Only a week to go . . . . reflections . . . .

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Well the Atacama has proved a bit of a disappointment. The trips seem a bit lightweight based around lacklustre ruins that have been reconstructed, and the scenery is just much less spectacular than Bolivia. Lagoons with half a dozen flamingos and a thousand tourists, while in Bolivia (oops sorry the Pluricultural Republic of Bolivia) there were four of us looking at a thousand flamingos. They point out a few vicuña (smallest of the llama family, wild and rather deer like) but we saw big flocks of them - you know where!

It feels like they are trying to create a tourist destination out of very little but then there are lots of people here so it seems they are succeeding! The one thing I will say for the Chileans is that they developed the tiny village of San Pedro de Atacama for the tourists and they did it very well. It is all one storey adobe buildings in the traditional style so it looks really nice.

So there you have Machu Picchu with a horrid poxy town beside it, and the very nice tourist village of San Pedro de Atacama but with bugger all to visit!!! Well that's life I suppose!

Tomorrow we set off on the mother of all journeys with a 4am start to appreciate the geysers of Tatio at their best (tho'personally I'd rather do them after brekkie when they are only so so). Then at the end of the day we go off to some airport and fly for two hours to Santiago, then get two hours sleep in a hotel before flying for six hours to Patagonia, then drive for 5 hours to our eco lodge in the Torres Del Paine national park!!!! So why am I not much looking forward to tomorrow!!

In fact Ian and I while having had a wonderful time, have both come to the conclusion that the travelling lifestyle is not for us. It's just too darn tiring! And living out of a suitcase really ain't much fun! Having said that we are both looking forward to our time in Torres Del Paine which is supposed to be stunning, and our time spent close to nature here in Latin America is what we have most enjoyed! But next year it's definitely back to the lakes for us!!!!

We think it is unlikely that there will be an internet connection at Torres Del P so our next blog with be in five or six days time from Santiago.

Hope you are all well an thoroughly enjoying life.

Lots of love - always . . .

Allison

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Photos

Adobe hotel
Our room in the hotel in San Pedro - made from mud and very comfortable.

Stone village in ruins
Pre-Inca ruins for a change.

Rocks
Some rocky formations near the Atacama desert.

The moon valley
Near, but not in the Atacama desert.

Chilean Salt flat
The third largest in the world but not as beautiful as the Bolivian (the largest in the world).

Chilean Lagoon
A pretty lagoon not quite in the Atacama desert.

Comments

[Neil]

Met some geyser in a bar...
Some more great photos, you guys (sers)...actually desert ecosystems are my great love, so great to see the hamada structures - complete topography incl. playa, pediment and range. Great stuff. It may not be your favourite, understandably, but you made one of your bloggies very happy! Hope you've been able to taste some of those delicious local Chilean wines. And don't forget to visit the national stadium in Santiago where Pinochet butchered...well, err. Best keep to the wine! Not much happening here. My swine flu has turned to pneumonia; it's rain, rain, rain; and Strictly and Big Brother are to be combined due to falling ratings. The favourite to win the next series will be the partnership of Anton de Berg and a chain-smoking lesbian ex-soft porn model from Bolton.

[Jean]

Only a week left to blog!!
I can't believe that your big adventure is nearly over. I shall miss Allie's delightful comments. Perhaps we should have a Deptford blog! I hope that your stay in Torres del Paine will be a stunning climax to your holiday. Is Ian still writing his diary? Looking forward to your next (final?) entry, and really looking forward to seeing you again. Lots of love. xx