80 Things We Love About Arta: 18

18. Travelling With Arta

One of the things I loved doing with Arta was travelling. We had so many adventures together and saw places in the world I never knew existed. One of our cruises was from Buenos Aires, sailing around Cape Horn to Santiago and finishing the 28 day voyage going to Miami through the Suez Canal. 

One of our excursions from the ship took us from Arica, Chile, up through the desert mountains to Lauca National Park, 1450 feet above sea level in 2.5 hours. We travelled from Putre to Lauca Nationa Park which is in the Andes Mts. in the north of Chile, at the border of Peru and Bolivia. One can see the snow-capped volcanoes in the background. I just love travelling with Arta.

Wyona and Arta at Lauca National Park

We started the journey early in the morning with the guide reminding us that when we got off the bus we were to walk slow and carefully. Cruisers were wanting to eat half way up the journey but the guide told us we would get our bag lunch at 11:30 a.m. when we reached the Park. He kept reminding us so often how we were to take it slow and easy but I knew better, that it did not matter. Took one step down the bus, two and then three steps and the lunch bag was place in our hands and then we thought we were going to pass out. We walked to the nearest wall, sat on it with our heads down between our knees, the elevation was overwhelming. We ate our lunch slowly. There was an oxygen tank placed by each of the five buses and people were lined up to use the oxygen tank.

We were told to walk on the paths. We did that but at one point my ankles touched one of the plants that you see. The leaves on the plants are like porcupine quills.

From sea level to quite a way through the mountains one can just see mountains of sand and dirt. 

As one goes higher you can see a small cactus beginning to grow and then little spots of green appear until one gets to the top where there is the lake and volcanic snow covered mountains. 

Half way through our journey, the bus pulls sort of to the side of the highway, so then only one lane of traffic can pass by. We are on the should of the road where locals have set up their goods to sell us. Arta is having a good time posing. If one looks down in the valley there are houses and some green. The green only exists where there is civilization and water.

It is such a fascinating trip through the land going up and up and seeing first the cactus below this picture and then more green as one gets to the top.