All news: 23 December 2015

All turned out as always spontaneously. We just took a bus in Mendoza and went to Copiapo. Just to kill time, since before the plane there was five days. In Copiapo, we hired a pickup and decided to try to go to Ojos. Ojos del Salado - is the highest volcano in South America and the world.

So we got into the car and drove to the Atacama Desert. I do not drive a car, and Xenia has no experience of driving an SUV, but we are not scared. In the evening, courageously overcome all difficulties off-road, we were in the high-altitude camp "Atacama" at an altitude of 5200. It is 5 am when we began to climb to the top. The weather was clear but very windy. In Elbrus in such wind, I would not be led, to be honest. I do not know when exactly – at 2 p.m., perhaps, we were "standing" on the top.

Then there was a rapid descent. After resting for five minutes on foot, Xu sat behind the wheel of our car, and we rushed to the Laguna Verde, warm up in the hot springs. The next day we traveled through the neighborhood, stopping at various places of interest. We visited the lakes, waterfalls, gorges, salt marshes, seeing the wild flamingos. I was struck by the beauty and abundance of colors of the desert. This is my first meeting with this desert, but I hope not the last.

Now we're sitting at the airport waiting for the plane of Oxana. Today she flies home, and I stay in Chile. No exact plan as usual there, just go to the south. What will come of this? Wait and see...