Monday 1 October 2012
HOSTAL ELIM
PALPANA 6
SAN PEDRO CHILE
TEL (56-55) 851567
Ta dah! We've arrived at San Pedro de Atacama. Neither of us knew what to expect, but we really like this clean touristy border town. Clear Blue sky, about 18 degrees. We wander a little and have pizza for dinner. Next morning we are awoken suddenly by a rap on the door at 5.45am, thinking its 4.45am and realize that we were supposed to put our clocks forward! We had an early pick up by Jose! All was well and off we went to the national park to see some real geysers at sunrise! Just magic. It was cold (-9 at 4500m) but the scenery was breathtaking. Jose brought breakfast - he warmed the eggs and milk in a little pool of hot water. He toasted bread on a primus stove and we had coffee! Mmm. Following breakfast we stop at the natural thermal pool within the park and laze for about half an hour. Jose drove us through the mountains and valleys and we saw small herds of Vicunas. We saw a Ramsar heritage wetland and lots of geese. On our return to town we visited a little village called Machaca. Population 6. Apparently named for a priest who explored a lot of this area. Later in the day we went on our second tour with Jose - trip to the Atacama desert, including walks through Death Valley and Moon valley (so called because of its salt deposits, crater surface and huge layered rock formations). The priest discovered this area too. Both valleys were different but both spectacular. The sands of Death Valley provided dunes for sand boarders. See photos. A great day ended with a high sunset visit to see the changing colours of the surrounding mountains, complete with pisco sour, cheese, tomato and potato chips! Sleep This is now our 2nd last day, a day of leisure and blogging and wandering through the town. A nice way to wind down. The ladies left for Melbourne early this morning. A cat befriended me while i blog! We went the museum at the square and saw that the padre's work was early in the 20th century. He only died 1980 I think. We also learned more about the Tiwanaka people who came before the Inca. In the afternoon we both finish our books and pack for home.