http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Chile , Antofagasta Region en-us Fri, 24 May 2013 10:16:10 +0000 Fri, 24 May 2013 10:16:10 +0000 Devinez quelle heure nous avions RDV aujourdhui 7h 8h Non 4h Oui les geysers du volcan El Tatio sont situs 2h303h de route au nord de San Pedro et il parait que les jets sont plus hauts au lever du jour donc dpart de nuit. On nous avait averti quil ferait froid 4300 mtres daltitude jusqu39 5 degrs donc vu lexprience de la veille nous rajoutons d http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-784606.html Encore un dpart matinal aujourdhui mais cette foisci plus lheure que le jour prcdent je nai pas dit lheure . Puis monte moins douce que la veille un soupon de mal de tte mais qui passe. Petit dej 4500 mtres dans le froid avec un vent glacial le pire juste cote de nous des allemands avaient dress leur tente et arrivs jusque l en vlo les fous http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-784604.html Les dparts avec les tours organiss sont plutt matinaux et notre RDV est 7h ae Je sais bien que la ponctualit peut tre toute relative ici mais nous avons du attendre jusqu39 8h15 ils nous avaient oublis ou plutt avaient chang lhoraire sans nous avertir Pas terrible pour dmarrer la journe et le guide qui ny pouvait rien a eu le droit notre mcontente http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-784600.html Le plan tait de louer un 4X4 pour visiter la rgion et faire quelques conomies pour viter toutes les excursions. Et bien les plans sont faits pour tre changs car notre rservation na pas t enregistre discussion surraliste avec le loueur bref et il ny a pas de voiture dispo. Donc nous allons passer par des tours avec une agence comme la plupart des gens. Nous ne reston http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-784598.html Rien de bien folichon aujourdhui il faut juste attendre que le bus arrive notre destination. Et le sige semi cama situ juste devant lentre des toilettes ne sest pas rvl trs agrable une nuit difficile au milieu des ronfleurs. Finalement arrive San Pedro situe 2800 mtres daltitude avec le coucher de soleil et une vue aux roches teintes en dcouvrant c http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-784595.html Back in Chile again 1417th April 13 San Pedro de Atacama 14th April 13 continued.. So we finally found the Mamatierra Hostel and were met by a really lovely young lass who appeared to be running the place. She was rather concerned about the state I was in and quickly took us to our room and advised us to drink at least 3 litres of water each a day and told me to start drinking coca tea w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-781730.html 14313 Purmamaca to San Pedro de Aticama Chile Ate breakfast off the table said our goodbyes and walked up the road to the bus stop point it was just a bit of gravel in front of a hotel sign soon we were joined by a young French girl and an older lady originally from Canada who literally never stopped talking it was quite a relief as we reckoned we couldnt all be wrong about where the b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-781725.html Hi allAs always a bit behind on the blog availability of the internet as usual...Our last day in Atacama we went out in the Altiplanos to have a look at the highest lakes in the region on the way we got the opportunity to visit the Atacama salar an amusebouche in anticipation to Uyuni.The highlight of our day was spent in the evening we got the opportunity to go on a cosmology telescope nigh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-781705.html HeyFinally made our way to the north of Chile to the driest desert on the planet we decided to spend a few bucks and get on a plane this time round from Santiago to Calama where we took a bus to the desert but touristic town of San Pedro de Atacama. It is touristic and you can understand why there are 6000 residents but we were told over 350000 come each year to visit the wonders of the dese http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-780564.html Da bini aso glandet irgendwo ime chline Drfli die Westi wos Wasser Mangelwaar isch. Bide Duschene die Hostels wird nd lnger als 3 Minute dusched was mir erstundlicherwiis liecht fallt da sWasser sauchalt isch Bide Hiifahrt bim hmer natrli en Halt bim Zoll gmacht zum Stmpel ihole und zum prefe dasmer kei Obst und Frischwaar mit bere schmuggled. Will die chilenisch Grnz http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-776276.html Wednesday 13022013 The weather in Arica last night and today was perfect that nice temperature where you can walk around in shorts and tshirt without worrying about getting sun burnt or getting too cool. With grim determination we left town at about 9am and rode along the coast with the ever present northern Chilean desert and sand dunes surrounding us. Todays journey was interposed http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-775931.html D. 10213 after a quite long flight for such a short distance we arrived in antofagasta which was a really oldschool airport with only one baggage belt which was inside a tent. When we arrived we felt like we had landed on the moon a breathtaking landscape all greybrown dessert and the mountains in the background. We found a minivan to the bus terminal which cost 5.000 pesos but there were n http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-772738.html After leaving Cordoba my final stop in Argentina was to be the colonial city of Salta. Immediately I was able to put my improved Spanish into practice first with an incredibly friendly taxi driver especially considering my bus had arrived about 5.30a.m. and then with the Spanish speaking crowd at the hostel. Here for once the language around the communal dinner table in the hostel was defini http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-771327.html Flew north to San Pedro in the Atacama with its lowslung adobe houses and dusty streets avoiding another 20 hour bus ride . Cycled out to the remains of the Pukhara fortress before hiking to a memorial and stunning viewpoint over the desert formations in the early evening light. Lost track of time and ended up lockedin just preparing to scramble over the 6ft gate when shouts of hola eve http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-770414.html Atacama is the driest desert in the Americas. They tested the Mars Rover there before sending it to Mars. The thing I39ll remember most are all the llamas. And running through the desert speaking portuol with my new friend Ana from Portugal. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-768674.html After La Serena failed to hold my attention I changed my bus ticket and headed to San Pedro de Atacama. The 19 hours in transit wasn39t too painful and I found myself in a dusty little oasis in the middle of the driest in parts and highest desert in the world.As the hostel I had originally booked was full for my amended arrival date I ended up at this tiny little hostel about 10 mins from to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-760069.html When we arrived in San Pedro we had a little bit of trouble finding our hostel their directions wanted us to turn and walk towards the mountains. San Pedro is surrounded by mountains on all sides so the directions were a bit rubbish. The hostel turned out to be quite nice in the end though it was about a ten minute walk in to the centre.San Pedro de Atacama is what39s known as an oasis tow http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-758935.html Crossing into Chile our last country of our epic trip and arriving at the small town of San Pedro de Atacama was very surreal experience. Leaving the tiny oneroomed Bolivian border post and then driving 40 minutes into San Pedro to then be stamped into Chile was something we have never encountered. It was like an optional activity whether to visit the immigration office or not Plus its th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-743528.html Day 311 Friday 17th AugustUp at 7 to pack our bags and preparing ourselves to move on. Breakfast at the hotel didnt start till 8 which was the time we were walking out the door so we didnt bother with it. Iquique has a central bus terminal as well as a multitude of private ones around town. We are travelling with Turbus which has two terminals in town within a ten minute walk of each othe http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-738295.html Back into Chile and the first port of call the Atacama Desert. I wasn39t sure what to think at first because the village of San Pedro de Atacama appeared quite baron with its dusty streets but as you start to take a look around it has lot more to it. Its clear tourism is huge here with it being a launch pad into Bolivia and also offering many other activities with trips into the desert and seei http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-736598.html