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Published: November 17th 2013
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Window View of Valle de Luna
One of my first views from the bus as we descended down into San Pedro. Just a taster of things to come!
San Pedro de Atacama- a small village of about 5000 local inhabitants was my next destination. Located in what is considered the driest desert on earth, it's a long, 17hr night bus ride from La Serena. Actually the ride was pretty comfortable (I paid more for the salon cama seat), although I can never sleep on buses or planes. Even got tucked into "bed" by the conductor, who not only allocated blankets to everyone but dutifully fussed with them to make sure everyone was snug as a bug!! The long distance buses here in Chile are terrific!
The best part of the trip, was the last hour or so. Early morning in the desert- love it. At the first sight of the Valle de Luna, I knew I was going to have a great time exploring the area. There's really so much to see and do around here. All fascinating. So, where to begin?
Have decided to break this blog into four parts, so you can better appreciate the diversity of the area and so you don't tire of seeing hundreds of photos at the one time!! Even then, I only scratched the surface of what was on offer
during my time here.
This first blog in the San Pedro "series" is a general introduction to San Pedro, around town and some of the great people I spent time with here. The second will feature Valle de Luna- the area that first captured my attention on entering the town. These will be followed by the Lagunas Antiplanos (Antiplanal Lagoons) and finally one covering a day of walking I did to check out the Archeological site of Quitor and the surrounding quebradas (ravines).
San Pedro & the surrounding area is arguably the number one tourist destination in Chile. This is well-deserved for a number of different reasons: it's spectacular geographic location and the stark beauty of the landscapes, it's neverending blue sky during the day & it's star filled sky at night and increasingly as an important archeaological destination for those interested in Precolumbian cultures. Add to this the "positive energy vibes", supposedly created from the high quantities of quartz & copper in the area , and you have a recipe for a potent mix!!!
So let's have a look.........
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Early morning desert
You've captured some lovely photos.