Plunging into the Antiplano

Right now I am writing from San Antonio de Los Cobres, Argentina. Markus and I have been here for a few days adjusting to the altitude (3800m) before we head off toward the desert of the Atacama tomorrow where we will encounter some passes near 5000m and nightly temperatures that will drop to -10C to -15C. The people in this region are poor in wealth, but rich in culture and very proud of their land, which is harsh yet beautiful at the same time. Here we have made friends with two guys who work in the local tourist information office, Abel and Ignacio, who have shared dinner with us and have taught us much about the region. We will head toward San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, and then from there ride north toward Bolivia. I plan to give another, long-overdue update from San Pedro. Until then, no worries. The headache from altitude is gone, Markus and I haven't needed to chew coca leaves yet, the cold is little problem, and we are eating plenty. Hopefully it stays that way! Ciao till later.