Rainbows and Stars

My original plan today was the Lagunas Altiplanicas, but of course when you book day trips around arrival, you're a bit stuck with availability. That said, I'm a big believer in things happening for a reason and this time, it was 2 tours pairing perfectly in 1 day.

First up, a half day to the Rainbow Valley. While not quite as cool as the photos of the one we read about in Peru, this was still a picturesque site that we got to wander in and even check out a dried out waterfall. The latter was a bit of a climb but neat to check out. The colors of the landscape varied according to the mineral composition of the rocks, giving it a bit of a surreal feeling that would be the theme of this leg of the trip. It was a nice walk, exploring the area before we headed to the second part of the tour - petroglyphs. Now these, I hadn't expected on the tour, so it was a welcome surprise. Our guide pointed out various shapes and told theories of trading routes in the area.

Back in town, I had probably what was the best pasta the entire trip. Hungry after the tour, one of my tour mates and I headed stepped into Pizzeria El Charrua. Well known for their pizza, and I'd seen a line up the night before, this tiny eatery also serves up amazing pastas. I had the spaghetti carbonara and finished the whole dish! (unusual when I'm travelling).

After lunch, it was off to confirm my stargazing tour for the night. Now this, I had already reserved online as it's not only super popular, but I believe it may also be the only tour that allows you to use telescopes on site to gaze deep into the Milky Way. Run by astronomers, this night tour could be considered the highlight of my time here. It runs late at night of course, and is subject to weather. I heard tours the night before were cancelled. Also, this tour has an all English option. (http://www.spaceobs.com/en)

Unfortunately, our confirmation time would get pushed, so I was back at 9pm again, anxiously waiting with many others to see if we might be lucky. The minutes ticked by as the crowd gathered. The poor lady working there was on her own, fielding inquiries while waiting for news on her mobile. Finally, we would have our answer and it was a good one (especially since I'm quite sure tours were also cancelled the Friday and Saturday following next).

My English tour would be at 11pm, so I hurried back to the hostal to drop off dinner leftovers and change into something warm. The drive was quiet but filled with excitement. Overhead, the skies were incredibly clear and our amazingly knowledgeable guide would fill our minds with stories, pointers on finding certain stars and constellations.

Part 2 of the tour allowed us to take turns at the various telescopes set to various points in the night sky and also take photos. A few people had brought tripods, but I'd decided against one given I didn't want to lug it around. Instead I parked myself on the ground and made a makeshift stand which worked well enough.

One of the volunteers noticed though and kindly lent me his tripod. Turns out this volunteer was a fellow backpacker (kudos to him for packing a tripod) and an astrophysicist. He was super helpful in checking my camera settings, which were in the right neighbourhood (thank you Google) and I was able to take a few really cool pictures.Read more