putre - Lauca National Park - Arica

arica to Putre

Arica to Putre (town before Lauca National Park)
The elevation in the park is higher than the rest of the places I have been in south America including the mountain pass in Peru. Over 5000 meter above sea level and the climb is from sea level in less than 3hours!!! This is a quick way to get elevation sickness!!! Luckily I still was some what climatized and just had shortness of breath.



Step, Ryan and I rented this truck that we were afraid might not make the trip, But not only did it make it, it did the whole trip and some on a single tank of gas which Ryan and I were adament about not filling the truck as the policy is you recive the vehicle on empty. (Just hope the guy who picked up the truck made it back the office!!!!)



After settling in at the accomadation at Putre a small picturesque village on the side of a sloping mountain that affords a view of the larger snowpeaked volcanos just about anywhere in the village. (People who have been to french areas in Europe say that it has a simular feel to what places are like but less developed.) We took in the hot springs and mud baths (shown in the photo) the mud baths are a clay with few inches of mud on the bottom but not every where so when you hit a deep spot the mud between your toes can startle you as it did me. I think I squeeled like a school girl.

arica (day 4)

Arica boasts a few gnarley breaks, the most famous Gringo named after two american exchange students were arrested. The reposrt stated that two crazey gringos almost killed them selves. The ¨Gringos¨ sent the report into a surf-zine and ever since has retained the name Gringo.



This time of year isn´t the best time to surf it or the surround breaks else Ryan would have charged it. Another thing that Ryan and us didn´t charge the Karoke drive through which is too bad. It would be nice to mumble something uninteligable to the drive through attend to see if they could understand... The pier near Gringo and the Karoke drive through has mass amounts of pelicans and sea lions hoping for any scraps the fishermen can and will spare.



Stephanie Phelan found a puppy dog that looked lonely and only after some conviencing that he would be alright; that the other street dogs would take care of him did she put him back where she found him.