Do you remember when I posted that I had a problem with an SD card and that I had lost some pictures. Well, I have finally been able to recover them. These were taken on the second day of the Galapagos trip and include a couple of decent photos of yours truly as well as some shots of the Galapagos Penguin.
According to the Chilean police and road folks, IF IT DOESN’T RAIN AGAIN, the road to Argentina will open on Wednesday…just in time for my bus to Salta, Argentina on Thursday morning.
If the road doesn’t open, plan B is to fly to Santiago and continue on my travels from there. What the hell I will do in Santiago for two weeks remains to be seen. Do I have the right clothes to go down to the Lake District? Cross your fingers that that clouds I see rolling in and the high winds outside do not mean MORE RAIN and snow. As lovely as this desert town is, I would like to get out of here.
For those of you who did not believe me about the dogs, see below. These pictures I took this morning in less than 30 minutes fo walking around near my hotel. There was one dog (1st picture) that has only three legs but has not been neutered. Locals will apparently pay to have a dogs leg amputated but not to fix them so they don’t have MORE DOGS. Most of them are super cute and if I were headed back stateside, I might bring one home. If you are ever looking for a super cute, well socialized dog, now you know where to go.
The weather has not really improved. We’ve had a couple of dry days and then a big storm the other night. Dirt streets afer rain make for muddy boots, and even muddier dogs. On the 20th, I went to the Valle de Arco Iris (Rainbow Valley). Beautiful colored mountains. Our guide told us how rare it is to see so much snow at these “lower” elevations…9,000 ft.
In the high valley, we got to see some lovely llamas. They like the cold and snow.
In the afternoon, I visited some beautiful lagoons. The light at sunset was incredible.
The next day, I went to Valle de la Luna. It was so named by a Belgian priest, Gustavo la Paige, who was sent to the Atacama and recognized the historical and geological wealth of the region.
Further in to the valley, we hiked up a sandy hill to see the views. I do not like hiking uphill in sand, but the view was worth it!
During the trip, our tour was adopted by a puppy. She was on the side of the road and our bus driver said we could take her with us back to town. Her tag said her name was Kahla and our guide was going to try to find her owners or find her a new home.
At the end of a busy afternoon, we stopped for a roadside snack and pisco sour at the top of another hill. The sunset views were spectacular.
And, we all got a chance to get on the roof of the bus for photos!
Stay tuned for updated on whether or not I can get out of here or if I am destined to be stuck in the Atacama until Spring.
