Into the Altiplano: Sea Kayaking Argentina, Bolivia & Chile

We went to South America's Altiplano, the mountainous desert region crossing the borders of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, looking for water in the driest place on earth. We pulled kayaks behind, which sounds either Quixotic or foolhardy. During six weeks we traveled from sea level to 20,000 feet and ultimately found more than just signs of water. After all, man has scratched out a living here for more than 10,000 years, longer than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere, suggesting there must be water out there somewhere.

Starting on the ocean at Antofagasta, Chile, we pulled and paddled our kayaks across northern Chile and into Argentina. Part 2 of our Altiplano adventure begins on the largest lake in northern Argentina - Lago Vilama - which surprised us by being just a few inches deep.