The big trip: El Tatio ain't got nuthin' on Strokkur

This morning we woke up at the ungodly hour of 3:15. It should be iilegal to wake up at that hour on purpose. But it was the only way we could get to see the Tatio Geyser at sunrise and test out our potential reactions to altitude sickness in order to safely book the next trip into the mountains.I can happily report that we both handled it well, despite my run-in with the anti-altitude sickness pills yesterday.

After a breakfast of cheese sandwiches, cookies and tea with milk heated in the bubbling geyser, we got our long awaited sunrise shot. Yes, this is a very pretty picture and very cool to see the sunrise over the mountains and reflect off the pool, but the geyser didn't shoot up in the air like the pictures at the tour operator's office. We were expecting a geyser of Strokkur (Iceland) proportions. Instead it was a field of small bubbling pools of geysers. Very pretty and cool but a bit disappointing.

After the geyser field tour, we drove to the thermal pools where half of us stripped down to our bathing suits to float around in the 80 degree waters. The other half stood at the edge with their wool sweaters, winter jackets, hats, gloves and scarfs, pointing and laughing at the rest of us fools.

On the way back, we stopped at the pueblo of Machuca. As our guide wasn't very forthcoming with info, what I can tell you about Machuca is that apparently their church is 5000 years old and they make a mean llama kebab. Yum.

Yes, it was that cold at 6 something in the morning. Minus 5 degress celsius, we were told. I left Denamrk this winter to avoid this necessity of bundling up. 8 more layers going on under the jacket.

Anyone know what Fuma Oles are?

Don't be fooled by the sun in my eyes, the blue sky and the single layer of clothing. Yes, the water was hot but the air was not more than 3 degrees C.