Lots of Salt

Since Dan and Danica arrived last week, we have worked on a number of odds and ends up at the site (we are waiting for MBAC, the telescope's "camera" to arrive in a few days). Reed and I have continued to paint the inside of the telescope (with the paint continuing to not dry). We've also tried to fix a weather monitoring system we have and have worked on bringing the cryogenic compressors into operation.

We went out to diner last night at the so-called "meat place", known for its enormous skillet of meat, served at the table. There was also Lomo "a lo pobre" (meat of some sort with egg on top) and a very green mint liqueur for dessert.

We took today off and went to two popular sites in the area. In the morning we drove to the "Los Flamencos" reserve, via the town of Toconao. In the evening, we revisited the Valle de la Luna, which was found to be much more impressive at sunset.

Tomorrow, we are going to practice taking the ALMA road up to the site in preparation for escorting the MBAC delivery later in the week.

Here are some photos from today:

Here, Danica and Dan gaze at nearby Flamingos from an observation deck in the "Los Flamencos" reserve.  Note all of the white stuff, it is salt.  
An Andean Flamingo taking flight with the Altiplano and its volcanic peaks in the background.  
Part of the village of Toconao, about 40km south of San Pedro and on the road to the Salar and Flamingo reserve.  The towns copious water supply flows through the pit in the foreground.  
In the evening now, this is me atop the so-called "Great Dune" in the Valle de la Luna.  I wouldn't really call it a dune, since it is rather rocky.

The Great Dune itself.  After climbing it for the sunset, we picked up a pair of college-student bicyclists in the foreground parking lot and drove them back to San Pedro.