Salzburg! To start at the very beginning: we toured the fortress on the hill above town.Salt is the very beginning – A salt model of the same view of the town!We looked out over the land that the fortress protected.A UNESCO world heritage city, we enjoyed wandering the sights.Other A+ RS travelers! They cut up their Rick Steve’s guidebook the same as we did! A funny encounter!This is Mozart’s birth place which makes this a very musically oriented city.We lunched alfresco on lasagna and tortellini with prosciutto while people watching.YUM!!! Good to the last taste.
Berchtesgaden is Germany’s only Alpine National Park.We wandered along the shores of Lake Königssee.A perfect day to enjoy the calm waters and watch the boats cruise by.They played the bugle to hear the echos off the walls – that was the only interruption to the solitude.A great place to take a break and soak your feet.There was always the luge option…Or the BBQ option back at the apartment! We are enjoying all of the amenities 😉
Our first view of the Alps! We flew into Munich and drove a few hours south to Anger, Germany.Our first home – Staufen-Chalet Hochreit. We have the deluxe one bedroom apartment with a personal infrared sauna.The view from our window at sunrise.The view as we leave in the morning, looking towards the south.Who wouldn’t want this scenery on your commute?Almbach Gorge is nearby and our first day calls for a leisurely 7-kilometer hike with a 1,000 foot climb.Water is a beautiful color. The trail is fun with lots of bridges and catwalks.At bridge #19 is the high Sulzer waterfall and where we took a trail up, above the canyon.We climbed the trail to the Mesnerwirt Chapel, near Ettenberg, and ate our picnic lunch enjoying the view! Alltrails linkA final moment of enjoyment of this alpine view before heading down to our car.
Le Meridien Hotel was the perfect place to relax after seeing the sights. Saxaphone and piano music with some wine and a buffet dinner in their Bar Latitude!Wonderful historic building in Santiago like the Bolsa de Comercia.The Mercado Central was designed by Gustave Eiffel.History from 1998 at La Pica de Clinton! Lets stop in for a Cola.We learn of all the ancient cultures and their art at Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino.Another beautiful Beaux-Arts building housing the Museo Nacional de Belles Artes.A Caballo by Fernando Botero! We have enjoyed our South American experience here in the capital of Chile.
Where are you taking us this time?They call this Valle de la Muerte. Death Valley?Well it is pretty hot but I will enjoy the red rocks and the sand dunes.Really this was a misunderstood hearing of Marte (Mars). NASA has tested their Mars rovers here.We just climb down this dune to the car! You see it down in the lower right…way down there. Another successful navigation….
We arrive at the Geisers del Tatio about an hour after sunrise. This geothermic basin is at 14,200 feet with geysers and fumeroles.They are most impressive at day break as the coolness of the air shows off the 185°F steam as it condenses.Our intrepid navigator drove us about 90 minutes in darkness with only the light of the full moon and then rising of the sun so we could be here early.Interesting colors and reflections. It is the largest geyser field is the southern hemisphere and the third largest in the world. (Yellowstone is the largest, and there are many similarities)The vicuñas are allowed in the water, since they can’t read Spanish. They are so busy eating the algae they don’t pay any attention to the photographers.Isn’t this one just as cute as can be? The eyes are so big!Outside the park we had a picnic lunch and this Zorro wanted to see if we had any for him. We did not share but were quite excited to see a Andean Fox!About midway on the drive home we saw this site in the Valle Putana. Vicuñas fully immersed in the river.Some other vicuñas are waiting on the hillside.This vicuñas is getting left behind.They safely crossed the road under our watchful eye.They can join the other hundred or so we saw in the Valle Putana – a lush spot full of life.The volcano Putana is reflected in a vegetation free area of the river.
Llama Crossing! Stop the car!Wow what a coat of fur. They must be so hot.This lizard lives in the Salt flats – notice all the beautiful white crystals.We are at Laguna Chaxos in the Salar de Atacama, the third largest salt lake in the world. This is one of the sectors of Los Flamencos National Reserve.A long neck just like the llamas and vicuñas.We enjoyed watching this one feed on the algae. There are three types of flamingos that nest here but some have left.Another day we got this photo of a different species of flamingo – less black on the tail.There are other flocks of birds also at Laguna Chaxos. Valle de la Luna shimmers in the back ground.We enjoyed our private shady patio during our 5 nights at Peumayen Atacama Cabaña, just outside San Pedro. And a great 2 bedroom half of a duplex.We watched the sunset on the volcano that dominates the town. Is that a cloud forming -hopefully!The sun sets fast! We are here during equinox and at the Tropic of Capricorn…Great Timing.
We head up to the high plains of the AltiPlano, south of San Pedro de Atacama whose elevation is 7,900′.We cross the Tropic of Capricorn!!! Latitude 23°26’16” South.We are truly at the Fin de Mundo! No Cell Phone Signal from here on…Officially off the grid…We ambled the car past 13,000 feet to enjoy Laguna Miscanti (surface elevation: 4,140 m, 13,580 ft) and the view of the volcano, Cerro Miniques.Beach loving Vicuñas, sunning themselves!Guess the water is yummy…well there is water here.Next view point is Laguna Miniques, 13,520′ elevation. Notice the intense blue color of the lake – pretty incredible.And there it is: Monte Miniques at 19,390 ft high. Higher than Mt Everest base camp. It is actually several volcano peaks together.Another vicuña enjoying the AltiPlano, in the shadow of Monte Miniques.That grass looks like it might still have some nutrition.A panorama of Salar de Talar, the Aguas Caliente south. A huge salt flat at 13,000 feet and the water is not hot (we asked).It is also known for its red rocks as well as the contrasting colors. A salty white beach.Looking back at our 19,390 foot peak.We enjoyed the colors and the reflections. Fun to walk around and be in the cooler air – although the heat from the sun is pretty intense.The final stop and our turn around point we enjoyed with some birds. Laguna Tuyajto is another salt lake at 13,000 feet that is close to the Argentina border. A very scenic day in the Altiplano.
