San Pedro de Atacama

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Have you ever needed so desperately to break free from the constraints of society, let your hair down, and release your inner caveman? I've only showered twice in the last 6 days. I fell off a horse in the Valley of Death and narrowly escaped getting trampled. And I have desert sand where the sun don't shine. That's what San Pedro de Atacama Chile did for me. Who knew being unkempt for days could feel so refreshing?

We hopped on a bus last week at 11 P.M. on Wednesday knowing that we would be on there for literally 24 hours. Ouch! But it wasn't so bad because Brittney and I were excited that our friend Crystal from the States was joining us on our trip! My host parents are so nice, allowing me and two of my non-Spanish speaking friends to stay with them. Gringa invasion. Anyway, we got on the bus prepared to suffer hard. None of us had ever been in a vehicle for so long. We could only hope that San Pedro de Atacama, the driest, most arid desert in the world, up in northern Chile, would be worth it!

When we boarded, I let Brittney and Crystal sit together. It was late so I expected to get on and pass out fairly quickly. Much to my surprise some super cute Chilean guy sat next to me. I don't remember how it started but we ended up talking a ton. He was studying geology and he liked to snowboard and do a lot of crazy cool stuff. Brittney turned around and slyly winked at me, then commented to Crystal about what a great time I was having. I wanted to smack her! Haha! Thankfully he didn't speak English so he didn't understand her...I hope. I talked to him until my eyes became slits and I didn't think I could hold them open any longer. He was so cute though!! I mentioned that I was sleepy to warn him but he kept talking and I fell asleep on him anyway. Oops! The next thing I knew, the sun was up and he was smiling, handing me my breakfast and offering me some of his. When he got off at the next bus station, Brittney spun around and told me that apparently this guy kissed me while I was sleeping! My natural response was "What?!?!" Surely she was joking... But no. Brittney swore up and down that she turned around and saw him! After thinking about it, I did remember that his face was very...close...when I woke up. Oh my gosh!!! My friends teased me and dubbed him "Sleeping Beauty Guy" for the rest of the trip. Awesome.

The rest of the bus ride albeit long, wasn't so bad because the scenery was so breath taking. We saw mountain-sized sand dunes and a desert-like coast with the ocean behind it and mountains off to the side. It was stellar! However getting to San Pedro at midnight on Thursday in 20 degree weather was NOT so stellar. People are not kidding when they say the desert has extreme temperatures! We were totally unprepared to walk out into a freezer. When we stepped off the bus it was like "surprise!" We tried to walk and find the hostel but it was just too cold and we had no idea where we were going. Taxis in Valparaiso have numbers with set routes and we weren't sure how transportation worked in San Pedro. It's a really small town. Some guy in a red truck offered to take us to the hostel. We said no because I've never seen a pickup truck in Chile, and much less one who is claiming to run a taxi service. But after walking aimlessly with my hands full of luggage and feeling like my fingers and nose were literally going to snap off, we quickly reconsidered. We ended up hopping in his unmarked "taxi" praying that it was legit. And true enough, he was legit. He took us to our hostel. Thank God!

The hostel we stayed in was freezing cold and didn't have hot water. Oh, and there was no breakfast included. :0 We were glad we were only staying there for one night. On Friday we went to paradise a.k.a. la Candelaria. It was an amazing hostel! They had private rooms, two restrooms, a kitchen area, hammocks, and a breakfast fit for kings. Plus the owner lady was so nice! After getting settled in we walked 10 minutes to San Pedro's downtown area. Papa Samuel said it would only take 30 minutes to get to know the whole town and have it practically memorized. He was right. There were only like 4 main streets. I was enchanted however by how authentic everything felt. There are cities in the U.S. that try to look this authentic but San Pedro is legit! And let's not even talk about shopping. They had a bunch of north Chilean/Peruvian artifacts, bags, and souvenirs that are priced really well and it's hard not to lose your mind!! I had what Picha calls a "gringo attack" and bought so much stuff I have NO idea how it's going to fit on the plane back home. Oh well!

