An 11h bus trip to leave San Pedro to arrive at Arica, last big city before the Peruvian border. 8 o'clock in the morning, we get off and we look for a public transportation to go to Putre and it took us about one hour to find it, sent from a counter to another one, from the international terminal to the local one, we get the sesame in the bus which drives to La Paz in Bolivia, it will drop us off at the Putre bifurcation, 5km away from the village. The problems are not finished : instead of the 3h ride, it will take 7, the bus had a leak of oil and we had to stop several times. At 5 PM, it drops us off at the expected place. One hour later, we arrive at Putre, a picturesque, laid-back village where the tourists are not numerous despite the proximity of the Lauca park. We drop our backpacks in the first hostal we find and we go out to book a journey to the park for the next day.
We leave the village at 8 o'clock sitting in a minivan to go to the Lauca park. After a few kilometers, the local titan is named Parinacota, a 6342m volcano, precisely. A perfect half snow white, half volcanic black cone and its faithful lieutenant the Pomerape volcano.

The park protects a few endemic species of wild birds, the bofedal, swampy alluvial grasslands and an essential ecosystem for a variety of animals as well : vicuñas, lamas, big-eared mice, viscachas - a wild rabbit-like animal, and an incalculable number of birds. The first stop allows us to walk alongside the bofedal in order to meet its inhabitants.

Later, the retinian burn is called Chungara lake. The records fans declare it highest lake in the world, 4500m high. As in my previous message, a couple of pictures is better than a long speech.

About the feelings, smiles "screwed" in the face, we walk back and forth searching for the ultimate picture ; the one we must share while we go home or on the Internet. But sorry, you'll have to come here to figure out how the scenery is beautiful, these pictures are only an invitation to travel.
In the afternoon, a short trek lead us from the Cotacotani lagoon to the Parinacota village through these atypic landscapes.