I hardly know where to begin; this was such an amazing day trip. Parque Nacional Lauca is about two hours from Arica and sits 15,000 feet above sea level (three times higher than Denver), right near the border with Bolivia. To combat altitude sickness en route, we had lots of "mate de coca," a hot tea made with coca leaves. The drive there was simply spectacular, as you can see in the photos. We went up and around, and up and around, for what seemed like forever, on some pretty sketchy dirt roads, with no guardrails! I went from a "somewhat pleasant lightheadedness" to having a mild headache, to feeling like I had to move in slow motion when we reached Lago Chungara, our final destination. I did very well, though, and any discomfort was SO worth it. The park is known for its snow-topped volcanoes, highland villages, and wildlife; and I think I will need to give those last two their own posts!
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