Hello Chile and warmth, goodbye to the Altiplano and the cold

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Day 91: Sunday 28th August - Back to the warmth in San Pedro de Atacama

It takes an hour from the border to get to San Pedro de Atacama, the border town in Northern Chile. I'm still dressed in thermals, numerous layers and a coat when we stop at the border control post in San Pedro. The immigration is straightforward but afterwards we must all stand in a line next to our bags as they are inspected (somewhat feebley) for fruit and vegetables. We get back in the bus as it drives the further mile to the centre of the town. Get out of the bus and say my goodbyes to the other three on the tour and then start the process of finding a hostel. Have two in mind and whilst choosing between the two, bump into an English couple who have the same two in mind (so much for Lonely Planet!). We end up in the Hostelling International one as for members its cheaper (I bought my card just before I went away). Get lunch with them (James & Charlotte). Its a shock to the system after Bolivia - prices are around double as Chile is the most expensive South American country as its on the verge of first world status. James is originally from Sunderland so we have a chuckle over lunch about the plight of Newcastle...they're also both ex accountants, have quit their jobs for a year, followed a similar route to me and my age so we have a lot of common ground.

After lunch and realising I've gained an extra hour (I had put my watch forward an hour mistakenly when we crossed the border), its an 'admin' afternoon for me. First its laundry then looking at bus times, then looking at the tours I can do from here. After an hour or so pounding the main street in San Pedro (its a tiny town so you don't have to go far), I'm still none the wiser. At some point in the next few days I've got a 24 hour bus journey to look forward to, which departs twice daily from Calama to Valparaiso (getting to Calama is another matter). The tours aren't grabbing me.....its much of the same as the Uyuni tour (Altiplano lakes, Geysers and wierd terrain). I was going to stay 4 nights here, but I'm not sure its worth it now...the appeal of Valparaiso and the beach is greater. My decisions can wait until tomorrow, I'm too tired to think about it. Instead make a few calls home from the internet cafe....its good to catch up with home.

After a quick shower, meet James, Charlotte and an Australian guy also called James for dinner. James had met James in the internet cafe whilst they were laughing at me telling whoever back home that I was missing a roast dinner and Yorkshire puddings!!! After another expensive meal (need to get used to these Chilean prices quick) its an early night - need some sleep after a few early starts on the Uyuni tour. We do first sign up for an astronomical tour tomorrow night......hope the cloud cover goes away though.

Day 92: Monday 29th September - The driest place on earth and learning about the night sky

Its nice for once not to have to get up early and spring into action....whether it be to do a tour, catch a bus or whatever. Therefore, have a lazy morning enjoying the sun (its back to shorts for the first time in weeks) and reading. Book a tour to the Valley of the Moon which departs at 3pm and will get back in time for me to stargaze at 8.30pm. I've decided to give all the other tours a wide berth...the thought of a day on a bus getting to these places and then seeing similar things (altiplano lakes, geysers etc) to what I've seen just days previously in Uyuni doesn't appeal. The other activities like hiring a bike, sandboarding or horse riding also aren't catching the imagination too...I've done all these in the last month and all I feel like doing is chilling out for a day or so to catch my breath before tackling a third of the length of Chile on bus.

The tour to the Valley of the Moon ends up to be worth doing, although I'm pleased that the tour is only short. It includes a trip out into the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth....their was no rainfall at all in 2007 and only a little in 2008 to date. Specifically its a tour into the Valle De la Luna (Moon Valley in English) so called due to its moon like landscape. The tour finishes by enjoying the sunset over the Atacama Desert and the Andes mountain range - very beautiful as a different array of colours are seen in the desert as the sun drops.

Get back to San Pedro at 7pm, which doesn't leave much time to get dinner before the stargazing tour at 8.30pm. On my way back to the hostel, I check if the tour's on, and as the sky is clear its definitely going ahead - pleased about this......means I can leave tomorrow for Valparaiso happy that I haven't missed anything. Meet James & Charlotte at the hostel and the three of us along with an Israeli guy, Omir get dinner. Three of us opt for the set three course menu which with less than an hour to eat it is pushing it, but we just about manage it....its a cracking meal as well, soup, salmon and a desert for less than a fiver (which is good for San Pedro - expensive even byu Chilean standards).

Aftet rushing the meal, head a few blocks down the main street to the tour agency, where we are picked up and taken to the observatory, several kilometres out of town. The tour proves to be a highlight of my time in San Pedro. Not only is it educational but we get to look through the telescopes at planets (Jupiter and Uranus), various coloured stars (red giant, blue, orange) , nebuli and other far off galaxies. The night sky is the clearest and most impressive I've ever seen it.....a lot of major observatories are based in the Atacama Desert due to the lack of cloud cover and light pollution. Even with the naked eye I can clearly see our galaxy the Milky Way as well as a couple of far off galaxies and also we are pointed out a few constellations. I learn why some stars twinkle (due to atmospheric disturbance, more prevalent near the horizon), why the night sky looks different at different times of the night, different times of the year and from different loactions in the world. I also learn that Pluto isn't a planet and is rather part of an outer asteroid belt as it doesn't orbit on the same plane as the other 8 planets. At the end of the night we are treated to hot chocolate and a question and answer session with Alain, the French astronomer. I'm buzzing after the tour, I've never been that interested in the night sky but when I get home (one day) I think I might print off some sky maps and learn some more. Mr Patrick I suggest that you put this place on your list of things to see, because you would absolutely love this place.

Day 93: Tuesday 30th September - A long bus journey

Still buzzing after last night's star gazing. So pleased it wasn't cancelled, which allows me to get a bus to Valparaiso today. First I must get to Calama, the nearest transport hub, an hour and a half away. Leave San Pedro at 11am, James & Charlotte also leave, they're heading to La Serena a mere 17 hours away, but they too must go to Calama first, so we all get on the same bus. Once in Calama, we need to get from one bus station to another, but a series of rather unhelpful locals keep telling us its 5 blocks away and very walkable. It ends up taking us about an hour to reach after being sent in the wrong direction a few times, and is on the outskirts of the city. Calama seems pleasant, and being my first experience of a Chilean city (albeit a small one) is very different in feel to Bolivia. I've bought my ticket to Valparaiso already but James & Charlotte haven't so I wait in the bus station while they buy there ticket - they end up being on the same bus even though we're going to different locations. Cross the street to a restaurant, which despite its location ends up being a great choice - have a tremendous 3 course meal in record time (half an hour) for just 3 pounds 50 pence. I'm sure i'm going to have indigestion after eating so quickly but it was necessary so we didn't miss the bus.

The bus leaves at 2.45pm, and its not due to reach Valparaiso until 12.30pm the next day, passing through several of Chile's regions and well over 1000km of the country. The first part of the journey to Antofagasta, the capital of Chile's region II takes us through the Atacama desert. Antofagasta is on the coast, and its the first time I've seen the Pacific since Lima - but with the sun shining its seems much more pleasant. The light fades as we pass through the remainder of Region II and Region III during the night. We must reach La Serena before 6am, but I'm asleep and don't get to say my goodbye's to James and Charlotte. Hopefully I'll catch up with them at the weekend in Santiago as they've been a nice couple to hang out with the past few days. Once I do awake we must be in the Southern part of Region IV and the scenery is greener than I remember it being for a long while on my journey. Shortly after noon we pull into Valparaiso (in Region V) after 22 hours on the road...in fairness the journey hasn't been that bad, has been on good roads and certainly better than a number of journey's in Bolivia.

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