Before our second day at Awasi Atacama, let me show you our desserts from last night-

A sweet take on a caprese salad with tomato, basil sorbet, a bruleted cheese and yogurt and tomato droplets - delicious

This dessert was all about banana. Norman gave it an A.

 

And now today - we took 2 hikes. the first hike was into Kari Canyon.

The view from the top

Me with our guide Pedro at the beginning of the hike

 

We hiked along  the canyon edge before descending into the canyon via a sand dune.

Some hikers ahead of us walking down the dunes

 

 As we walked along the old river bed, we could hear the salt formations contract and expand.

 

The salt river in the bottom of the canyon is an amazing display of salt crystals which include salt flowers.

 

Instead of a gravel creek bed, we walked over a creek bed of solid salt.

 

And then there was lunch back at the lodge:

Norman's salad had beet chips to compliment quinoa with cucumber, beet greens and baby beets.

Charlotte and I had mixed greens with a goat cheese terrine.

 

We followed that with filet of beef served with purple potatoes and fava beans. We skipped dessert!

 

In the afternoon, we hiked along the Puritama River toward Machuca, ending at the Puritama Hot Springs.

 

                                          This is a waterfall along the trail.

You'll be glad to know that two of the guides met us at the Hot Springs with a picnic that included fresh fruit, smoked salmon, prosciutto, a variety of cheeses and water, beer and wine - something to hold us over until dinner! I'll tell you more about dinner when I write about tomorrow, but it was fantastic.