Finally the rainy season is over. It dragged on into April even up on Salinas Grandes at 3350m above sea level where they would normally not expect more than 100mm or 3 inches per year. A day trip from salta is not the ideal way to enjoy the area - too much sitting on a tour bus. If possible stay overnight in Tilcara and see Purmamarca and the hill of Seven Colours before the tour buses arrive then go up to salinas.
The Puna is the natural environment for the shy Vicuna but if you look closely you often see them on the edge of the salinas, camouflaged by the terrain.
It looked like a beautiful clear day on the salt flats - the usual searing blue sky. (I'm not actually seven feet tall).
But rain clouds started rolling up the valley from Cachi/San Antonio de los Cobres and I suggested to the clients that we descend.
On both the Cuesta de Lipan and the Cuesta del Obispo that takes you to Cachi, you often find yourself looking down on these oceans of cloud stuck in the hills, looking like huge white lagoons.
Once you go into the cloud, the rain starts and the visilbility is zero. I was really glad the Don was driving - the poor visibility requires the utmost concentration and I had the chance to snap while inside the cloud.
The cloud was deep and lasted the entire descent of over 2km of altitude - 2000 metres but at the bottom of the Cuesta we were presented with a brilliant rainbow dipping over Purmamarca, literally dividing the storm from the sunny afternoon.
Fab photos! Looks amazing! :)
Posted by: Arlene | May 23, 2011 at 02:03 PM