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Group Shots
Mick, Dave, Stephanie, Carrie, and Joey on Mars? (More Group Shots!)
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Day 2 - Southern Bolivia & Flamingos!
We departed in the early morning and headed south toward the modern volcanic arc. The landscape was dotted with active volcanoes and extensive barren terrain, much of it resembling images of the Martian surface. After lunch we arrived at the first of several high-altitude lakes crowded with flamingos! We were amazed to see so many pink birds living it up in the icy alkaline waters at nearly 4000 m elevation! During the afternoon drive south through the volcanic arc, we stopped at the "arbol de piedra" (stone tree). As you can see from the pictures, this wind-abraded rock has been shaped into a ~10 m tall tree-like shape. Our final destination this day was the Laguna Colorada. This lake was particularly interesting because the water was a brilliant pink color due to the thriving algae. We spent the night at nearly 5000m, redefining the word "cold". But we also saw the most incredible sunset that lit the clouds on fire. It was the perfect close to another unforgettable day.
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