I
have a strong preference for being alive.
Alan Alda
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Fox popping up from its den
In the background is Laguna Grande where many flamingoes migrate for a while |
Laguna Grande is an oasis amidst the desolate beauty of the high puna (high plateau) of Argentina as well as a sanctuary for flamingoes. The stark, volcanic formations and saline crusts that frame the lagoon add to the exquisiteness of this remote place. Laguna Grande is visited annually by researchers to count and study the flamingo population. This is a place where one can witness a very delicate survival dance in one of the most extreme environments in the world.
We are heading to Campo de Piedra Pómez (pumice stone field), a unique pumice field that spans 75,000 hectares featuring striking white to ivory, naturally wind-eroded, pumice stones, first created by a long-ago volcanic eruption. Many of these porous stone formations are topped with pink to red dust, enhancing the overall beauty of its ridges, towers, walls, channels or abstract sculptures.
Each corner reveals new patterns and perspectives with the ever-changing light. Walking around these pumice masterpieces feels like being in a maze from another world, a trip into geological creativity and whimsy that somehow feels both prehistoric and futuristic. From a distance however, it looks like waves in a land-based ocean.
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Leaving the large white dune, here's the first glimpse
of Campo de Piedra Pómez |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
Looking back towards the large white dune |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
Everything leaning towards the same direction, dictated by frequent strong winds |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
From this angle you can see the color on the tops of each 'wave' |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
The winds can be so intense a times, it is closed for safety reasons |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
At the bottom of these channels, dark sand |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
So unusual |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
Some formations are more rounded |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
Even the dark sand looks wavy |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
Reddish waves to dark sands to wine-colored hills to snow-capped peaks |
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Campo de Piedra Pómez
Last look as I head out |
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These 'waves' are made of dark sand
It is called Mar de Arena (sea of sand) |
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Mar de Arena
Volcano Carachi Pampa |
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| Volcano Carachi Pampa |
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| On my way to Laguna Rosada in Carachi Pampa |
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| Not sure if this enclosure was for llamas? |
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This flag is called Wiphala (fluttering shout of triumph)
It represents the unity & resistance of the indigenous people of the Andes
While found throughout the Andes, it is the second recognized flag of Bolivia
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Entrance of Laguna Rosada in Carachi Pampa
Two llamas being fed near corral |
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| Llamas are domesticated, unlike vicuñas |
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| Heading towards Laguna Rosada (pink lagoon) |
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| Laguna Rosada doesn't look so pink in this photo |
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Laguna Rosada, lone flamingo and its reflection
Getting pinker as I get closer |
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| Laguna Rosada, unique, intense, hard to forget |
A wide range of reddish shades makes Carachi Pampa genuinely unique. These intense colors are the result of the dust particles carried by the wind from nearby mountains. Merging with this vibrant palette are flamboyant flamingoes wading decorously in the shallow water, adding charm to this visual masterpiece.
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| Laguna Rosada - so peaceful, serene |
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| Laguna Rosada, another type of bird in the background |
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| Laguna Rosada with a bit of whitish saline crusts on the edges |
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Laguna Rosada - is made for flamingoes
It's now hard for me to picture one without the other |
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| Laguna Rosada - stromatolites |
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| Laguna Rosada - closeup of the stromatolites |
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Laguna Rosada - on my way out
Greenish filaments in the water |
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Two brave cyclists
The winds can be so wicked here, it's a tough endeavor |
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We are near the highest point of our trip
Frozen water is showing up here and there |
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At one point we got stuck in snow and had to turn around
Still too much snow in some of the passes |
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| This rock looks like it's melting |
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The mate to the fox at the top of this post
Looks like it had luck catching something
Laguna Grande |
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| Not even sure how to describe these rocks |
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| View of Volcán Galán Caldera and one of its lakes |
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View of Volcán Galán Caldera
15,585 feet (4,750 m), one of the largest calderas in the world
We made it and I'm not feeling any altitude sickness at all
I am lucky |
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On the way down into the Volcán Galán Caldera
River of ice |
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Volcán Galán Caldera
River of ice |
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Volcán Galán Caldera
Just one icy puddle left on a south facing slope |
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Laguna Diamante (diamond lagoon)
Andean gull near this arsenic laced lake |
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Laguna Diamante (diamond lagoon)
Panoramic view |
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Laguna Diamante (diamond lagoon)
The water is hyper-alkaline and five times as salty as the sea |
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Volcán Galán Caldera also contains fumeroles and hot springs
Watch the steam coming off this spring
Temperatures up to 187F (86C) |
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Volcán Galán Caldera also contains fumeroles and hot springs
This one is green |
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Volcán Galán Caldera also contains fumeroles and hot springs
This one is going towards Laguna Diamante, bringing in more arsenic |
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Volcán Galán Caldera
It seems so sparse yet vicuñas live here |
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Above Laguna Diamante
So blue and so gold - what a contrast |
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The Toyota Hilux next to Laguna Diamante (for size)
My guide is getting lunch ready while I hike above the lake |
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Laguna Grande one more time before leaving this area
Flamingoes taking flight |
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Laguna Grande
Vicuñas and flamingoes |
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Laguna Grande
A group of flamingoes is called a flamboyance - I love that |
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| Back to the golden fields of paja brava |
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Paja brava (brave straw) and - can you see them?
Three smaller rhea birds |
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| More rheas |
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And finally, a cousin of the chinchilla, a viscacha
Can you find it?
Unfortunately, still hunted for their fur and for food |
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