Here in South America, there are many large valleys with salt deposits. These salt flats form a vast, surreal landscape unlike anything we have ever seen before. Shallow pools filled with salt crystals and different colored algae stretched for miles. Chilean and Andean flamingos like to hang out near these salt flats, because they can feast on the small, shrimp-like crustaceans that inhabit them. The landscape of the Atacama Salt Flat truly looks like it could be on another planet.
While in the Atacama Desert, we also got to see lots of volcanoes. The small town of San Pedro de Atacama is surrounded by active and dormant volcanoes. Most of these volcanos are no longer active, but a few still are. One of the volcanoes we got to see even blows smoke from its top in the mornings!
