The crackling sound of the wheels on the dirt road to Antofagasta de la Sierra. The earth on our bonnet, onto which we wrote like kids, in the Valle de la luna. The wind whistling against our half-closed window on our way to Tolar Grande. The black volcano crust crumbling against ochre sand dunes. The colour shades of Andean rocks. Cactus flowers, wind-ruffled bushes, and every grazing llama. The pure white of Salar de Antofalla, and the pure blue over 4800 metres, which take your breath away. Gauchos riding on the edge of landscapes wider than one can imagine. Nature’s absolute beauty makes you reconsider the concept of beauty itself. In north-western Argentina, images last hours. We are up to our necks into touching driving days. Days of curves and slopes, during a long off-road journey, as sand dries our mouths. Days of tents to pitch before night comes, days of succulent asado and wine and beer and the instinct to toast. Days that end in the yielding we call serenity or cheerfulness. A different hemisphere’s stars. Every day is the finest day.

MINI Adventure Trip 2015 is a journey on-the-road in the Argentinian desert’s summer – 9 days and 1765 kilometres on board a MINI Countryman ALL4, as part of a merry international caravan – that intersects the Dakar Rally and the fabulous team MINIALL4 Racing in the successful Chilecito lap. We played the drivers, our eyes wide open on the greatness of a wonderful place and of a race that is above all a journey, a hymn to exploration, a stimulus to embark on epic adventures. Thanks to MINI, our fellow traveller in this one. #Goboundless #Dakar2015 #MINIAdventureTrip  minispace.com/it_it/motorsport/dakar-2015/route/

Itinerary: Buenos Aires > Cordóba > La Posta > Chepes
 > Villa Unión/Talampaya > Chilecito
 > Antofagasta
 de la Sierra > Tolar Grande
 > Purmamarca/Jujuy > Buenos Aires

Words Meraviglia Paper. Pictures Luigi De Santis.