Then on to a remote area for lunch and 'funky photos' (will explain later!). Then on to a 'salt hotel', geysers and a 25km drive back to town. We all got a good sun tan today out in the sun with the reflective salt plain. Dinner was a very good pizza at the hotel restaurant then an early night.
Wed 27 Mar
9am departure (meant to be 8am but one pax decided to take off and leave us all waiting!!) Arrived Potosi by 2.30pm but were delayed while Anna did some 'customs' paperwork regarding the truck. Unloaded the truck to across town and took taxis to our hotel (Hotel Jerusalem) as the roads are too narrow for our big truck to park outside the hotel. Took off for a walkabout around this old and important town.
Potosi is the highest city in the world it at 4060m, but its importance lies in the fact that it was the commercial centre of colonial Spain's massive wealth and empire building as a result of its silver deposits. Even today mining continues - some silver, but mainly tin, zinc and lead.
After dinner we witnessed a grand religious parade though the streets with amazing and authentic-looking costumes dedepicting the Easter story.
Thu 28 Mar
We took a morning tour of an underground working mine to get a feel of the terrible and claustrophobic conditions under which miners still work today. It is also traditional to take gifts to the miners, consisting of dynamite (!), 96% proof alcohol, coca leaves (which they chew to give them continual energy) and other bits & pieces - all purchased at the local miners' market.
In the afternoon we visited the Casa del Moneda (original 18th century mint, now a museum) which was fascinating, learning all about how, in colonial times, Potosi produced silver coins for most of South America, and seeing the early equipment used.
