The Atacama

The Atacama Desert is one of the most unique environments in the world. Located high up on the Andean Plateau, this land plays host to volcanic monuments and dry expanses that don't receive rain for years. It's not just a homogenous sandy expanse; this region hosts geysers, oases, and salt flats, along with tons of unique plants that have adapted to such a hostile environment. Needless to say, exploring such an otherworldly environment was one of my most anticipated stops of the trip.

Bahia Inglesia

In order to break up the nearly 24 hour bus ride from Valparaiso to San Pedro de Atacama we decided to stop at Bahia Inglesia, a picturesque beach on the coastline of the Atacama Desert. Climbing off of the bus and stumbling to the beach with our bags, we immediately set up our tents and made a little encampment from which to enjoy the day. 

Potentially the most picturesque beach I have ever seen, the turquoise water, white sand, and striking rocks made for the perfect place to nap, read, and cook dinner by the sunset. The strangest thing was that practically no one else was here to enjoy it with us. It felt like we stumbled into a ghost town, a beach this beautiful on a perfect day would be swarming with people anywhere in the US. 

Valle de la Luna

In order to visit the Valle de la Luna we had to mount up on bikes and power ourselves to our destination. The way in was dusty and hot, with the wind blowing sand directly into our panting mouths. Up and down hills we went with tour busses constantly blowing past us, further chocking up the air with dust. We managed to make it into the valley just in time for sunset, the golden hour providing the perfect emphasis for the valley's distinct and vibrant colors. This valley has been shaped into magnificent shapes by wind and rain, creating sharp cliffs, jagged columns, and flowing dunes as far as the eye can see. Odd that this is the valley of the moon; I think the setting is more fitting of Mars. In fact, the aridness of this environment makes it the perfect testing ground for all of NASA's mars rovers.

Mustache still in full effect 

Termas De Puritama

In order to avoid future bike rides and save money on tours we decided to rent a small manual Chevrolet Onix, also known as The Stallion. With our car in hand our first stop was a natural oasis that conveniently contained hot springs. These springs were different from the others we have visited as these roll down the valley in the form of a small river, collecting in small pools along the way. It is incredible how life clings to these oases; while in the pool you are shaded by massive grasses and fronds but as soon as you step 30 feet away the vegetation completely gives way to crumbling rock and tiny shrubs that seem to barely hold on to life. 

Salar de Atacama

While not quite as impressive as Salar de Uyuni (Spoiler alert), these salt flats make up such a large portion of the Atacama that there is no way to avoid them. These flats are spotted with lagunas, some apparently so salty that you can float on top of them like the Dead Sea. Salt crust pokes up in the middle of these lagunas and for a second it almost looks like a melting polar ice cap. Pretty sure I saw a salty little polar bear out on one. 

Jere Valley

This valley is another natural oasis that begins as a canyon deep in the mountains. The hike took us on a snaking trail along the rim and because we are children at heart, we couldn't resist trundling a couple of rocks into the abyss. There are few things that feel more powerful, playing the force of nature that breaks down mountains. There is always a critical point when rolling a rock down a hill where the boulder will either come to a halt or pick up enough momentum to render it unstoppable. At this point the boulder is finished; it will end up at the bottom of the slope in a massive crash and disintegrate into several new pieces. Who knows, maybe these baby rocks will some day grow up and be trundled back down millions of years in the future? 

Altiplano

This drive is when we started to get into some serious elevation. At nearly the height of Mt. Rainier our first stop occurred at two twin alpine lakes, Laguna Miscanti and Laguna Miniques. At this level of elevation the wind cut right through us and the thin air made any sort of incline a daunting task. Made me jealous of the vicuñas running around like it was nothing. 

We followed these lakes with a drive deep into the Altiplano, nearly reaching the Argentinian border. The strata out here were stunning, spilling out a geological history through their multiple layers of colors.

El Tatio Geysers

First off, these geysers are a pain in the ass to get to. Not only is the drive nearly two hours long to an elevation well above 4000 meters, you have to set out at approximately 4:30 in the morning in order to actually catch the geysers. The reason for this is that the bulk of the geysers in this field exhibit themselves as massive steam plumes which simply don't materialize as the day warms up. It really is necessary to be present right as dawn breaks, otherwise all you might see is a collection of small little water jets coming out of the ground. These geysers are impressive but I can't help but feel a little spoiled by Yellowstone; after seeing Old-Faithful nothing else really compares. Maybe I'm still just grumpy about waking up at 4 in the morning but this is the one attraction of the Atacama that I could have skipped.

