Back to Santiago, then an uneventful 24hr bus journey to Calama. We met up with a local on the bus called Sergio, whom showed us to a local Hostel as we got into calama at midnight. A quick breakie then a 1 1/2hr bus to San Pedro Atacama.

Wow...Finally a piece of Chile worth seeing. This beautiful Oasis in the centre of the atacama desert is lush.

This place is sooo cool. A quiet yet touristy haven, quiet enough to completely chill, and busy enough to mingle. Lazy days had sipping wine, sunbathing and reading.

The little shops and bars made for some good browsing. As we walked around we bumped into a English couple Helen and Jay we got talking and arranged to meet later that evening. We all met up in local bar that roared a toasty log fire in the middle of its restuarant area...the atmosphere perfect!

El Vino flowed...along with a few Pisco Sours (local brandy) the short trek home was a tad extened, detoured, sideswipped...you get the idea, we were quite pissed!!

Sporting alien heads, we got up and headed to breakfast. Feeling only slightly better, we hired some mountain bikes and headed out to a small village called Quitor. This fort was constructed in the XII century lies on the top of a hill on the river of San Pedro, the Quitor Pukara is one old indigenous strength which data of more than 700 years. Tulor, with archaeological sites where towns of the age of stone can be found (500-600 AC) which have been excavated.

Interesting stuff huh....

We climbed with laboured breath to the top and rewarded to a breathtaking view of surrounding area. See pictures.

Next stop Sandboard central! Not before asking Paul to take a picture of me skidding a donut...that became a pretty good snap of me going over the handle bars due to the brakes being opposite to all the worlds bikes. A cut arm and knee, bruised shin a battered ego, we headed to the dunes to calve up the slopes...

A 4 x 4 came past and offered us a lift the rest of the way. Hours of fun followed. Respect given to the maniacs slaloming away in the heat.