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We had read that the journey from Salta to Atacama was breathtaking and it did not disappoint. We chose the early morning start rather than the 1am option (not a hard choice) and sat back ready to take in the stunning scenery. The route reaches an altitude of near 5000m, so we were prepared with our paracetamol, gallons of water and anti-sickness tablets just in case. As it turned out we were actually okay with only slight headaches (a bit like a mild hangover) which was lucky as we had heard horror stories. The journey took in snow capped mountain ranges, windy roads through gorges and even a portion of the salt flats before finally arriving at the picturesque Atacama. An unforgettable experience. The journey was made all the more interesting with my attempt at Spanglish with a Bolivian guy sitting near us. One particular slip up among many which Alice enjoyed was me asking him if he lived near the dessert rather than desert. Won't be forgetting that Spanish word quickly.
San Pedro de Atacama, to give it it's full name is a small touristy town perfectly placed to explore the surrounding landscapes and desert. It looks like something out of the earlier Star Wars films and was completely different to anywhere we had been before. Our first night was spent at the campo base hostel, which was really nice and would highly recommend, especially the breakfast. After acclimatising ourselves we decided to hire bikes from the main square. The owner albeit helpful was pretty crazy which made for an interesting and entertaining induction. We set off from the town along the red earthy roads en route to the Diablo Gorge. On the way we crossed small rivers and arrived at what looked like the set for 127 hours. After the obligatory selfie and with all our arms intact we set off back to the hostel.
The following day we did a tour of the tetio geysers. This involved a 4am start venturing to -5 degree temperatures. The reason for the early start is that the geysers are more active first thing in the morning, so wrapped up in too many layers to count (imagine Joey in friends) and in pitch black light we watched with delight at the numerous geysers erupting before us. After breakfast which included a boiled egg to warm our hands (interesting idea ...) we headed to a thermal spring, which none of us were brave enough to jump into and our feet were dipped in instead.
One of the main things to do in Atacama is star gaze as it had some of the clearest skies in the world. Unfortunately, the 6 days we were there coincided with a full moon and poor visibility. Instead we thought we would try out nighttime sand-boarding at the valley del Muerte or Death Valley. Plans changed though when we were tired after the early start for the geysers (weak we know). We also wanted to get out beauty sleep with our friends Lauren and Anthony arriving the next day on an epic two week holiday, taking in three countries and as many climates.
With our friends arriving from the UK, it was time for flash packing (paid pre travel helping the budget). Pueblo de Tierra Hotel, albeit a bit out of town came with a swimming pool and rooms/small houses for at least five people. Definitely different to the accommodation we had been used too. We all headed for food at Adobe restaurant, which had a live traditional panpipe band, a wood fire and great food. We indulged in wine and meat something we've come to love in Chile, especially poor mans steak, basically a huge lump of steak with a lot of chips and a couple of fried eggs to top it off. If that's what poor people eat in Chile we're moving.
For out last day in Atacama we did a tour of the moon valley for sunset. Taking in the red desert and mountain range was pretty epic especially when the sun sets and turns the surroundings mountains orangey/red. It really is about as close you'll get to Mars. Our last night was an early one ready for the salt flat tour and Bolivia.
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