Camino Travel Magazine Issue 2

That’s the word to describe this morning. Which would not be surprising if you weren’t in the world’s
Frosty.
desert.
driest
FEATURE
Morning at Alto Atacama
It’s a stark contrast to the previous days of near perfect, sunny 34 degrees which is more of what you would
expect and what makes the Atacama a travel hotspot all year round.
But this morning is all about turning whatever scarf like or excess material we have on our persons into a
headwrap of some sort, leaving not much more than our eyes and nose exposed to the elements.
It’s close to 5am, not a time holiday makers willingly get out of bed for, but Luis, our guide promises us the
spectacle of ‘grandpa crying,’ what the locals call the geyser field of El Tatio, will be more than worth it.
Even in the pre-dawn darkness, you can hear the mist and sharp hisses from the ground below and feel the
humid air of the surrounds.
There are between 80 to 100 geysers in Tatio, which is small by Yellowstone standards, but what makes it
distinct is its very location within the desert which seems to defy all logic.
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