Walking through these coloured rocks was a treat, as was my locro lunch (a maize and meat stew).
In the late afternoon we had arranged transport up over the 4100m pass to visit Argentina's largest salt flats, the Salinas Grandes.
This remnant of the sea was carried high by the tectonic forces driving the Andes high. The arid climate evaporated the water, leaving behind the minerals and salts, crusted hard on the bedrock. A white shimmering lake, whose luminescence grew as the sun began to set.
This was to be my first salt flat, for there are many on this the Andean altiplano. Weird and unique landscapes.