Stars

If you've never been to the Atacama, you've never really seen stars. The high elevation coupled with constant lack of cloud cover creates an unparalleled clarity that you really have to experience to understand. The day we decided to explore this star-scape was Pats birthday so we loaded up the car with beers and drove deep into the salt flats, trying to escape as much light pollution as possible. What really amazed me was the number of shooting stars that flicker in and out of existence on a clear night. Each of us saw double digit numbers, ranging from giant smears across the sky to tiny streaks that make you doubt a little whether you actually saw anything. Observing all of this in silence so complete that it is nearly deafening made for a very magical moment.

That pretty much wraps up my time in the Atacama. Such an otherworldly place, I honestly half felt like I was living on mars the entire week I was here. Our route now takes us into Bolivia, a country that we barely made it into due to some trouble at the border. I promise to fill you in on it soon.

Meeting up with the Boys

The boys finally made it down! Well minus Gavin who got his flight pushed back an entire day. In fact, none of us had a smooth ride in. Micha and Damir's Greyhound broke down at the border so they had to catch a cab all the way to the Vancouver airport and our taxi got a flat halfway to the hostel. We all did eventually make it though and the sun and warmth of Santiago was welcome indeed. The hostel that we chose, the Plaza de Armas Hostel, provided a beautiful balcony to enjoy both of these amenities to their fullest.

Well with Micha and Damir here we figured the best way to celebrate was with a bit of good old-fashioned day drinking. It was too early to officially check in so while most of our hostel-mates were finishing their breakfast we posted up on the balcony and enjoyed a few of Chile's finest beer, Escudo. Somewhere between Natty Light and Busch Heavy, these beers are downright awful and the only thing that made them go down was the good company. We did end up coming in a little too hot and our time on the balcony ended with a certain member expelling all of these fine cervezas back onto the deck. This was our cue to collect ourselves, check into the hostel, and take a much needed nap to work off our condition.

Gavin arrived early the next morning and instead of repeating our mistakes of the day before we celebrated with a bike ride up San Cristobal Hill. Yesterday definitely did not help but my biking shape is pitiful compared to when I biked across Europe. Back then I could hit 70 mile days easily but now a mile up a light hill leaves me in shambles. The top made it all worth it though and even though it was a bit cloudy the hill provided the perfect vantage point for planning out the other major sights we wanted to see in Santiago.

After biking through a bit more of the city, Pat and I introduced Gavin, Micha, and Damir to their first empanadas and the addiction set in immediately. We warned them that no empanada would be as good as their first but it was too late, they were hooked. We also picked up some salmon at a market and prepared some delicious fillets complete with pasta. Pat and I had the legacy of Marco, our master chef from our road trip, to uphold and I think this first meal would have made him proud. Cooking is also one of the best ways to bring a group together, especially when you end up with a masterpiece. This meal definitely set the tone for future culinary feats, both in quality and the amount of food we prepared. Better to overshoot than undershoot I guess.

The next morning we woke up early to check out some of the countryside around Santiago. We booked a tour that took us into the mountains where a natural hot-spring resided. The drive in was quite scenic, passing abandoned concrete longhouses that used to house miners along roads that did a number on the suspension of our tour van. I think drivers in Chile think that if they hit potholes hard enough that they will just fly over them. The hot-springs at the end of the drive were packed since it was a national holiday but we were still able to carve out a spot in one of the lower pools and get our spa on with some mud masks.

After the drive back Pat and I hit some long awaited McDonald's and it was just as I remembered: delicious for 3 bites followed by mediocrity and a bit of shame. Almost all other restaurants were closed due to the holiday so at least we had an excuse but I think I've satisfied my Don's cravings at least until I get home.

When talking to other travelers about our plans they told us to leave Santiago as soon as possible and head for Valparaiso, a city on the coast. We decided to follow this advice after visiting the last of the major highlights we had on our list: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santa Lucia Hill, and the Presidential Palace. Santa Lucia Hill was especially noteworthy, as situated on top of it lies a fort which contains a lookout complete with a guitar player that supplies background melodies while you enjoy the breeze and sweeping views of the city.

