Outside, it is still pitch dark. Only a faint strip of light on the distant horizon holds the promise of dawn. Lightning flashes create ghostly light patterns in the clouds above southern Brazil. To avoid turbulence, the pilot maintains an altitude of 11 600 meters. Yet, the turbulent air layers above Uruguay...
A bumpy descent through turbulent air brings us a little before three to the Aeropuerto Internacional de Salta Martín Miguel de Güemes, a windy airport nestled between high mountains just south of Salta, in the northwest corner of Argentina. It takes a moment to find...
Over the next three days, we’ll continue heading further north until we reach the mining town of Potosí in Bolivia. We’ll also be ascending gradually as we begin the climb toward the puna, as the high plateau of the Andes is called in Argentina. The route we’ll be following is straightforward. For centuries, the valley of the Río Grande has been...
Potosí – for centuries the most important silver mine in the world – was supposed to be one of the highlights of the trip. We were to stay there for two nights. But social tensions have led to a strike and a blockade. There is no way through. Potosí, a junction of roads, is cut off from the outside world. On foot, we cross the bridge, not knowing...
Minus ten degrees is quite normal for a winter night in Uyuni, Martín teases us after breakfast. We can easily believe that – after all, we are on the Bolivian puna, 3 670 meters above sea level. Still, it was a bit of a shock last night when we discovered that Hotel Los Girasoles does have central heating, but no...
A rickety barrier across the gravel road blocks our way. Next to it is a guardhouse and a few container offices. Together, they embody the solitary Bolivian border post. You can't expect more in this barren, desolate landscape at 4 350 meters above sea level. The Chileans haven't even bothered...