After a beautiful sunset, we enjoyed a very quiet night on the Salar de Atacama.
After taking in the sunrise the next morning it was time to head for Argentina.
On the way we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.
There were frozen salt lakes near the 14,000 ft pass we crossed. Lest anyone think we are hard core, we saw three long-distance cyclists on the same route.
The Argentinian border post at Paso Sico.
This could be one of the world’s loneliest border posts. After walking around inside the empty office looking for someone to stamp our passports, we finally found them eating lunch. We waited for them to finish and then completed our paperwork. We were at the border for more than an hour and saw no one else and no other vehicles.
After a four-hour drive on dirt roads we stopped for the night in the dusty mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres. (Saint Anthony of Copper – I didn’t know there was a saint of copper.) We couldn’t find a good camping option, so we splurged on a hotel with hot showers and heated rooms. Oh the luxury! There we met Chris, a motorcyclist from California.
We stop for every steam engine we see.
We were surprised on our way into Cafayate by the amazing Quebrada de Cafayate. It reminded us of Utah and made for a beautiful afternoon’s drive.
We spent a week in Cafayate, mostly working, but also getting a chance to taste some of the region’s wines.
Apparently eating ice cream in Argentina is the social thing to do. We even found some made without cow milk!
After a few days in Cafayate, the Adventure Trio rolled in on their motorbikes. They are a family of three riding BMW motorcycles through the Americas. We first met them three years ago at the Overland Expo where their son Jack gave a talk on traveling as a family. We spent two nights together in Cafayate before heading toward Córdoba.
The Flying Sparks with the Adventure Trio. Left to right they are Sandy, Terry, and Jack.
We were heading in the same direction, so we decided to meet up the first night in the town of Recreo. It happened to be the fourth of July, so we got some steaks and grilled them over the campfire. It was nice to have friends to celebrate with!
Next stop, Buenos Aires, and hopefully a working fridge!
Hi to you three Sparks! Am enjoying all your adventures! You are a most amazing family. What a great experience it is. Quinn is getting so tall. Love the pic where his dad is holding him. His legs just keep going!! Hugs to all. Pam
I love that you see so many trains! Great photos, as always.
You guys are hard core. Great photos. HTS
So much fun spending time with you all. We are looking forward to meeting again in. Brazil.
Thanks Terry, we had a great time too. Would love to meet up again!
Oh my goodness, that was a lonely border! Enjoyed your post. Loved the steam engine, of course and always like seeing pictures of the three of you–especially Quinn! It’s fun to see him grow!
Our family road-tripped through Argentina last fall (Oct, 2014). Linked our daughter’s blog post about kayaking with Sea Lions in the Valdez Peninsula. Hope you make it that far south, it was our favorite part of the whole trip!
Thanks for commenting! Peninsula Valdez is definitely in our plans. We’re looking forward to it!
Thanks everyone for the comments! Yes, Quinn is growing a lot. We keep thinking that soon he’s going to be too big for his upstairs berth in the van!
Just to keep you all up to date, we’re staying in Buenos Aires and have found someone who can hopefully fix our fridge. We’re supposed to pick it up today!