Valparaiso absolutely lived up to the hype and we managed to score another amazing hostel, the Planeta Lindo Hostel, from which to enjoy the city. The first thing that struck me about Valparaiso was the amount of street art it contains. The art is an integral part of the culture of this city and despite the prevalence of tagging (writing one's name on a wall with spray-paint) these works are left untouched. Store owners will commission art for two reasons: to serve as a form of advertising and to protect their building against tagging. Apparently a freshly painted wall will only survive two weeks before it is covered in tags but a work of street art will be respected for years.

Rounding out the street art is the live music that accompanies most of the drinking spots of the city. One of the best spots for live music is the Casa Cervecera Altamira, a brewery that hosts jazz and blues most nights of the week. On our first night out we wanted to check out this place but it was too packed to seat our party of 5, so instead we grabbed a couple of bottles of wine and posted up on a stair landing just outside of the bar so we could still hear the jazz trickling out the door. We busted out some cards to play a couple of rounds of guillotine when all of a sudden a dog came along and sat himself right in the middle of our circle. Instead of shoving him off we adapted him into a table and continued playing.

Our first full day in Valparaiso was spent enjoying the deck that our hostel provided and visiting the Dunas de Concon for sunset. These dunes must be at least 150 meters tall and are filled with people enjoying the sunset and the occasional silhouetted sandboarder sending it down the hill. While I didn't have the chance to try it, just running down the dunes was thrill enough for me. I felt like a gazelle half running, half jumping down the dune, although the way back up was not nearly as graceful.

All of the other travelers in our hostel raved about the walking tour so we decided to start our second day off by exploring the city via its art and history. Our guide for the tour, Miguel, came to Valparaiso with one night booked in a hostel and kept extending his stay until he found himself living here four years later. His passion for the city really came out in the tour and he showed us a lot of hidden works of art that we would never have discovered otherwise. 

Shit I think that's supposed to be me...

Cinco de Mayo was up next and although not at all a holiday down here we celebrated it in full force. To commemorate the holiday and to spice things up for the soccer game later on in the day I shaved my beard down into this masterpiece:

I felt like Joe Dirt without the mullet, drawing some serious stares at the Santiago Wanderers game. The game was a total blowout with the Wanderers taking it 5-0. The best part of the match was the fan section that chanted for literally the entire game. These guys were nuts, jumping around the whole time and singing every single chant in unison. One of my new life goals is to get into that section and be able to keep up with them.

Since this was Damir's last night we did what any reasonable group would do: brush our teeth and go to bed. We had our toothbrushes in hand and were walking to the bathroom when a group from upstairs came down with drinks in hand and asked us what were doing that night. Our answer of going to bed wasn't nearly good enough for them and after forcing their drinks into our hands we somehow found ourselves on the way to the club. Peer pressure wins again. The club ended up being alright, complete with a rooftop that looked out over the bay. Something is seriously wrong with the bartenders here in Valparaiso though; if you order a single shot of tequila they either pour you three or fill up half a glass with the stuff. At one point Gavin went over to order one and came back confused with three shots in hand. After a bit he decided to go order a bottle of champagne with Pat to help out with the translation. A while passed and I started getting curious. I went over to check in and I see 15 glasses lined up on the bar, one by one being filled up with tequila. Clearly something was lost in translation. All I can remember is Drunk Damir asking for financial advice and losing odds on my mustache, meaning that I had to keep it for another day. 

The next morning we woke up for dawn, practiced yoga by the rising sun, and embarked on a group jog. Ya right, we woke up at 11:30 feeling like garbage to the cries of Chilean maids telling us that we need to check out so they can clean. After collecting ourselves we decided that the only cure for our woes was to go wine tasting so we did exactly that. The region just south of Valparaiso is famous for its wineries so we bussed down there and toured Casa del Bosque. This winery is considered to be quite small, only producing 1 million bottles per year. One of the coolest facts that I learned is that proteins are required to clear the sediment from wine. In this winery they use egg whites but apparently in the past blood was commonly used. Pretty damn metal if you ask me. 

