Desert sessions La Serena-San Pedro de Atacama-Arica

Hard to believe, but Mr. 'I-plan-everything-at-the-last-minute' actually managed to organize a little wine tour. I had actually wanted to go to the (beautiful and especially known for white wine) Casablanca Valley, but in the end, I didn't even make it out of Santiago... Well, that's enough about planning... But my lack of organization was more than compensated for because in Santiago is the oldest winery in Chile (for all oenologists, wine lovers, and/or lovers of sophisticated alcohol: I'm talking about Viña Cousiño Macul, founded in 1546 [who doesn't know it :)]). As expected, we were served wine (very good wine indeed) and some snacks (cheese and chocolate and stuff) that complemented the wine. I actually like these wine tours, but to be honest, it always comes down to the same thing: At the beginning, everyone is somewhat curious and eager to discuss. The eloquence and the wealth of experience (of some participants) that comes to light is truly remarkable. At times, you could almost get the impression that people are really interested in how the wine was made and the whole story behind it :). But honestly, most people just want to have fun and drink wine. Well, that's enough of my little social study on escapism (certain participants would like that term :)) and wine tastings... Because I'm not really a fan of highlight hopping (=Torres del Paine/Santiago/Atacama Desert), I decided to make a stopover in the city of La Serena, which is about 470 km north of Santiago.

La Serena (17.3-20.3)

La Serena is the second oldest city (1543) and possibly the most religious city (there are a paltry 29 churches!!) in the country. It seems that some enthusiastic missionaries have once again put in a lot of effort... With all the more or less inviting white sandy beaches, L.S. is particularly popular with locals as a tourist destination. About 6 km east of the city is the Elqui Valley. Fed by the Elqui River, the valley looks like an oasis in the otherwise very arid and dry desert landscape. The climate here (300 sunny days!!) and the fertile soil provide the perfect basis for growing various fruits and vegetables (apricots, oranges, avocados, etc.). Due to numerous quartz deposits (which are said to have healing powers), the valley is also often referred to as the esoteric center of Chile (there are several health centers here that offer meditation, yoga, reiki, massages, and other alternative healing practices). In the 80s, philosophers, dropouts, and hippies settled in the Elqui Valley. The so-called New Age movement was formed. Even UFO enthusiasts (hi Erich :)) like to pilgrimage through the valley from time to time. Allegedly, UFOs have been seen here on several occasions or even aliens are said to live among the people. Hmmm, sounds quite believable, doesn't it? Here's a little anecdote: A few years ago, a UFO allegedly crashed here. However, more detailed investigations showed that the wreckage was actually the remains of a crashed satellite (...which is no less absurd...). Back to reality, the actual heart of this region is wine production, because the Elqui Valley (the northernmost wine-growing region in Chile) is particularly known for pisco production. If you have never heard of it: Pisco is a brandy and tastes (unmixed) somewhat like grappa. Pisco Sour (Pisco, lemon or lime juice, sugar syrup, and egg white) is the national drink in Chile (...and Peru). The two nations have been arguing for years about who actually invented it... Well, I'm also not really wiser from all this, depending on who and where you ask, you get different answers. Furthermore, a handful of internationally important space observatories have settled in the region. Allegedly, there is the clearest night sky in the world here :). So much for the general background information about L.S. and the surrounding area. In order to counteract the restlessness of the past few days, my original plan was to relax here for a few days and do NOTHING. As a victim of the widespread FOMO epidemic, of course, everything turned out differently than planned. When I arrived at the hostel, I was surprised to find out that various exciting activities were offered (including whale-watching, stargazing, and visiting the Elqui Valley). Inspired by the spectacular whale encounters in the Antarctic, I immediately booked a whale-watching tour on the first day (Reserva Marina Isla Chañaral). And OMG, the tour was really amazing!!! Contrary to my expectations (=with a bit of luck, you can see outlines of whale fins in the distance), this was by far the best whale-watching I have ever done!! Dozens of fin whales (?) were swimming around the boat and at times came so close that you could almost touch them (see Facebook video). The subsequent visit to Isla Chañaral was absolutely spectacular as well. I still get goosebumps when I think back to the impressive sound of all the sea lions (there were hundreds!!)!!

Furthermore, of course, I couldn't resist exploring the Elqui Valley and visiting a pisco distillery. When reading various travel reports, you might quickly get the impression that visiting the Elqui Valley is an absolute must on any trip to Chile. Unfortunately, I cannot share this impression. Sure, the visit to the pisco distillery was entertaining (and quite boozy), but in terms of landscape, I much preferred the Casablanca Valley (which you pass through when traveling from Santiago to Valparaiso) with all its vineyards. On the same day, I also booked a stargazing tour in Vicuña. I should mention here that the topic of astronomy/cosmos etc. has always fascinated me since childhood. Accordingly, my expectations/hopes for the tour were high. Honestly, in the end, I was somewhat disappointed with the whole thing. With the telescopes provided, you could only see more points in the night sky (supposed galaxies, nebulae, etc.). Sure, if you keep in mind all the dimensions and let your imagination run wild a bit, it would of course be quite spectacular. I don't know exactly what it was (maybe the pisco tasting), but I much preferred the classical way of looking at the night sky with the naked eye (although it wasn't even the clearest night sky, as we were simply not far enough away from the city in my opinion).

