My Trip to the Andes: World’s Longest Mountain Range
After a couple weeks in Chile while I was working at the House of Hope, Daniel the Director of Vision for Children – Chile took me on a one day trip to the Andes mountains.
Here are some pics of our trip up the mountain in a little Chevy Sprint and of a little restaurant we went in to.
Andes: World’s Longest Mountain Range.
The Andes is the longest mountain range in the world and boasts some of the highest peaks. The range is also known for its volcanoes, ruins of long-ago civilizations and the source of a malaria treatment.
The origin of the name Andes has not been definitively determined; most agree that it comes from the Quechua word anti, which translates to “high crest.” A minority argue that it comes from Anti Suyu, which is one of the four regions of the Incas who once inhabited the range.
Located along the entire western coast of South America, the Andes mountain range is about 4,500 miles (7,242 kilometers) long. The mountain range spans seven countries — Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina — and can be found between 10 degrees north and 57 degrees south latitudes and 70 degrees to 80 degrees west longitude. It is up to 500 miles (804 km) wide.
The only mountains that are taller than the Andes are the Himalaya Mountains and their adjacent ranges, including the Hindu Kush. The average elevation in the Andes is about 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). The highest elevation in the Andes is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 22,841 feet (6,962 m) above sea level.
The Andes are dotted with a number of depressions that separate the length of the range into several segments. [Image Gallery: Journey into the Tropical Andes]
Soaked up the Andes Mountain view in the hot salty water of Baños Colina natural hot springs
Daniel and I went up to the Baños Colina natural hot springs at the base of the San José volcano. The temperature of the 8 different pools was warmer at the top and cooler toward the bottom. I was surprised that it was hot salt water and the bottom of the pool was like sheetrock mud.
Baños Colina is a hidden place, majestic and silent, at the foot of the Cordillera de los Andes, located about 104 km from Santiago, at 3500 meters. In the natural pools arranged as outdoor terraces, and limestone deposits of thermal water with temperatures of 70 º C, you can enjoy a relaxing and therapeutic bath mineral waters and mud, with a view of the Andes. (Click here for more info)