San Pedro de Atacama 24 - 29 March

San Pedro de Atacama 24 - 29 March

San Pedro is a good spot to stay to get used to being at altitude (3,160 metres above sea level). The days did rather morph into one another so we're just setting out the highlights. 

John caught a cold and was a bit low for a few days which was a shame.    But buying Sudafed equivalent improved my 'Spanish for the pharmacy'. My Spanish for the laundry, the hairdresser and getting documents printed also got better! 

I (Lyndon) did something in San Pedro that I don't remember ever doing before which is to go to the ATM for cash and leave my bank card in the ATM. Only realised this after the bank had shut, but was able to freeze the card on my Bank app. Went back first thing the next day with a speech prepared about my 'tarjeta verde' and phew, the security guard at the bank had it. Cross check against my passport and I was reunited with the card. Smiles and muchas gracias all round!

Leonard, the hostel manager, was very helpful about tours, though had to be prodded occasionally. It was outside our comfort zone to hand over chunks of cash (cheaper to pay 'effectivo' (cash) rather than 'tarjeta' (card)) to him with no receipt nor, necessarily, a clear idea what we'd signed up for, including the 2 night/ 3 day trip to Bolivia. Happily all the trips went well.

Leonard had two rescue cats, Bagheera, a black one eyed female and a kitten (Tigerito) who was cute but a bit shy.

There was a cleaner who came in each day - our bed was made daily and I think we had three sets of towels in six days!

Went a couple of times to Roots Cafe for breakfast in the garden - we were admiring the two pomegranate trees and the waiter picked a pomegranate cut it in half and gave it to us.    It was very good but difficult to eat.

Another breakfast favourite (three visits) was La Franchuteria, a French run bakery/ café. Croissants! Pain au chocolate! Rustic french loaves! Huge sandwiches! Great service. If you ever go to San Pedro de Atacama go there.

On Saturday 25 March I decided that I couldn't cope without a haircut - my head gets so hot! Walk into town to what Google maps tells me is a ladies' hairdresser but is clearly a barber's shop - I'm advised to go down to the street corner. Find the hairdresser, who is busy and tells me to return at….. was that 'at 1.00 pm' (45 minutes away) or 'in one hour'?    

Compromised by returning at 1.05 pm and all's well. What a relief to have 2 cms of hair chopped off and minimal chat. We had just started a bit of a conversation about where I'm from (my Spanish is ok at that level) when she finished. Not a bad look for just over £6 .

Late night pick up at 10.00 pm to go stargazing…. mostly we've stayed in towns and cities with quite a lot of light. Tonight we're driven out of town to a dark sky area and gosh the Milky Way is clear! So beautiful to see, plus Mars, Orion's Belt (the wrong way up), the Southern Cross and Alpha and Beta Centuri. There are telescopes to look through but I struggle to see through them properly (with or without specs).

Each guest(s) has a photo or two taken on a v long exposure which means not blinking for 10 seconds - hard in the dry desert air.

And then it's drinkies and snacks and we're taken home for 1.00 am

On Monday 27 March we're on a tour to the Valle de Luna (Valley of the Moon) in the afternoon/ evening. Picked up at the hostel and driven 5 or 6 miles north of town. Very rugged rocky area with many different shapes and shades of colour.

Stunning views east of the plains then mountains and volcanoes. A mix of rocks, sand dunes, rock salt and areas that look like snow because minerals have seeped through after rain. See the Three Marias rocks and beautiful stratified hills, all caused by pressure from tectonic plates.

 As you can tell we get quite a lot of geology facts from the bi-lingual guide ☺️

At sunset the driver and guide set up a table for drinks and snacks and we chat in particular with a British couple, who live in Croydon, and a German couple. 

Get some amazing views of some 'part rainbows'.

Dinner at Adobe - v. pricey for one course each (a salmon and a steak) and a bottle of wine, but good food and service. Very busy restaurant.

Tuesday 28 March we went to the town's museum, Museo R. P. Gustavo Le Paige which is a bit of a hike out of the town centre in the heat. It's moderately interesting with pre-Columbian ceramics, textiles, tools and jewellery collected by Le Paige, a Jesuit priest, from the 1950s. But no stories told or real explanations about the items.

Delighted to receive a WhatsApp from Marion and J-P, a French couple we met in Mendoza - they have just arrived in San Pedro and we arrange to meet later.

Great to catch up with Marion and J-P at Roots café and share our travel experiences. They speak good English, and Marion has excellent Spanish, so a mix of Franglais and Spanglish are the order of the day. John and Lyndon are off to higher altitude tomorrow so are supposed to be having a light meal and no alcohol tonight. Three pints of beer and a salad each is about right!