We were driving north along a desert valley and there was a very minor road zig-zagging up the range on our right. We gained 600m altitude up the switchbacks and were beginning to look for a place with a westerly view back over the valley, when we noticed a man approaching us out of the desert. We did not really want to talk with him because we were concerned he would move us on. He was a pretty scruffy lean character, with lanky hair, not a lot of teeth, and bright eyes. After some discussion in my very broken Spanish he became quite animated and was yabbering on at a great rate - and almost entirely unintelligible. I came to understand that he lived nearby and he knew of a wonderful spot for us to camp. He indicated a hill top to the east and provided instructions of how to get there. The light was fading fast as we navigated the increasingly marginal track. The position was truly spectacular with 360° views including a moon-rise to the east over the boarder with Peru. As the sun set I saw for the first time in my life the fabled green flash. As we departed the next morning I spied a man standing in a doorway of a small hut some distance off. We exchanged a wave. map
