Turquoise Mountain Lake, Snow-Capped Peaks, Andes

Of condors and contrasts

With its bald top and winglike flanking peaks, the conical mountain at upper left is known as Kunturiri for its resemblance to the Andean condor, or kunturi—a national symbol here in Bolivia and other South American countries. While the condor's feathers are typically slate-gray, the ragged granite of the Cordillera Real is tinged with a rusty brown. Paired with scrubby yellow grasses, the mountains contrast beautifully with the waters of Ch'iyar Quta—whose name translates to 'black lake,' despite the intense teal tone it owes to its glacial origin.