Altiplano – the high plateau. Home to the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth and the backbone of the Andes. A geographic region rather than a social-political boundary. Thousands of miles of uninterrupted landscapes pockmarked by economic activity of mining and touristic spots. A place were the views stretch out and the raw earth can color the mountain sides with the oxidized minerals showing their hues of red, green yellow and taupe. The hearty cactus providing some color, with the rare waters percolating to the surface creating an oasis of verdant greens. And in the distance, surrounding the altiplano, seeming to hold up the plateau are the volcanoes, bringing the fires of the earth to the surface.