We ended the tour with a tasting that managed to be only a touch snobby. By the end we were all veritable wine experts, detecting hints of apricot, grass, and freshly cut garden hose among the medley of wines.

After this wine tour it was time to start saying our goodbyes. Damir has always been down to meet me for a week or so while I'm traveling and I am glad he held up the tradition once again. He is sorely missed and the group is now left with the task of picking up the pieces without him. To end I'll share my favorite picture that he capture along the way on his Olympus OM-2 film camera:

Next stop for Pat, Micha, Gavin, and I is the Atacama Desert, one of the driest and clearest places on Earth. Stay tuned folks.

Patagonia Pt. 2

Chile Chico

After saying our goodbyes to Rigo and Ricardo it was time for Pat and I to continue north. Our first stop was Chile Chico, a small town just over the Chilean border that offers beautiful views of Lago Gral Carerra but little else in terms of entertainment. Naturally this meant that Pat and I had to create our own. We decided to rent mountain bikes and check out a cliffside viewpoint that we had spotted the day before. On the way over to the trail we spotted a couple of BMX ramps in the central plaza and obviously we couldn't resist. Pat sent it first, landing it just fine, but I sent it a little too hard and barreled over the handle bars, landing on the palms of my hands. We don't have any footage of the crash but here is a professional reenactment: 

another day another beer

It was a real pride breaker. As Pat keeled over laughing I had to drag myself to a store to get something to clean myself up with. Once I had collected myself we continued on, even finding an empty motocross course for a little redemption. Sorry Mom for the lack of a helmet.

Chile Chico might not have left me with the fondest of memories but the drive out certainly did. Our trip offered us views of mountains that dropped into strikingly turquoise waters, dappled by sun and small hamlets that provide what I imagine to be incredibly peaceful existences. This happened to be our first taste of the Careterra Austral, a beautifully scenic highway that winds through all of Patagonia. Little did we know at the time that we would end up becoming quite acquainted with this road.  

Rio Tranquilo

This beautiful drive brought us to Rio Tranquilo, a town even sleepier than the last. The town had two grocery stores, one that seemed to constantly be on siesta and one that literally only had two containers of cheese and a packet of hotdogs for sale. Luckily we were able to find a cabana with Marco and Léonie, two new friends that we met on the bus. Although this cabin had nothing but ice cold showers we did have a wood stove to keep us and our briefly adopted cat warm.

The main attraction of Rio Tranquilo are its caves, marble formations along the lake that have been carved out by thousands of years of wave activity. This caves are magnificently unique, consisting of paper thin walls that stretch back into cavernous darkness. We hired a boat to go out and explore them and we were not the least bit disappointed, getting even to stop and explore an abandoned mineral transport ship on the way over. 

coyhaique

When we first met Marco one of the first things he mentioned to us was renting a car to see the entire Careterra Austral. After being spoiled by the last rental Pat and I immediately jumped at the idea. This meant that we had to bus up to the bustling metropolis of Coyhaique. In reality this is only a little more than a town but seeing a real grocery store for this first time in weeks made me feel like I was back in Buenos Aires. We also took this time to wait for Lotem and Elina, the final two members of our crew, to arrive. Our plan was to cram all five of us, our luggage, and food into a car and travel for about 20 days all the way up to Puerto Montt in the north.

I believe some introductions are in order. 

Marco

Photographer, master chef, and resident dad, Marco really made this whole trip possible. Not only did he come up with the idea and form the group he also whipped up fantastic meals nearly every night (his secret is using fried ginger in nearly everything) and served as the voice of reason when the rest of use got a little too crazy. Marco comes from London but is one of the most well traveled people I have ever met and served as an endless source of information about South America and the world beyond.

Lotem

(On the left)

Lotem was the glue of the group. Always the chill one in the car but when it came around to doing things she was always down and never afraid to pull the rest of the group along with her. "Let's send it" quickly became her motto and we couldn't exactly say no. Lotem is from Israel and came down to travel alone before meeting up with Elina on a cruise to Antartica. Now they are absolutely inseparable and I have no idea how they are going to survive without each other after their trips are over.

Elina

Elina was the storyteller of the group. Elina kept the conversation flowing as best as she could even on long car rides when all everyone wanted to do was get out and hike. Elina originally comes from Russia, which allowed Pat to flex his Russian a bit, but lived in London for a while before leaving everything behind to travel.

