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To all you english readers…
We found the time to do a short update on the blog, before starting a long awaited Patagonian adventure tomorrow. Therefore, it´s fitting to tell you all about our activities over the last two weeks!
The second half of my birthday took place in the little desert town of San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile. It´s like coming back to civilisation going from Bolivia to Chile, as soon as you cross the border, you find smooth paved road, not the bumpy gravel roads they use in Bolivia! The hygiene in Chile is also of another standard, heading towards a homely feel now, and as Charlie took me out for a birthday dinner, we didn´t hesitate to eat some red meat, and both of our stomachs have been fine ever since!
San Pedro, and the surrounding area, is one of the driest on the planet, with year-round sunshine and 5 days of rain per year on average! Therefore the air is very clear and dry, making it perfect for observations of the nightsky. Around midnight we went out to the desert with a french astronomer (and 30 other tourists, DAMN YOU HIGH SEASON!!) where he had set up a small observatory. The stars were all bright and it was easy to see both the milkyway, as well as other galaxies and planets. A perfect ending to a perfect birthday.
From San Pedro we took a 24-hour bus down to the Capital, Santiago. This may seem like a nightmare-ride, but the bus-standards in Chile are very high. We managed to get quite alot of sleep and rest, before arriving to the capital. Santiago has a more European feel and cleanliness than other south american capitals. Broad avenues and international shopping centres, McDonalds etc. It´s really warm here at the moment (around 35) but its a very lovely city, with view of the mountains and skyscrapers.
We had a bit of time left before Patagonia, so we decided to take a short busride (10 hours) over the mountains into Argentina. Closeby is Mendoza province, which is the main area for the Argentinian wine-industry. Over 1000 wineyards are to be found in this area, all with view to Aconcagua (the Americas highest mountain, at 6969m). We spent a day biking around, visiting a few of the farms, tasting the delicious wine they produce. We also had time for a day of adrenaline, white water rafting down the Mendoza river. It was the first time Charlie had counquered the wild waters, while I had tried it once in New Zealand. It´s really good fun and quite scary to splash down the river. We made it down safe though, only one french guy didn´t quite seem calm and almost fel lin! Besides that, our time in Mendoza was spent doing very little else, as the temperature here is around 40/45 degrees! That is too much for the both of us, luckily our Hostel had a tiny pool to soak in!
So tomorrow we fly 3000 km south to Punta Arenas in Patagonia. We are both very excited and hoping for more human temperatures - Nothing like England and Denmark though!
Best wishes
Charlie and Anders
Hej til det danske Folk!
Selvom det ikke er laenge siden den sidste opdatering, kommer der her i alt haandbold-snakken en Lille blog om det nordlige Chile, og lidt Argentina. Det er meget passende for i morgen starter et laenge ventet Patagonien eventyr, 3000 km sydpaa.
Jeg er meget traet af ikke at kunne folge med i EM for tiden, men TV2s antenne-daekning gaar altsaa ikke helt til Santiago, i stedet slipper jeg saa for at hore om alt for mange daarlige GOG-nyheder, det er lidt sorgeligt med dem paa Sydostfyn!
Naa, ikke mere bold!
Vi forlod Bolivia og endte i det nordlige Chile en den Lille landsby, San Pedro de Atacama. Det er som at komme tilbage til civilisationen igen, naar man kommer til Chile efter Bolivia. Saa snart man krydser graensen, finder man den fineste asfalterede vej, i stedet for Bolivias hullede grusveje. Hyggiejnen i Chile er ogsaa en helt andet og jeg fortaerrede med fornojelse en roed pebbersteak paa min fodselsdag. Samtidig kan jeg nu berette at vi har vaeret uden maveproblemer i to uger!!
San Pedro de Atacama og omraadet omkring byen er et af verdens torreste steder, luften er utrolig tor og klar her, hvilket gor stedet perfekt til astronomiske observationer. Inde i byen er der klar himmel og solskin 360 dage om aaret, udenfor i orkenen er det langt mere! Om natten tog vi sammen med en fransk fyr ud og kiggede paa stjernehimmlen gennem hans stjernekikkerter. Man kunne med det blotte oje tydeligt se planeter, maelkevejen og andre galakser, mens vi gennem de enorme kikkerter fik langt storreindblik i det uendelige univers! En perfekt afslutning paa en fed fed fodselsdag.
Efter San Pedro tog vi en 24-timers bus ned til hovedstaden Santiago. Det lyder som en rigtig grim oplevelse, men med en fornem sovebus og masser af DVDer gik det saamaend ganske paent og vi fik da en del sovn ind paa kontoen.
Santiago er anderledes og mere europaeisk end andre hovedstaeder her i Sydamerika. Der er bredde boulevarder og internationale butikskaedder, det blev da ogsaa lige til et visit paa McDonalds! Det er samtidig rigtig varmt her, omkring 30 grader, saa vi sveder skam rigtig!
Vi havde lidt tid til overs, inden flyveren gik mod syd, saa vi valgte at tage en Lille smuttur til Mendoza, Argentina, paa den anden side af Andesbjergene. Denne provins er ubestridt Argentinas vin-hovedstad, med over 1000 vingaarde i omraadet. Vi brugte en dag paa cykel til at besoge nogle af dem og smage paa de udsogte vine de producerer. Vi white water raftede ogsaa en dag. Jeg har selv provet det for i New Zealand, men for Charlie var det forste gang, at hun skulle prove kraefter med det vilde vand. Alt i alt er det rigtig sjovt!
Udover det brugte vi bare et par dage paa at lave ingenting, for med temperaturer op mod 45 grader er det altsaa lidt for varmt for vores smag. I stedet kunne vi saa blive sat paa koel a air conen i Biffen mens vi saa Sherlock Holmes og selvfolgelig Avatar ogsaa!!
Vi ses laengere sydpaa…Haaber i kanholde varmen derhjemme..
Anders og Charlie
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