And so to country number 5 of 6, Chile.

After a slightly eventful border crossing where the Chilean representative of the transfer company was unwilling to let us on the onward bus or explain why this was, we arrived into a hot and sunny San Pedro de Atacama. It was nice to be back in the heat, and also back at a sensible altitude (only 2,407m!).

After an overdue hot shower we headed into town to check out what to do. The town itself is pretty small and looks like a stereotypical desert town. All low, whitewashed buildings and dusty earth streets. Every building is linked to the tourist trade - it is extremely popular with Chileans as well as foreigners. Pretty, but far too many white folk with dreadlocks for my liking!

Having missed out on sand boarding (snow boarding on sand dunes) in Peru, this local activity was top of my list. So the next day we joined a group of primarily Spanish folk on a trip into the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley - apparently renamed from something far less interesting in the 1980s to boost the tourist trade!) to try our hand at the sport. A Spanish guy and I were the only two in the group to have snowboarded before and so we skipped the lesson and dived straight in. After inching a few feet at a snail's pace and then grinding to a halt, we looked at each other and shrugged. This wasn't going to be as straightforward as we'd hoped!

We spent the next hour and a half traipsing up the sand dune (as exhausting as it sounds and I can't see investment in chair lifts any time soon) and gradually increasing speed and linking turns on the way down. The beginner group, including Fabrice, made very rapid progress. However I have failed to convert him to a board, he remains a committed skier unfortunately.

So, whilst it was exhausting and somewhat frustrating at times, it was a fun afternoon on the scorching sand dune. I'm not sure I'd do it again though. The day was topped off with a quick visit to the Valle de la Luna for a sunset cocktail. Views over the Atacama desert to one side and the line of volcanos to the other. Stunning.

Back in town we went for the healthy option and picked up take out chicken and chips, much to the delight of the multitude of cats and dogs owned by the hostel.