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30 Marzo - 3 Abril 2009
In a taco shell… San Pedro de Atacama- Situated 2400m above sea level in the Atacama Desert- the driest desert in the world- San Pedro is a town of adobe huts surrounded by volcanoes and desert valleys, has one working ATM and acted as our entry point to Bolivia.
There are so many things for a traveller to do here- bike tours, horse riding, sand boarding, geyser and hidden valley tours as well as the Salar de Uyuni tour- 3 day jeep ride into Bolivia, crossing the Uyuni Salt Flats.
In transit… An overnight journey from La Serena to Calama, Chile (about 15 hours- very little sleep for either of us), plus an hour or so on a dodgy bus from there to San Pedro.
Digs… Inti Para Hostel- We believe that the hostel gods are well and truly on our side yet again- not only was it the cheapest place we could find ($12000 pesos a night between us, about $30 AUD- we had been advised that the cost of accomodation reflected the isolated location), but it was cool during the day, warm at night (thanks to it being an adobe
San Pedro de Atacama
It's a dog! With dreads! structure- read "mud hut"), with kitchen facilities and HOT SHOWERS (exciting, as a couple of Brits we had met in La Serena had moaned about their choice of stay here at $8000 pesos each with freezing showers- yep, we win!).
We came we saw… We came in contact with a nasty local god... let us explain...
On our first full day in San Pedro we embarked on an awesome self guided bike tour of the surrounding desert- the landscape offers an amazing array of colours and contours, making this a fantastic day of exploring! Veering just off the main road into town, it felt as if we were about to approach the caves in the final scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Special stuff!
Now, unfortunately a big day of cycling, high altitude, desert heat and a lack of hydration (it was our fault - we forgot to drink in all the biking excitement) called upon another god of the locale- the god of altitude sickness (or maybe god of sun exposure/sun stroke, we couldnt be 100%!s(MISSING)ure). No matter which god he was, he is a nasty, nasty god indeed! He ensured Lauren spent the whole
night vomiting (lost count at 8!... seriously, for such a small person... 😊! ) and prevents the intake of any food, fluids or nausea-settling tablets.
He really hams up your plans big time (and this is not the last time we hear from him either)!
Thanks to said god, we spent a few extra days in San Pedro than planned before departing for our Jeep ride into Bolivia. BUT SERIOUSLY, there are much worse places you could be stuck- the town is beautiful and despite being a huge tourist draw card, it has retained its traditional architecture, making it such a special place.
City highlights… The town centre is made up of only about 5 streets (making it impossible to get lost) filled with adobe huts and many artesan markets. The surrounding desert is spectacular, making for some pretty impressive sunrises and sunsets in addition to the million activities on offer.
City Lowlights… Menacing gods... grrrr...
Mental State… Well, by the time we left, we were pretty relaxed- nothing like 5 days in the one place to recharge the batteries and take care of a pile of admin- but the sickness was no fun 😞
Soundtrack… More UB40 and Bob Marley than you could poke a stick at...
Flavours… We were advised that the fruit and veg suffered here, due to the distance it has to travel and the harsh climate- not entirely the case. It may not look pretty, but we enjoyed some of the best capsicums and carrots we have ever tasted!
No comprendo… Why, oh why viscious god of altitude sickness... we drank your coca tea and chewed your precious leaves...we were meant to drink water... oh......
please note parents and law enforcement types - contrary to popular belief, there are no addictive nor drug-like qualities to raw coca leaf. Yes, it is the basis for the drug, cocaine, but much in the way as malted barley is the basis for beer- eating malted barley will NOT get you drunk, and chewing raw coca leaf or drinking coca tea will NOT get you high. Chewing the leaf or drinking the tea is one of the best ways to prevent the effects of altitude sickness (along with drinking tons of water), overcome thirst, fatigue and hunger (much like many other herbal teas and remedies freely available around the world).
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