Peru – Tacna

Ever sine I arrived from Antarctica I have been running to be able to see Salar d´Uyuni and the surrounding desserts and arrive in Lima by the eighth. At 17.10 today I will fly to Lima. I know it is cheating, since I don´t take the bus. But I´ll actually arrive there one day early! So maybe tomorrow I will hopefully have time to get a decent night sleep and upload my pictures. Right now I feel wrecked from the bus ride, sleeping in high altitude (4800 meters) and sleeping on busses. But it has all been worth it. The Salar was just breathtaking and the surrounding deserts of the Altiplano amazing. The wideness of the landscape just makes you silent and want to watch it. Even from a 4×4 that is all o ver the place due to the bad or shall I say lack of road. Only the being out of breath and a hammering headache every now and then gives away that you are at 3500 meters. The first and last day the weather was really nice so we got to enjoy the landscape with a beautifull blue sky. Which makes it so much nicer to be out there. Only at the end of the second day we experienced the cruesome weather condition the Andes can have. A hail storms that made the track disappear from view and existence in general.

The driver was a quiet man who lives in Uyuni and was high on cocaleaves and some other stuff he chewed all the time. The other guests were a German couple, two Swiss women and a Japonese guy. He was really funny and friendly.

The dropoff point for four of the six of us was the Bolivian border close to San Pedro de Atacama. In only half an hour we decended 2000 meters to an acceptable and foremost breathable 2500. On arrival I bought my busticket to Arica for 20.30 where I arrived 08.30 this morning. While waiting for my bus I booked a plane ticket through an anoyingly slow internet connection and took a shower. Something I was deprived of in the last place we slept. Sorry, I can´t call it more then that. Conditions on the Altiplano dessert are rather harsh and facilities poor. 

Arica is not a nice town and I really wanted to keep moving. So I imediately took a bus to Tacne, together with a Swedish girl and a Portuguese couple. On arrvival they inmediately took a bus to Cusco, since Tacne isn´t really exiting either and I confirmed my flight to Lima for this afternoon. Now I am just waiting for my plane.

Hasta la pasta.