Tag: animal

The guanaco and the mountain (Chile)

Hi !

Peru, Argentina and Chile have blessed us an amazing and easy to spot wild life. It surely rarefied as we were going south in Patagonia and its desert landscape, but lately the guanaco became our buddy, appearing every now and then.

Here above is one in the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, on top of a hill, sort of keeping an eye on us. I could not resist framing it, with the mountain in the background. It is not a small animal, and yet in this landscape of huge rocks and wide empty spaces, he looks so tiny.

I shall mention that it is also rather tasty when stewed… or cured like the jamon serrano. You can’t say you like nature if you don’t get a taste of it 🙂

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Laguna Chaxa (Chile)

Hi !

Which picture, other than a peaceful lake and pink-ish flamingos, would be better suited to talk about a desert ?

The Desierto de Atacama (Atacama Desert) is the driest non-polar desert in the world, with some part having never received rain in recorded history. There are a few lakes, all overloaded with salt, coming from the higher plateaux when the snow melts and the water carries the salt down to the depression where the Salar de Atacama lies. Fortunately, the mild temperature (ranging for 0°C at night to 35°C during the day) makes it possible to enjoy this piece of desert.

Laguna Chaxa is the most popular of the lakes for those looking to observe some wild life, and appreciate the reflexion of the surrounding volcanoes.

Less postal card like, there was also a chance to spot the Andean Avocet, who likes the flamingo feeds on crustaceans, but don’t turn pink (so, less fashionable ?!).

Andean_Avocet_in_Laguna_Chaxa.jpg

Finaly, any sun-scorched place in the world wouldn’t be one without its resident lizard, who hunts the insects living on the surface of the salted water.

Lizard_in_Laguna_Chaxa.jpg

 

 

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

The flight of the condor (Peru)

Hi !

Certainly a cliché, but can you really visit Peru and miss the flight of the condor. I guess not. So I went on what I can tell you I hate the most: a guided tour to Canyon del Colca, with the expected stop at Cruz del Condor, a lookout located where the Canyon gets as deep as 3400m, a place where condors love to glide.

Sure we were several hundreds, all attempting to capture a photo of the magnificent bird, and I would like to think I wasn’t the worst. I could have done better if I would have drop a rotten body for them to eat and get close to me, but I was way to found of my traveling buddy to do that to her.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !