The Atacama Desert is a virtually rainless plateau in South America, covering a 600-mile strip of land on the Pacific coast of South America, west of the Andes mountains. The Atacama desert is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world. The rain shadow on the leeward side of the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes keep this over 20 million-year-old desert 50 times drier than California's Death Valley. (Wikipedia)I have never been to a desert and was therefore looking forward to experiencing a very different and unfamiliar landscape. We spent three days in San Pedro and one day in Antofagasta- a mining city of north Chile.
on our way into San Pedro
San Pedro is a quaint little town in the dessert filled with hostels, tour companies, artisan shops, and over-priced restaurants ($8 USD for a vodka tonic!!)
View from our hostel. That is the vulcano, El Tatio
Sand boaardddiiiingg!
We had to hike our way up on the dune and it was quite exhausting, but totally worth the view
Valley de la Luna. "This valley is famous for its resemblance to the surface of the moon, owing to its different stratification and the salt formations that are caused by natural environmental factors."
Amphitheater- The actions of wind and water upon this geographical formations have created a sequence of peaks, similar in outline to the bellows of an accordion.
Amazing desert sunset.
We woke up at 3am in the morning to see the sunset at El Tatio Geysers.
natural hot spring
I love these bushes. They are called paja brava.
We saw some vicuñas on our way back. "...one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas..."
un rio valle
I simply cannot get enough of the Andes.
llamas, obvio po.
the travel group at Laguna Piedra
We went into this freezing salt lake. "Laguna Piedra" debido a la gran concentración de sal en el agua, cualquier cuerpo que se introduzca en sus aguas flotará ineitablemente.
driving into nowhere...
Laguna Cejar, where we watched another amazing sunset.
Atacama Desert's mars-like terrain
"As the sun advances, the lagoons 'Cejar' and 'Piedra' change colors showing a turkish green radiance in its waters. A natural spectacle of great scenic beauty."
a beautiful puesta del sol
five hour bus ride back to Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a mining city in the north. They mostly mine copper
La Portada de Antofagasta.
my dried-out reptile-like skin by the end of the trip.
un rio valle
I simply cannot get enough of the Andes.
llamas, obvio po.
the travel group at Laguna Piedra
We went into this freezing salt lake. "Laguna Piedra" debido a la gran concentración de sal en el agua, cualquier cuerpo que se introduzca en sus aguas flotará ineitablemente.
driving into nowhere...
Laguna Cejar, where we watched another amazing sunset.
Atacama Desert's mars-like terrain
"As the sun advances, the lagoons 'Cejar' and 'Piedra' change colors showing a turkish green radiance in its waters. A natural spectacle of great scenic beauty."
a beautiful puesta del sol
five hour bus ride back to Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a mining city in the north. They mostly mine copper
La Portada de Antofagasta.
This is a geomorphological and geological feature of sedimentary rocks and fossil remains that has been eroded by the wind and the sea for thousands of years. These agents have given shape to caverns and cliffs and have carved the great arch of La Portada with perfect detail. ( WelcomeChile.com)
my dried-out reptile-like skin by the end of the trip.
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