Fire & Ice
Wild is the word that comes to mind when trying to describe
the environment one wanders through when traveling from Patagonia to the Altiplano.
On Earth's wide spectrum of climates, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia seem to only undergo its extremes.
It's made of fire and ice, of mud, sand, rain and wind.
The Last Hope. Última Esperanza.
It is the name given to one of Earth's southernmost region. A place in Patagonia
where seasons don't apply.
Where Summer and Winter both exist within the same day.
A region where winds are strong and hostile. Like a defense mechanism against humans, who are setting fire to its magnificent flora and slowly melting its giant glaciers.
"Next turn in 250 kilometers" is something I never thought I would hear.
Impressive, immense stretches of sand for hours, sometimes punctuated by abandoned mines, rare gas stations and flocks of birds of prey.
Taking the nearest exit away from the main road feels like landing on a different planet.
Martian landscapes are briefly coloured by out-worldly sunsets before being surrounded by millions of stars.
Earth is a living thing and likes to show it.
Cracks on its salty surface look like skin patterns seen through a microscope.
And when it breaks, it's fireworks of boiling water, bright colours and smoke.
Seeing how extreme elements are the norm in the most remote places of our planet is humbling.
It reminds us we're only guests here.
