WANDERING THROUGH THE ATACAMA DESERT

A legend says that the magnificent volcano, Licancabur, son of Lascar, with its 6000 meters high reigned in the Atacama Desert. The young volcano fell hopelessly in love with the most beautiful mountain, Quimal. And his love was corresponded. However, the beauty of Quimal was also appreciated by another volcano, Licancabur’s little brother, Jurique, who decided to conquer the heart of the mountain. Licancabur enraged confronted his brother and cut off his head, humiliating him this way. Although a the same moment Quimal, scared of so much violence of the Lord of Atacama Desert, managed to flee and cross this fascinating but hostile land, and even today, she looks fearfully at her ruthless suitor from the other side of the valley. Another version of the legend points out that Quimal did not abandon her beloved, but due to the punishment the lovers were separated and still nowadays burning looks of love and longing are cast.

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA: AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

There are several ways to get to San Pedro of Atacama, located in the middle of a desert, whose wonderful landscape fascinates visitors with its beauty. I arrived crossing the Salar of Uyuni in Bolivia, another seductive place for your eyes, which I will talk about in another story. I was traveling through South America during the winter season there, I remember being very cold in the Bolivian land, and also, I recall my pleasant surprise when going out from the bus, which left me at the bus station in the town of San Pedro, the good weather there. “Finally” I thought, a little heat in that continent that I always imagined to be warm even hot, but make no mistake my friend, the winter is also harsh there. I could feel it on my skin. So, I arrived in San Pedro with an organized tour that crossed the Salar of Uyuni and ended up at the border between Bolivia and Chile. What a border! The views of the wild nature that surrounded us were spectacular. Upon passing custom control, I took the bus to the town, which did not take too long in reaching its destination.

The town itself is quite small, there is the main street with numerous travel agencies and restaurants for tourist. The food tastes really good. In these agencies you have the possibility to rent some organized trips, which should usually include the guide, the entrance to the natural parks, food and transportation. I consider it a good idea to take a tour and save yourself from worries and above all, it is an excellent opportunity to meet many wonderful people who will also participate with you in the excursions. On the other hand, to find the accommodation should not be a problem, you can choose among the most expensive with the swimming-pool or something cheaper for your pocket. What I loved from my hotel was the young daughter of an employee with whom I spent time playing some games in the morning. Her name was Monserrat and she was really funny. Well, when you have the practical stuff assured, it is time for your adventure in the desert to begin.

ALL THE PLACES ARE WONDEFUL IN THE ATACAMA DESERT

The origin of the Atacama Desert dates back about 3 million years, and at the beginning this area was covered by sea water that over time evaporated due to the Fohn effect. In my Geography classes I explain this effect to my students in the following manner: the mass of warm air rises because it weighs little and condenses causing orographic rains, but only on one side of the mountain, on the windward slope, in this case the eastern area. While on the leeward slope the air descends dry and no precipitations occur. Likewise, due to the Pacific anticyclones, by the way they are high pressure zones, the trade winds are created and move the precipitations to the west, while in the middle of these atmospheric effects a zone affected by drought is created, what we know by the name of Atacama Desert.

Simply, whatever the tour you choose, all the places will make you fall in love with the magic of its impressive attraction. You will not know where to put your eye and will want to take pictures of everything you see, at least that happened to me. One of the trip I took was the visit to the Moon Valley, a spectacular place with many legends from the Inca period, like the one I told you at the begging. The Valley has a rock formations, whose appearance is really interesting. Due to the erosion by wind and the floods, which occurred for millennia, its colors and texture resemble the lunar landscape, hence the name it receives. You have the possibility to visit the Valley not only with the organized tour, but also by car or bike, since it is only 17 km from the town of San Pedro. The entrance is around 3000 CPL that you should not forget to bring in case you come on your own. I advise you to visit Coyote Stone with the fantastic views. The Greater Dune that is reached by a path of 30 minutes walking and the Amphitheater about 40 meters high of reddish tone, which is a perfect site to contemplate in the golden hour, a wonderful spectacle to end the day.

• 

• 

Another prodigious place, that in my opinion is a must-have visit, is Salar of Tara, located about 150 km form the town of San Pedro, on the triple border among Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. However, not all agencies will take you there, and unfortunately this natural area is not protected, so you don’t need to pay the entrance fee. Unlike the Moon Valley, located about 2,600 meters above sea level, the Salar is located at a height of about 4,300 meters above the sea level, so if you just arrived in Chile and you are not used to the altitudes, you should take precaution about altitude sickness, since it can really make you spend a terrible time. Firstly, it is best to get used to the altitudes before undertaking this kind of tour. In the Salar of Tara the human presence is scarce, prevailing the wild nature. In fact, our small group was completely alone in this extraordinary natural setting, so we had the opportunity to enjoy the lonely landscapes and the incredible nature in a much more authentic way. Perhaps this was the main reason why the Salar impressed me so much.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I could behold countless vicuñas that walk nearby. I am not sure if you are familiar with this lovely animals, the vicuñas are a kind of cousin of guanacos as well as llamas and alpacas. However, the vicuñas and guanacos have not been domesticated. Unfortunately they are the prey of poachers, since their wool is usually better quality and more expensive in the markets. They present a fragile aspect, although they are very resistant animals, which come to inhabit areas up to about 5,500 meters high. I swear that for us it is very difficult to breathe at these altitudes. 

I wish one day I go back to the Atacama Desert…

TIPS:

• Although the temperatures are mild in winter during the day, it is quite cold at night, so bring warm clothes.
• Be careful with the altitude sickness it produces terrible headaches and dizziness.
• Bring always water with you, you are in a desert.
• Use the comfortable shoes, can you imagine why?