San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

San Pedro de Atacama

Sunday 22nd April

So another bus journey over, and we are dropped off in a dusty carpark, where there are a few hostel owners hanging around for some business.

We had make a booking with one of the hostels that's slightly out of town, and were expecting to be picked up, however they didn't show. On the basis that there's no taxis in sight, we don't have a map and feel completely lost, we take up the offer of a room from the guy that owns Hostel Iquisa, which he says is nice, central and 5000Pesos each per night. He's also got a van to take us there, so we accept.

It's a small place, that looks out across the desert to the mountains and seemingly there's noone else there.

The room is fine, and the shared bathroom also looks okay. No breakfast here, but we have full use of the kitchen. There's also three cats, all responding to the name 'Mooncat'.

We drop off our bags, and follow the crappy map towards town, but go slightly wrong and end up missing the centre. Thankfully the two dogs that followed us know the way back, and we soon hit the 'highstreet'.

Not your usual highstreet mind, we are in the middle of the desert after all. However, there seems to be quite a lot going on - lots of tour shops, restaurants/bars but all on a small, dusty, scale. Looks like an interesting place to hang out for a few days.

Because our time here is quite limited we make enquiries as to the local tours - we aware of the Moon Valley tour, various geysers and ruins. Of course, this is also where we pick up our 4x4 trip to Uyuni, Bolivia.

Also, we're low on Pesos, so make a beeline to one of the two ATM's in town. One's Mastercard, the other, Visa - both of them quite near to the main street.

Booked our Moon Valley tour, and had a bite to eat at the excellent 'Todo Natural' restaurant.

Then, an early night and to take things easy at 2500 metres.

Monday 23rd April

Visited the Archaelogical Museum, which contains the collection of Padre Gustave Paige, a Belgian missionary who lived in San Pedro between 1955 and 1980. Lots of other interesting exhibits - pottery, textiles, miniature Inca artefacts, Paleoithic tools, skulls with headdresses, jewellery, and paraphernalia for smoking hallucinogenic drugs!

The museum details the development of pre-Hispanic Atacameno society. We learnt that there was human occupation of the area approx. 11,000 years ago.

At that time it was more humid, as the ice age was ending, and large glaciers melting meant that it became more wet. Nevertheless, the flora and fauna was the same, just more plentiful.

The weather changed, to like what we have today, around 6-8000 years ago.

Lunch followed, then we booked our 'Salt Flats' tour, after having read therecommendations/cautions book at the tourist office. Clearly, 'Estrella del Sur' came out well in the reviews, and we were pleased to book with them. Lionel was very friendly, and explained the 3 day/2 night very well. It's a little more expensive than most of the others, at 49,000 Pesos, but we reckon it'll be worth it and will keep our fingers crossed.

After lunch, our afternoon trip out to the Moon Valley heads off.

First stop, we head to a viewpoint of the surrounding mountain ranges (The Andean Mountain Range - a chain of volcanoes) - excellent sight/site, and our guide gives us some information of the surrounding geological area. Also had a view of the Salar (Salt Flat) de Atacama.

We're told that 40% of the world's Lithium is mined in the area.

Back in the bus we head over to Death Valley - stunning reddish landscapes. Excellent fun running down the high sandy slopes - this is where some of the sand-boarding tours come.

Moving on, we drive on to Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) itself and we start by walking through a small canyon network, which are mainly made of salt, though they have a coating of sandy dust covering them. Apparently, after rain, the place turns white!

At the main viewpoint in the Valley, we start by walking from the carpark up to the top of a huge sand dune, then along to the 'medium' (exertion required to get there) viewpoint, where we have excellent 360 degree views, as the sun slowly sets in the distance. Fantastic landscapes, and the setting sun turns the surrounding hills a gorgeous red. Gets a bit bloody cold after the sun sets!

The tour was a good as was promised at the office in town, and we'd highly recommend Cosmo Andino. They're a little more expensive, but it paid off.

Back in town and we head straight for Todo Natural and enjoy an excellent 3 course meal with wine, for under GBP10.

Tuesday 24th April

Paul woke up, under the weather - a bit achy-breaky, bad (loose!)stomach etc. As a result we decide against hiring bikes, and he stays in bed while Chris heads into town, visiting the Church, which has a roof made from thick cactus bark.

Some nuns came into the church in their dazzling-white tunics (how do they keep them so clean in this dusty place?) and started praying. Couldn't believe it when a photographer came in and started to film them inside the church, at the altar, withthe priest. A little hypocritical when there's a big notice directed at tourists, deeming photography/filming forbidden as it 'harms the saints faces'.

After, Chris went along to the cemetary on the edge of town - lots of simple crosses placed on mounds of earth with colourful wreaths wrapped around the crosses.

Nice Chris also picked up some food in town for lunch.

After catching up on some diary, Chris walked to Pukara de Quitor, 3kms out of town - a 12th century fortress, which was restored in 1981. Not a huge amount to see, mainly consisting of low walls, so some imagination required.

The fortress was stormed by the Spanish under Pedro de Valdivia -1000 defenders were overcome by only 30 horsemen, but they were helped by Indians.

Despite the altitude, it can get very hot under the bright sun, so Chris very glad of a lift from a passer-by back to town.

In the evening, Paul well enough for a walk into the town and for some food, again atTodo Natrural. This time, the excellent food accompanied by a local group who played a handful of traditional tunes, on guitar, drum, flute and panpipes.

Fairly early night ahead of an early start for a trip to the geysers - pickup at 4am!!!

Wednesday 25th April

Paul still not in great health and decides against joining the daytrip to the El Tatio geysers.

The pickup was on time, and the minibus makes its way through the darkness up to 4300metres - the worlds highest geyser field.

Due to science, the geysers are more active just before sunrise, though Chris was a little disappointed, as she had expected/hoped to see huge spurts of water, but the highest here only about 2 metres. All the same, the site was impressive - lots of little geysers, coloured streams caused by the minerals.

The site is a little dangerous, as there's no safety rails around the geyser holes. It comes as no surprise to hear that there are regular accidents!

After the geysers the trip continues to a nearby hotspring, where we enjoy a dip. Also here, the French geyser - so named after the first (French) person to fall in and perish.

Apparently, geysers are formed when a frozen underground river makes contact with hot rocks.

On the journey back to San Pedro, the group stops at a small village, inhabited by only a few folk, making a living from the tourists. It's a sweet reed-roofed village, with a delightful little church.

Chris had her best cheese empanada here!

On the last part of the journey back, we stopped to see a 'hundreds of years old' cactus, and also persuaded the guide to show us a waterfall a little downstream. Couldn't believe we were sitting by a waterfall in one of the driest areas of the world.

Paul felt better for the extra rest in bed, and was on better form in time for late lunch, again at Todo Natural. Probably wasn't the best thing to have after a dodgy stomach, but we enjoyed a complementary Pisco Sour. Hey, maybe it's just what Paul needs!

Not much done for the rest of the day - we get our stuff ready for heading out on the Uyuni trip, and into Bolivia.

to be continued on the next thread...