With the whole group gathered and the car loaded with luggage and food we set off bright and early, excited for what our road trip would bring. And then this happened:

About an hour in, Pat, while talking about how much he loves going fast, hit a patch of ice and lost control of the car, slowly spinning out and pitching the car into the ditch. By far the chillest car accident I have ever been in, it took us about 15 seconds to go from sliding, to skidding, to spinning, to being nose down on the side of the road. The girls were cracking up in the back after everything came to a stop so we were able to breath out a sigh of relief. The car might be screwed but at least everyone was okay. We were super lucky to escape without a single scratch, although the same could not be said about the car. And, all things considered, it wasn't a bad place to get into a car crash.:

Marco and I waited with the car while Pat, Elina, and Lotem headed into town to call a tow truck. After the wreck we settled into the scene and became a bit of an attraction, as word had spread pretty quickly that some gringos had wrecked a car. The responses from people driving by really reaffirmed my faith in humanity though. Immediately after the wreck several cars stopped and tried to pull us out and throughout the day while waiting for the tow truck people were pulling over to ensure that we were doing alright. One couple even drove all the way into town and returned with juice and cookies for us to munch on. After about four hours we were rescued by two tiny Chilean men that spoke zero English and couldn't understand our faltering attempts at Spanish. They did appreciate my attempt at thanks with chocolate though so I would say we ended on a high note. 

Carretera Austral

After we reunited with the crew we learned that Pat was able to walk into the rental car agency, explain the wreck, and walk out with a brand new rental. Not a bad turnaround. With the group rejuvenated after surviving such an experience we set out the next morning, heading north on the Carretera Austral. There are too many stories to recount over this entire road trip so I have had to restrict myself to just the highest of highlights. What I will say about traveling along this highway is that every moment on it envelops you in such natural splendor that you almost get bored of it. Almost. Mountains, waterfalls, fjords, and expansive mountain fields can never truly lose their luster.

El Bosque Encantado

Our first hike together, excluding the 100 m walk we took to get to the waterfall above, was through "The Enchanted Forest." When we arrived the trail was marked as closed for no specific reason. We assumed that this was part of the guise of the whole enchanted forest thing so we continued on. A second sign across a bridge marked the trail as closed once again but we weren't going to be fooled out of the enchanted forest by some measly sign so we inched around it and continued on. Pretty soon the lush forest gave way to a trickling trail which in turn gave way to a massive field of snow-covered boulders and uprooted trees piled haphazardly atop one another. Clearly an avalanche had taken place here. Maybe there was a reason for those signs after all.

We knew there was a lake somewhere up here so we forged a path through the snow, over rocks and up a hill until we finally reached what we were looking for:

While we didn't find any dragons or even a single gnome in the Enchanted Forest this lake wasn't half bad. There was a stillness up here that a picture just can't fully capture. With another sketchy Pat-Joe adventure in the books we called it a day and headed back to the car.

Hanging Glacier

The Enchanted Forest ended up taking longer than we thought so we pushed the Hanging Glacier back until the next day. The hike was a bit tricky, filled with muddy pits that forced us to balance on rocks and branches, all the while risking a slip into ankle high mud.

The real highlight of this day was what came after the hike. Pat, Elina, and I all decided to check into a hot springs right next to a fjord that offered us expansive views of the water while the sun was setting. In fact, the spot was so incredible that we wanted to share it with the rest of the group so we paid a little visit after the sun went down. Crowding into a hot tub and passing around a bottle of vodka while staring up at the night sky filled with stars and hints of the Milky Way made for an unforgettable night. This is the moment that I most wish I had a good picture of, the only ones that I have are of us being drunk fools in the water. Maybe some things are better off remembered.

CHAITÉN Volcano

This one was a burner. At less than 2 km but over 600 m of elevation gain, this entire hike was basically one large unforgiving staircase. They don't really believe in switchbacks here. The scenery made it all worth it though. This volcano erupted back in 2008 so much of the destruction is still evident. Most of the undergrowth has come back but the mountainside is still littered with trees stripped bare, leaving white trunks that stick out of the ground like bones. 

