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.