Chile

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The second we crossed in Chile the road became paved - very strange having spent the last 5 days bumping around in jeeps on dirt track roads. We arrived in San Pedro de Atacama, and the amount of tourists was staggering - everyone in the street was a gringo! Got touted to a hostel I was going to stay at anyway - really nice, chilled, young staff, hammocks etc..but most importantly: hot running water!! Terri went somewhere else but Bert and Marie came to Florida with me. A group of American girls arrived in my room from American Uni in Washington - Marta, Joanna, Kate and Leila. I went with them to wander round and book tours, then we drank Pisco at the hostel (the Chilean equivalent of Singani) They were IR students studying in Santiago for a semester. We got invited by the hostel staff to this cool bar with open fires spread round, great fun, but it closed at 1am - tan temprano! Got up early the next day and went on a horse ride to the Valle de la Muerte. It was great being on a horse again, riding proper gaucho style! My guide's dog kept jumping up at the horse and hitching a ride on its back! Juan, the guide, said when he was a puppy he used to ride in the saddlebag! We went through weird scenery - desert and rock with bright blue, cloudless sky. Needless to say i got back to the hostel walking like John Wayne.

Chilled for a bit in a hammock then went on a tour to the Valle de la Luna to see the sunset - beautiful reds, pinks and violets against the desert, rocks and mountains. To get to the best viewpoint you had to climb literally a MOUNTAIN of a sand dune. All uphill. I thought i was going to die. Cursed Chile and its sand dunes all the way up. No really, i like Chile, despite warnings from Argy friends (they dont like each other) Everyone here has been really friendly - that morning i even found myself waving to various Chileans in the street I knew after just a day! Came back for an asado at the hostel, but i was utterly knackered from a long day and called it an early night. Had a bad nights sleep - after 3 months in South America, i finally got the runs. Next morning i felt fine and had a look round San Pedro before catching my bus to Antofagasta. Jorge, a guy who works at the hostel, showed me round the plaza and the local museum - very interesting,all about the Atacama people, the different influences over the milennia - Inca, Spanish etc. Felt like i was being a good traveller - getting to know Chile better! For instance, did you know that everyone from Antofagasta once belonged to Bolivia!?!

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