Since we were traveling in so many different vehicles this week, we had the opportunity to listen to a lot of different music. We heard everything from Latin American techno to American disco. I think the best music we heard this week was in a restaurant in Purmamarca, Argentina. Here, a local man and woman were playing Argentine folk music with Spanish influences. It was really fun to watch the duo play music that has been a part of the local culture here for such a long time.
Our most fun activity this week was the full-day tour we took in the Atacama Desert. To start our day, we left the town of San Pedro de Atacama early in the morning and took a bus to Laguna Miscanti, a beautiful, crystal-clear lake surrounded by volcanoes. From Laguna Miscanti, we headed to Las Piedras Rojas (The Red Rocks). Las Piedras Rojas is yet another beautiful landscape in the Atacama Desert, where visitors can find bright red rocks and multicolored, salt-filled lagoons. Finally, after visiting Las Piedras Rojas, we traveled to Laguna Chaxa. This is where we were able to see the Atacama Salt Flat and hundreds of wild flamingos. It was by far the coolest part of the day!
This week, I read a lot of online travel guides. I spent some time reading about the town of San Pedro de Atacama and the Atacama Desert, but most of my time was spent reading about Salta, Argentina. This is the city where Abby and I will be staying for the next six weeks. I wanted to try and learn as much as possible about it before we arrived.
