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Published: November 16th 2008
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The town
Dusty and quaint San Pedro was a cattle town until about ten years ago but now has become a tourist mecca. It is an oasis in te desert. It has gone above and beyond to preserve its original feel, adding a salt and magnesium compound to the streets to preserve its dirt road feel while allowing for more pedestrians.
Day 1 (Saturday) - Breakfast is an interesting experience. The hostel is supposed to provide the meal and there are plates but no one or food around, aside from the other guests who are already eating. They are very friendly Slovenians. They tell me that the employee who was serving them breakfast was caught stealing from one of their rooms while they were there. He served them, asked them what room they were in, then grabbed the extra key and stole some money. This was all within plain site. Then he was brazen enough to come back and wait on them. The police were called and I had a less than mediocre breakfast while watching the drama continue. I changed hostels to Cruz de Atacama, which is a bit cheaper but comes without breakfast. Yesterday, I planned my adventures, including an evening tour for
Lunch Day 1
Nothing more than a 3-sided shack but the food sure was good. that night, Sand boarding for Sunday and a trip to Bolivia for Monday through Wednesday. Before the tour, I grabbed some lunch at a local tin shack restaurant that was very good and cheap. The tour was pleasant with some joy rides and mild walking up and down dunes and around salt structures. We walked through the Death Valley and Moon Valley, spending a majority of time in the latter, where we watched the sunset. I met 3 English speakers on the trip, including some London newlyweds and a Swedish man (Chal) taking a 6 month sabatical from teaching. Chal and I grabbed dinner in one of the many upscale restaurants lining the main drag. We sat next to an open hearth and I had the local variation of a Hawaiian pizza, which was actually the best Hawaiian pizza I have ever had. Then I went to sleep.
Day 2 (Sunday) - Sunday starts out a little slower than the other days. Even though the town has grown rapidly, the town has not completely lost its culture. Amidst the clanging of the 16th century church bell, men and women strolled down the streets singing hymns in their Sunday best.
Most tourist shops opened later today than normal, as did the regular shops. I spent an early hour following one of the streets out of town to see where it led. No more than a mile down the road, I found myself once again in the lifeless desert. I then tried to book the upcoming week as best I could, knowing that I am traveling to popular destinations and lead time will pay dividends. This meant spending a good portion of the morning figuring out where I wanted to stay and when. This is not a simple task given the inability to book travel starting in Bolivia from outside of Bolivia. Guestimation and wishing are becoming good friends. I finished around 2:00 and was feeling rather famished. I walked back to the area where I had lunch on Saturday. There was a commotion around and I was able to get a table at one of the restaurants facing the main attraction, the soccer field. Teams were decked out in the finest duds on very nice turf. I enjoyed my lunch in the company of locals. They seem to appreciate my patronage a little more now that I can order without
Valley of the Moon
So called because much of the landscape resembles the lunar landscape. hand gesturing or pointing at someone else's dish. When lunch was over, I headed back to the hostel to get ready for sandboarding. I showed up where I was supposed to and was the only one there. The guide said that if I liked, we could postpone it an hour to stay out of the heat. I liked. I am not a professional sandboarder yet, nor am I a proficient sandboarder. The sand is a strong antagonist, wanting to pull down the front of the board any chance it gets. And the altitude mixed with the walking up the dune in death valley, had me beat in no time. I came back and started packing, getting ready for my journey to Bolivia. Early to bed, early to rise, keeps a Braden healthy, wealty, and wise (and from missing my ride).
Tomorrow I head on a three day - two night adventure across southwest Bolivia, finishing in Salar de Uniyi. I will then take a bus to La Paz where I will stay the night Thursday at the Adventure Brew Hostel. From there I will take an overnight series of trains to Cusco, where I will stay Saturday and Sunday
night at the Loki Backpacker Hostel.
I will add more when I have the chance, including my thoughts from my first sandboarding trip. And I will add pictures.
Adios for now
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Brian Merrill
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Pictures
Did you take pictures in all of this scenery? Also, I noticed your Chilean buddies facebooked you and posted pictures. Small world. B