This national reserve is the fancy name for what cyclists call the "lagunas" route. Lagunas are the high-altitude lakes, in this case the puddles of water trapped in the high-altitude valleys of the Bolivian altiplano. And they are spectacular!!!
These lagunas come in ever color imaginable... red, green, turquoise, white, black... one just can't imagine the kaleidoscope of colors the water takes on.
The landscape has an incredibly surreal appearance. It feels like I'm on another planet. Or perhaps another dimension... One section is titled "Salvador Dali Desert", an incredibly accurate description of the bizzare landscape.
I'm very surprised to find flamingos in all lagunas. They are nearly the only living thing that can tolerate this harshest of environments. One night, we sleep next to one of the lagunas to find that these long-legged birds actually freeze themselves into the water at night. I suppose it's to protect themselves from any possible predators... even though I can't imagine there could be any other animals willing to live in these extremes.
We battle sun and desert cold with a near constant headwind for six grueling days. The trip made all the move difficult with limited food and water. Ankle-deep sand and no roads only add to the excitement. But all worth the incredible views and isolation!
These lagunas come in ever color imaginable... red, green, turquoise, white, black... one just can't imagine the kaleidoscope of colors the water takes on.
The landscape has an incredibly surreal appearance. It feels like I'm on another planet. Or perhaps another dimension... One section is titled "Salvador Dali Desert", an incredibly accurate description of the bizzare landscape.
I'm very surprised to find flamingos in all lagunas. They are nearly the only living thing that can tolerate this harshest of environments. One night, we sleep next to one of the lagunas to find that these long-legged birds actually freeze themselves into the water at night. I suppose it's to protect themselves from any possible predators... even though I can't imagine there could be any other animals willing to live in these extremes.
We battle sun and desert cold with a near constant headwind for six grueling days. The trip made all the move difficult with limited food and water. Ankle-deep sand and no roads only add to the excitement. But all worth the incredible views and isolation!
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