San Pedro De Atacama (CHL)

For the journey from Salta to San Pedro, I used the bus again. Departure was at 1 am, so I arrived in San Pedro at 11 am. Saved a night's accommodation ;-). Fortunately, the bus didn't reach the border until 7:30 am, so we didn't have to get off in the middle of the night like in Uruguay -> Paraguay. However, the control was quite strict here and because two buses arrived at the same time, the whole process took two hours. Also, this was the first time I experienced the effects of high altitude, as the border is located at around 4000m. Let's just say it took my breath away.

San Pedro de Atacama is actually a tiny village somewhere in the northern Chilean desert. But because the nature here has a lot to offer, the city now thrives on tourism. There are various attractions, from lagoons with flamingos, to volcanoes, and stargazing at night. After I spent the first day exchanging the remaining money from the last visited countries and choosing a provider for the Uyuni tour, the second day was dedicated to the volcano tour.

Departure was at 4:30 am, so that a quick breakfast could be set up after the drive up the mountains before the sun rose (at -12 degrees in the dark, at 4500m altitude!). Then an incredible sight unfolded, consisting of the mountain range including various non-active and active volcanoes, and steaming geysers. We then took a guided tour, during which the guide told us some details. For example, about the failed attempt to extract geothermal energy from the depths. The drilling broke the rock and boiling water gushed out of the borehole for 10 days until it was covered with rock.

After the tour, we visited several lookout points to enjoy the landscape and take photos. Then we went to a small Chilean mountain village, where you could buy souvenirs and eat freshly grilled llama skewers. Finally, after about 6 hours, we were back in San Pedro - in dry and hot 30 degrees.

There, I bought some essentials for the Uyuni tour starting the next day and in the evening, I watched the Chile-Venezuela World Cup qualification match in a restaurant with the locals.

The next morning, it was time for a three-day jeep tour to the Bolivian Uyuni. Details to follow.

Regards,

Kai