San Pedro de Atacama (21.3-27.3)

The around 15 million years old Atacama Desert stretches over a distance of 1200 km and is considered the driest (coastal) desert outside the polar regions (the driest place on Earth is actually the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica!!). In certain regions, no precipitation has been recorded for decades. The temperatures of the Atacama fluctuate greatly. During the day, the thermometer can climb to more than 30 degrees Celsius. The nightly temperatures drop to below -15 degrees. I don't know about you, but when I think of a 'classic' desert, you might think of something like the Sahara Desert (endless sand dunes, camels, Bedouins, etc.). The Atacama Desert, on the other hand, has a completely different appearance. You find yourself in an environment of surreal lunar landscapes, bizarre rock formations, dried-up salt lakes, picturesque lagoons (in all possible colors and shapes), active volcanoes, and much more. It is not uncommon to feel like you are on another planet!!! I chose to stay in San Pedro for a longer period because I was told beforehand that there are plenty of exciting excursions that can be done from there. Well, when I looked around the town a bit, I quickly realized what was meant by that. No fewer than 50 (rough estimate, but it's more or less accurate) agencies offer more or less the same tours in a very small space (99.9% of them are located on the approximately 600-meter-long main street). Yes, I know, just the thought of it might make you sick. The current frontrunner in the "super ultimate tourist destination" category (Pucón) was easily dethroned by this place :) And yet, this little bustling town is exceptionally charming somehow. And if you know me (and maybe have had the pleasure/misfortune of going to a restaurant with me...), you know that decision-making is probably not one of my greatest strengths. Now you can imagine how I felt in this sea of options. Because I was so overwhelmed by the situation, I briefly considered just exploring everything on my own (with a rental car) (of course, at the risk of missing something important, screw you FOMO!!). In the end, I ended up booking a whopping 8 tours (which I meticulously entered into my calendar for the sake of overview)!!! I visited various lagoons (Laguna de Baltinache, Cejar Lagoon, Lagunas Altiplanos), valleys (Valle de la Luna, Valle de Arcoiris aka Rainbow Valley), and geysers (Tatio Geysers, the highest geyser field in the world at over 4200 meters), went for a little bike ride, tried stargazing again (it was a total failure as it was cloudy and you couldn't see anything :)), and climbed another volcano (Cerro Toco, 5604 m). The latter was certainly one of my highlights in Atacama!!! Since I had already struggled with the altitude in Bolivia (maybe you remember the Inca Death Staircase...), I had big doubts whether I could actually make it. But unlike others (we were a group of four and one participant was suffering from severe digestive problems and nausea), I managed the ascent without major difficulties. Honestly, I felt a little proud :):). Perhaps last but not least, a few words/thoughts about the whole tour story. There are full-day and half-day tours, the latter sometimes starting at 4:30 am (the geyser tour). Here's a little fun fact: as bad experiences have been made in the past with tourists arriving late/not showing up/hungover/throwing up, all pubs/bars in the town now only open until 1 am. So tour excursions mean: little sleep, little flexibility with sometimes quite annoyed guides (especially when certain tour participants aka FOMO Barello demand extraordinary photo stops), little hunger (depending on the tour, breakfast, lunch, and/or an aperitif are usually included), lots of information, and getting to know many people. Sounds quite good overall, doesn't it? Nevertheless, I somehow had the urge all the time to explore the area on my own and rent a car. But since I had already fully planned everything way too early and renting a car was not exactly super cheap, I reluctantly decided against it. Looking back, however, it would have made my stay much more flexible and relaxed. Nonetheless, the few days in the desert were really great and I hope they will remain an extraordinary experience in my memory for a long time (see photos)!!!

Arica (28.03-02.04)

Finally, my long-cherished wish to have a few relaxing days again (especially after the absurd tour marathon in the Atacama Desert), I have finally arrived in Arica. Arica, or 'the city of eternal spring' (it almost never rains, I'm still in the desert), is the northernmost city in Chile (conveniently located by the sea :)) and is therefore only a few kilometers from the Peruvian border. The cityscape is dominated by the very impressive Morro de Arica (a historically significant mountain/sand dune [keyword War of the Pacific]). Even though I deliberately kept my radius of action very small, I still didn't quite manage to do nothing. Besides taking a walk in the city and on the beach (which, for incomprehensible reasons, was deserted), I climbed the Morro de Arica (which was extremely exhausting but rewarded with a great view of the city and the harbor) and visited the Cuevas de Anzota. The latter was unexpectedly incredibly spectacular!! The caves (gigantic cave systems that were used by the Chinchorro [indigenous people] about 9000 years ago) are surrounded by rugged cliffs and rocky coastlines. While moving through this unreal landscape, meter-high waves crashed against the cliffs like thunder. Just a few meters above me, dozens of turkey vultures circled (they look somehow scary and can circulate in the air currents for a long time without flapping their wings thanks to their large wingspan). On the beach, there were numerous dead (partially decomposed) sea lions that had fallen victim to bird flu. This place once again impressively reminded me of how powerful, wild, and brutal nature can sometimes be!!! Before I say goodbye to Chile for good, I will venture into the interior of the country today (Lauca National Park). Due to the unrest and protests in Peru (although it is said to be much better now), I have reluctantly decided not to go to Peru (don't worry, I will definitely come back :)). Instead, I will be traveling through Ecuador in the next few weeks. With the Galapagos Islands, another highlight awaits me!! I am looking forward to seeing even more animals (up close)!!

Stay tuned!!