PUMALÍN PARK

The following day we traded elevation gain for distance, walking 10 km into a river valley all the way to the very foot of a glacier.

You only really realize how big it is until you get right up close to it. Although it looks still from far away, being right next to this giant chunk of ice reveals how violent it really is. Cracks resonate through the air and occasionally rocks the size of baseballs will come spinning off the top of the glacier. Not exactly the ideal spot to relax at the end of a hike.

Chiloé

Chiloé island is a stunning gem of the lakes district, filled with rugged coastlines and soft beaches filled with color.

When the sun is not shining, however, it can be a dreary place filled with rain. On days like these we felt trapped inside with nothing to do. That has been the nature of Patagonia in general though, and one tradeoff that we have had to come to accept about traveling this time of the year. On one hand our schedule is dictated by the weather but on the other, it feels like we have this entire place to ourselves. We have only met a handful of other travelers down here, no sign of the summer crowds that we have heard horrifying rumors of. All in all I feel like we have been incredibly lucky with the weather and I would take a couple of indoor days in exchange for the peace that comes with traveling in this season.

When the sun does shine the colors of this island's cities really come out in full force.

Chiloé is known for its wooden churches dating back to the 18th century. Although they may not look like much on the outside, the insides show incredible wood craftsmanship, especially in the way that they create curvature out of straight wood planks.

Come for the churches, stay for the dogs...

... and maybe a pig or two.

Cochamó Valley

You know what's better than Yosemite? Yosemite in South America that you have to hike 13 km through mud to get to. Alright the mud part isn't so great but this place really is magical. The trek in can be pretty disheartening since slipping on a rock and ending up ankle deep in a pool of mud is never fun but the moment when the forest gives way to a giant valley surrounded by sheer granite walls makes it all worth it.

Of course I would be missing the best part of this whole backpacking adventure if I didn't mention Benny. We were greeted by Benny at the start of the hike and since he looked a little hungry we gave him some food. This resulted in an inseparable bond and Benny ended up guiding us for the entire trip, correcting our course whenever we took wrong turns. 

On our full day in the valley we hiked the Arco Iris trail, a steep climb that ends in a series of ropes that you have to use to haul yourself up steep rock faces. We were sure that Benny would wait for us at the bottom but after we had made it up a couple of rope sections Benny appeared out of nowhere wagging his tail. We were all pretty worried at this sight since although Benny was able to scamper up these rocks, getting down would be a completely different issue. Since we knew at this point nothing would stop this guy's spirit we decided to take turns waiting with Benny while the rest of the group went all the way to the top. The views from the top were sweeping and beautiful but the highlight of the day came on the way down. Worried about Benny the entire time we were careful about spotting his descent but really there was no need. We got to a ledge about 6 feet tall that was cornered by another flat face and bottomed by a small landing area. Benny got to the top of the first ledge, thought for a bit, and then jumped towards the second rock face, rebounding off of it, and then landing safely on the flat piece below. By far the most athletic thing I've ever seen a dog do. If dogs had Olympic events this kid would be a star. After this little feat we didn't worry about him to much on the way down.

We ended our trip chatting with new friends around a fire that was a welcome break from the cold outdoor air. After sharing jokes, stories, recommendations, and wine, we called it a night, hoping to reunite further along the backpacking trail. After Benny escorted back out he was greeted by his real owner who revealed that his real name is Mono, a fitting name for such a mischievous dog but he will always be Benny in my heart.

All Good Things must come to an End...

We ended our trip in Puerto Varas, a quaint town nestled on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. After our backpacking trip we took a couple of days of well-deserved rest which gave me time to reflect on this trip. Traveling in a tightly packed car for three weeks with a group of strangers taught me a lot of important lessons in how to interact with others, namely that a little bit of effort goes a long ways and that whenever problems arise it is best to air them out as early as possible. As amazing as the sights that I saw were, these lessons mean infinitely more to me. Above all, its the group of people that makes trips like these and I will always be thankful for the experiences, both the good and bad, that I got to share with Elina, Marco, Lotem, and Pat.

Our next stop is Santiago where we are meeting up with Damir and two new members of the Patagucci Gang: Micha and Gavin. Here's to trading in the cold wilds of Patagonia for a couple weeks of sunny debauchery in Santiago and beyond.