After eating lunch in a restaurant with a good deal we set up some tours. One of the reasons I wanted to go to San Pedro is for the astronomy. They are known for their observatories. When we found a 2 1/2 hour tour at 10:00 P.M. by SPACE for only $36 USD, I was super stoked. It included a bus ride over to this astronomer's personal observatory, star gazing, and nice cup of hot chocolate at the end. It was freezing but very enjoyable. Comically, I still can't say what the astronomer looked like. It was pitch black dark outside! All we could see were the stars sparkling in the entirety of the milky-way. It was beautiful! Some random people invited us to a party with a bonfire in the middle of the desert. I so wanted to go! But after spending 2 1/2 hours in the freezing cold, even I had to decline! Turn down for what? Turn down for getting frost bitten... Haha!

The next morning we had our tour for las lagunas altiplanicas. We woke up and freaked out because we wanted to have breakfast (¡qué rico!) but we also didn't want to get left. The touring agency told us that they would pick us up at 8:00 A.M. Crystal was standing outside the hostel, too afraid to eat breakfast and I was in the kitchen trying to cram buttered bread down my throat. I probably looked a mess! The hostel owner sweetly inquired what I was doing. Frantic and with a mouth full I bread, I explained that we wanted to sit down and eat but we didn't have time! Then she asked me, "¿Ellos dijeron que les van a recoger?", "Did they say they are going to pick you up?" "Well yes." I replied sheepishly. Then she smiled and spoke the words I never would have heard in the U.S. "Well then they'll ring the doorbell. If you paid they aren't going to leave you. Sit down and eat. I promise it's okay." Oh my goodness I had no idea! I'm so used to living in a city where it's every man for himself. I live in a screw-you city, in a screw-you country, with screw-you people! Not everyone is this way, but it's kind of how our society operates on a day to day. It's get with it or get left. I went and got Crystal and we sat down and ate like civilized people, marveling at South American hospitality. It was definitely a breath of fresh air.

The tour lasted until 5:00 and was way worth the money. Sure enough, they rang the doorbell and off we went on our adventure. We boarded on a bus and went to a town where the church had wood from a cactus (didn't know that existed), and the people had llamas for pets. So jealous... I met this girl from Canada named Gloria and we became fast friends. We hit it off so well that we sat together for the rest of the tour and she changed her tours to hang with us the next day. We also visited las Lagunas Salares, a salt flat that stretches for miles at the base of a volcano. Pink flamencos glided in the distance and rested as added pieces to the stunning backdrop. Me and Crystal snuck and licked the salt when the guide wasn't looking. Just had to! After that we rode on the bus for another hour slowly ascending the mountains until we got to las lagunas altiplanicas. Again, it was freezing at such a high altitude but muy hermoso! Then we went to a small town and ate a bomb meal that was delicious and included with the tour. After getting back to town Crystal and I shopped some more then enjoyed a pisco sour, Crystal's new Chilean best friend. Then we skipped over to another restaurant to eat llama meat. Yes, llama meat. I almost felt bad because they're such a cute animal! Not to mention, we had pet one earlier. But after eating that delicious chorri-llama, I couldn't feel bad anymore.

The next morning, was epic to say the least. We had our personal horseback riding tour with some experienced horseman. Gloria came too! It was great that it was just the four of us. We were going to ride in el Valle de la Muerte, the Valley of Death, for 3 hours. We started off and Brittney's pregnant horse went wild and ran her head into a bunch of tree branches! We crossed a river, rode through winding canyons, and over steep rocky drop offs. Gloria got swept away by her horse and had to get rescued, and I got flirted with mercilessly by our guide. My dusty black jeans and plaid man-shirt must have just screamed come hither. I don't know what it was but he was flirting like he was trying to win a metal! He even held my coat and purse the whole time. Now that's a real man! Haha! We rode through desert sand, and around a huge sand dune until Brittney had to be rescued next. She almost toppled off her horse! New show title: How many damsels in distress can one horseman rescue in 3 hours. Apparently 2 was not enough because I quickly got added to the list!

