D12 Dragoman- A starry sky

Crossing into Chile over the andes, we reached an altitude of 4700 meters. Except for mild shortness of breath, or a bit of lung burning when I tried a sprint thankfully it didn't have any other affects.

As we ascended up the windy road the landscapes kept changing. From mountainous valleys above the clouds, to salt flats stretching on for miles. Arrid land with cacti and llamas turned into Volcanos and the desert.

We stopped at the last town in Argentina for lunch supplies next to a playground. Izzy, James, John and Sheila had fun in the kids playground trying the see saw and slides. Starting back on the road we put on a Singing in the shower playlist and sang our hearts out.

We arrived in San Pedro de Atacama mid afternoon and it was a bustling little town. Our hostel was on the main street and we had a room to ourselves for the first time since Santiago. Heading out the main street was full of little artesan shops, tour operators and little restraunts. After some shopping around we booked onto a stargazing tour for the evening.

Hungry we had been advised by Lou the tourguide that the minimarket by our hostel made great empanadas. We were all starving so ordered four each. Something shouldnhave twigged when they bought out three crates for us to carry the empanadas back tobthe hostel. In Argentina empanadas are small... not so in the desert. Out came 16 giant pies. We fell about laughing which oerplexed the owner. Paying for our empanadas we had supper, lunch and supper again sorted for the next few days!!

At nine we were loaded onto a bus and headed out into the desert. As we stepped out an amazing site awaited, the stars were out, more than I'd ever seen. The milky way was a clear streak in the sky and thousands upon thousands of stars twinkled away.

Our first guide talked to us about how thwle local tribes of the area see the sky. The southern cross is called a Cucharra and is the house which holds the whole universe. Its four starts represent stages of life, the first pregnancy, represented by a snake and water. The second middle age, represented by a Puma strong and wise. The third old age, represented by a Condor and the fourth star being the connection between life and death. The four starts also represented pillars of life being do good, reciprocity, to be a leader and minga. Underneath lay the dark serpent which coils underneath the milky way.

They called the milky way the river of souls and in November when the milky way touches the mountains they celebrate the day of the dead.

Our second guide way an Astronomer, he talked us through star formation and death, how far the planets were away and pointed outbthe different consilations, including the llama! We were able to look through telescopes at Jupiter, Saturn, the orion nebula and a cluster of stars. By the end of the night we had seen at least five shooting stars. Arriving back at the hostel after midnight we'd had a night to remember in the desertRead more