Gigi, Desert, geysers, flamingoes y mas!

After a few chilled out days in Iquique, it was on to the city of Calama, a stop over city of which I had read demands not more than a night. I think I saw enough of the city to confirm this to be true, it's not the best city to hang out in for very long unless you're a miner who's working in the area.

But I, like most travellers, if we come here at all it's probably because it's on the way to San Pedro de Atacama, a desert town that's becoming a very popular destination in Northern Chile . Unlike other travellers though, I had the added excitement of knowing I'd be seeing Gi for the first time in a month, and it'd be the beginning of our two month adventure through Chile that would take us all the way to Patagonia.

We met at the Casa Voyage Hostel, a lovely place with a decidedly backpacker/adventure traveller vibe. We had a large private room with lots of charm and a super comfy bed (a real bonus in budget accommodations). The grounds were nice and expansive with paths all around, a few hammocks, decently equiped kitchen to store food and prepare your own meals, lots of indoor and outdoor space to sit and hang out, but best of all...a pool!

We did a couple of tours to see geysers, cool rock formations, salt flats/lakes, cool flora & fauna including many flamingos (I love flamingoes!) It was either rent a car to see all these places or go with a tour. I didn't feel like driving and we liked the idea of having a knowledgeable (hopefully) guide and meals served. Indeed, both tours had good guides, and one was absolutely amazing - very knowledgeable and passionate and a joy to hang out with. All the tours with meals seemed to follow the same playbook; the driver/guide/cook pulls over at spot off the highway with amazing views (volcanoes, salt flats, grazing vicuñas or alpacas), tells everyone to chill or walk around for about 15 minutes while he sets up a table with delicious food and beverages - for breakfasts this included french press coffee! and for lunches, wines! Very cool.

One afternoon, Gi and I rented bicycles to explore an area called Mars Valley or Valle de Marte which because of a mistranslation somewhere along the way also became known as Valle de la Muerte or Death Valley. Both are pretty appropriate as not much grows here and, as you can see from the pictures, it does seem to resemble the red planet quite a bit. Apparently, scientists test technology for Mars missions here due to its extreme conditions and Martian-like landscape. We spent a couple of hours wandering and climbing and could have easily spent a couple more. Unfortunately we started a little too late to get to the sand dunes where you can sand board if so inclined.

It had been a while since I had been in a place like San Pedro - a small town that seems to be growing quickly, with a mix of paved and dirt roads, it seems to have become the centre of backpackers and high-end travellers alike looking for adventure and amazing sights in the desert. There are countless tour companies, small hotels and hostales, restaurants, a few bars and cafes, bicycle rental shops and outdoor equipent stores. It was an interesting mix of off the beaten path/backpacker/adventure traveller/upscale traveller vibe.

After a few days there, it was time to head south to Antofagasta mostly to break up what would otherwise be a 10 - 12 hour or so bus ride to our next destination, Caldera, but also to check out the Mano del Desierto (Hand of the Desert), an interesting sculpture in the missdle of the desert about 70 km south of Antofagasta. We rented a car just for this and it was a fun time as all sorts of people show up around sunset to hang out there. Antofagasta was also where we enjoyed our swankiest accommodations so far - the Wyndham Garden Antofagasta Pettra Hotel, with a breakfast buffet that was fabulous!

We had managed to snag two of the best seats on the bus for the ride to our next destination; the front row on the second level for almost five hours of unobstructed views of the endless desert landscape, a fitting coda to our time in San Pedro de Atacama.

Next up are beaches, whales, penguins, olives, grapes, Pisco, and star gazing, as we make our way south, first down the coast and then inland to Valle de Elqui. Hasta pronto!Read more