On the way back to the ranch, after singing merry tunes, my horse started to trip and fall...while going downhill on rocks. Then it gets more intense. My horse, deft beast that it is, regained his balance and did NOT fall. I however was not so lucky and went flying off my house, bashed my knee, and hit my face on the rocks right next to his hoofs. Brittney in front of me thought I had gotten trampled. Crystal behind me also thought I had gotten trampled, as they both witnessed the mixture of frantic hooves and myself plastered among the rocks. But I must say, I'm here! I somehow did not get trampled and I believe God just said "No. Not today." After picking my face up, I immediately asked the guide if my chin was bleeding. It wasn't, much to my surprise. And my leg was fine only because I was wearing so many layers of clothes. The only thing that was hurt was my wrist which was slowly starting to swell. Not bad! I didn't want to get back on my horse but I had to. The river was up ahead. So our guide, Señor Romeo, helped me back on commenting on how strong I am and how he loves a strong woman! ¡Se pasó! Haha!

After that, we went back to the hostel, wolfed down some completos, and got ready for our next tour. Thankfully it was a less harrowing afternoon. We went on a driving tour through Valle de la Muerte, and Valle de la Luna. We climbed through salt caves and hiked around. One of the highlights of the tour was climbing up to see the sun set over a huge sand dune with volcanoes off in the distance. It felt like I was in the Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Looking at the smooth sandy cliffs and the warm setting sun, I couldn't believe that this was my life. The moment felt so tranquil and sublime. There I was, pants smudged with salt, covered in horse hair, and with sand filled boots whose color was no longer recognizable. Yet I had never felt so free.

A group of cool Brazilians were in the kitchen when we got back to the hostel to cook dinner. They offered us some of their dinner and some wine and it became a hang out that lasted into the wee hours. Slowly as people trickled away, the conversation went from Portuguese, to Spanish, to English, and then back to Portuguese. Fernando, one of the guys I met, tried to keep the conversation in English or Spanish but one of the girls had too much wine and forgot that I didn't speak Portuguese! Then when she left, Fernando and I stayed talking for another hour or so and it was awesome. Of course Brittney teased me about that too when I got back to the room! Haha!

Yesterday morning I was a mess. It was officially Monday and I hadn't showered...well, since Friday. Unacceptable! We had to catch the bus back to Valpo at 12:45 P.M. and I didn't want to be on a 24 hour bus ride without having showered again! But it appeared a mission impossible. After robing and disrobing twice, I had had enough. Both the showers were taken while I waited and waited. Eventually I just sat in my towel in the kitchen and peered out the widow trying to not look like an exhibitionist. Each time I banged on the door another person had just gone in! Finally there was a free shower on the other end of the hostel. I sprinted across the court yard, past the breakfast area, and made it to the shower only to get in and find out that the gas was out!!! Which meant no more hot water in that shower. !!Pucha!! And to make matters worse, I had to sprint back to the room in my towel. My friend, who had already eaten breakfast, caught up with me and informed me that my mad dash for the shower had not exactly been missed by the breakfast eaters. She said Fernando joked and asked why I was walking around naked. :0 Now that I looked like the hostel nudest it was definitely time to head back to Valpo! I got my beloved shower FINALLY and we left San Pedro de Atacama.

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Photos

Chorri-llama
Also served, llama sushi, llama burgers and more.

Comments

[Aaron]

Cool
Sounds like your having the time of your life. I enjoy reading your post. I hope the best for you and your friends. Peace. Ps. Does llama taste anything like chicken?

[Chekeitha]

Llama Meat
Thank you so much! Llama tastes nothing like chicken surprisingly. I guess it would be similar to a savory, tender, moist, succulent piece of beef. It's way better than beef though!