Letting Off Steam At Dawn.

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA, CHILE.

Some statistics to set the scene for today; Marsden is 850 feet above sea level, Santiago is 1,590, San Pedro is 7,900 and El Tatio is almost 14,000 feet. We've been eating cocao sweets since we got here in an attempt to acclimatise.

We're at the front door by 4:30am. Several minibuses pass us in both directions but, by 5:10am we're beginning to get concerned. Five minutes later, it arrived three quarters full and not one word of apology. One more stop and we're on our way. We're told to buckle up and try to get some sleep because it's dark and we're in for a bumpy ride. We stop twice because a young lad has altitude sickness and he has been sick on the second occasion.

We arrive just about dawn. We're dressed for winter because it's mightily cold. The geysers are amazing but we both agree similar to one's in New Zealand (RJ) and Iceland (PG). Almost immediately, RJ begins to feel the effects of the reduced oxygen. She wants to sit it out but Robert, our guide , encourages her move. At one spot , we sit on a flat stone and can feel the heat rising through it.

Breakfast next consisting of bread, fruit, ham, cheese, avocado and fruit juice. There are flasks but they only contain tepid water. Not hot enough even for a chocolate drink. RJ doesn't fancy eating anything. Whilst there we spot a herd of guanacos grazing, several small blue and yellow birds and a large predator bird that stops nearby.

On to a lagoon where there are many guanacos including two rutting. RJ recalls seeing a programme about them, they try to bite the testicles off the adversary, charming creatures.

Our final stop is just beyond Manchuga at a lagoon with flamingos. There are six types in the world and Chile is home to three of them. We see two here, the Andean and the Chilean. The third is called a James is small and rarely seen. The Chilean has a pink rump, the Andean black.

There follows a bone-shaking journey of approximately 50km. It was bad enough in the dark when all one could see was a series of brake lights in front and headlights behind. Now one can clearly see the state of the road and I'm glad that I didn't contemplate doing this privately. We arrive back in San Pedro just before noon. Unfortunately, the minibus is emptied at the top of the town. The temperature is now 27 degrees Centigrade and we're layered up for winter! It's an uncomfortable walk back to the accommodation.

Lazy afternoon by the domo before venturing out for dinner. We feel beholden to the girl there who took the trouble to help us find the Domos last Wednesday. Music is on at 8pm. It's the same duo from Thursday. Afterwards, whilst handing the hat around, the guy stops to talk to us. He'd holidayed in San Pedro, busking, and never went back.