The South American Altiplano (LA Y, Z8 Y, AA Y)
Nov 2, 2013, 5:24 pm
#61
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Join Date: Jul 1999
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I really appreciated your report. As probably one of the few other FTers who has been to Parque Nacional Lauca, I'm glad others can share the experience. I haven't seen much else of the altiplano - the sea level to 4500m in a few hours really hit me hard. I did go out to Pica one day (from Iquique) - my first true oasis - a little green speck way way out in the distance, growing and growing, which turns into a micro tropical place, where the great lemons and mangoes come from.
Nov 3, 2013, 1:16 pm
#62
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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Posts: 1,992
Thanks for the excellent report. I did visit San Pedro de Atacama in May, but did not venture north to Iquique, nor into Bolivia. Maybe I will get around to posting a trip report one of these days, but I'm afraid yours will put mine to shame. Agree with you about the food on LAN (though almost any non-US carrier looks good compared to AA Y).
Nov 3, 2013, 5:38 pm
#64
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Eastbay1K, thanks for the comment! I actually remember getting your advice in the LAN Forum when my LIM-SFO flight got changed to the 9:00 am departure 
Cool, I don't think I know of another person that has been to Lauca! Luckily I had almost two weeks to acclimatize before getting there, so I felt alright. But the first day getting into Puno... man I was nauseous and had a pounding headache. I will have to check out Pica one of these days... I've heard about the famous lemons there haha.
EIPremier, thanks for reading! You should definitely write your trip report, it's always good to have different perspectives. If you have the opportunity in the future, go to Salar de Uyuni... it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience I think.
Kgmm77, thanks for your kind words. I hope you do get to visit the Altiplano one day!
Cool, I don't think I know of another person that has been to Lauca! Luckily I had almost two weeks to acclimatize before getting there, so I felt alright. But the first day getting into Puno... man I was nauseous and had a pounding headache. I will have to check out Pica one of these days... I've heard about the famous lemons there haha.EIPremier, thanks for reading! You should definitely write your trip report, it's always good to have different perspectives. If you have the opportunity in the future, go to Salar de Uyuni... it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience I think.
Kgmm77, thanks for your kind words. I hope you do get to visit the Altiplano one day!