Argentina & Chile November 2008 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

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Argentina & Chile November 2008 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by Mike P »

Day 9 dawned bright and early and quite cold. After another sleepless night of coughing and general breathing difficulties I was not feeling quite as bright as I would have liked but as soon as I was up and about I felt ok (ish) again.
This is the 'motel' in the early morning sunshine.(or shadow really.)
[attachment 17743 a1.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 08 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by Mike P »

And the eroded volcanic hill opposite.
[attachment 17744 aa1.jpg]
The motel had made some attempt to plant a line of cacti along their fence but they did not seem to be thriving.
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 08 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by Mike P »

This is the closest I got to a llama without it turning tail and legging it over the nearest hill.
[attachment 17745 aaa1.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 08 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by Mike P »

Then it was off across the high puna again towards the first stop of the day. The yellow grass was very abundent as were the various Camelids which feed on it.
[attachment 17746 aaaa1.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 08 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by Mike P »

The first stop of the day was a non catus based stop at Salinas Grandes to see the salt flats and workings at close quaters.
This was the main building associated with the workings and the walls were formed with cut blocks of salt. Unfortunatly this did not seem to be an entierly satisfactory building material as there were substantial cracks in evidence......[attachment 17747 aaaaa1.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 08 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by Mike P »

And a general view out onto the salt pan. The Salinas Grandes (as the name implies) is the largest salt pan in Argentina and occupies an area similar to Luxembourg. The quality of light reflected off the salt was amazing and I used the cameras setting for snow to get a reasonable exposure.
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 2008 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by David_L »

The Salinas was a really bizarre place. This is another monument to salt. I think the figure is meant to be a miner, but I'm not sure.

[attachment 17774 Salt_pan.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 2008 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by David_L »

We actually drove out over the salt for some distance on a marked track. At the end of the track was this guy selling salt memorabilia! :shift: I think Mike bought a salt crystal. Tito is checking out his wares.

[attachment 17775 Salt_pan2.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 2008 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by David_L »

This is the brine pool he was using to form the rather beautiful crystals. Bath anyone?
[attachment 17776 Salt_pan3.jpg]
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Re: Argentina & Chile November 2008 - Day 9 - Susques - Uquia 200km

Post by David_L »

Anyway it's time we got back to some cacti. The first stop was at a place called Aguas Blancas, though it didn't look as though it had seen any aguas to speak of for some time! This is what the site looked like.


[attachment 17777 Aguas_blancas.jpg]
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