Hasta La Vista, Chile

Recent weather: low 70s and sunny Friday-Monday in Iquique; low 70s and sunny during the day, lows in the 30s at night Tuesday-Friday in San Pedro de Atacama; current altitude: 7800 feet above sea level.

Recent reads: Ezra, Nehemiah; "Ernesto Che Guevara" by Marcos A. Alvarez.

Long post here but it has been the best week of my whole trip so far so forgive me for gushing. I won't be offended if you just skim through the photos. Well, mostly, I just won't know.

I arrived in Iquique, Chile mid-day on Friday. If Iquique sounds familiar to you, it's probably because an 8.2 magnitude earthquake hit Iquique just a little over a month ago which made world-wide news. The city is no stranger to earthquakes and reacted quickly but there still a major highway that is down to one lane as they continue to clean up the rubble that tumbled down the mountain.

Still not tired of these.

Follow the boardwalk to the casino!

Random petting zoo.

A couple of fishermen

Highlights of Iquique include:

1. Paragliding! I've wanted to go paragliding for some time now and Iquique has a reputation as being one of the best places in South America to do it. Once the pilot got the parachute under control, he called out for me to walk and then run until I'm sprinting towards the ledge. Just when there's no more ground to run on, the chute picked us up and we were off! I'm pretty sure I was still doing the running man for a bit even after we were in the air. Once we're up, it was time to sit back and enjoy the amazing views of the city. While most of the air time we're gliding about smoothly like a baby in a bassinet, we do follow thermal wind currents which can take us in circular patterns. I didn't get motion sick at all, but I can see how some would with the circular motions. Towards the end of the ride, the pilot did some acrobatic twists and twirls which brought me back to my Six Flags Great America days. We landed on the beach with a less than graceful finish, not surprisingly.

Ready for action!

Running off a cliff. Everyone was doing it. 

This girl gives paragliding 2 thumbs up!

2. The people! After spending 3 weeks with a family in Arica (don't get me wrong, I liked it), it was nice to hang out with other travelers my age again. The hostel had a pool table, table tennis, an epic playlist, and several balconies with ocean views which set the scene for socializing. The hostel seemed to be overtaken by Australians but with the regular smattering of Europeans and a few Americans. One sweet Aussie, knowing where I was headed and knowing how cold it was going to be, even lent me his llama fur jacket for my upcoming trip to Bolivia!

3. Sushi! I've been seeing sushi a lot lately but haven't tried any yet since I consider that to be a sharing type meal. We had a few rolls and salmon sashimi which was obviously very fresh-yum!

On Monday, a New Zealander and I discovered we were both heading to San Pedro in the Atacama Desert so we set out together, taking an 8 hour overnight bus to Calama and another 2 hour bus ride to San Pedro. San Pedro is a small village, mostly just tourist agencies and restaurants along the main drag. Just two days ago, San Pedro got a foot of snow and not all of it had melted yet. (P.S. Is it supposed to snow in a desert?)

Main street in San Pedro

That afternoon, fueled on pancakes and good coffee, the New Zealander and I hit some of the local sights. First, we went to Valle de Luna (Valley of the Moon). We hiked up huge sand dunes to get a 360 degree view of the national park. Even though it was late afternoon, the sun was still fierce. (See, I do know what a desert is like.)

Next, we went to Tres Marias, a 3 pronged stone structure that they say looks like Mary in different poses. Finally, we went to Valle de la Muerte (Valley of the Dead) where we watched the sun set and the mountains change all different colors proving that God truly is the ultimate painter.

Yes, that's snow. 

On Wednesday I went swimming in Laguna Cejar which is 40% salt content so you despite your best efforts, you just float at all times. (The Dead Sea is 30-35% salt.) The water was "refreshing" to say the least but completely worth it. Afterwards, you are caked in salt so a shower is a must.

All this could be yours for 3 easy payments.

Just floating...

Typical Wednesday.

Our tour continued on to Ojos de Salar, two round bodies of water next to each other like two eyes. No one is exactly sure how these were formed, perhaps by indigenous people looking for water, entrepreneurs looking for oil, or just maybe even an alien invasion! These little lakes were much less salty but also much colder. For some reason I was the only person out of the whole group who was brave (read: stupid) enough to swim here but as soon as I jumped in, I understood why. Brr. But hey, when in Rome!

No, I'm not wearing pants.

Our last stop was Tebinquiche where we watched the sun set and the mountains change colors. The mountains reflecting in the 10cm of water in the forefront made for an amazing sight! We capped it off with a pisco sour (okay, two) and headed back to San Pedro.

Snow on the mountains, salt in the foreground.

I'll cheers to that!

I had an incredible last week here in Chile, so much so that, despite the cold, I almost don't want to leave. But Bolivia calls! On Thursday I relaxed in San Pedro, resting and mentally preparing for what's next. Friday morning I head out on a 3 day, 2 night 4WD trip to the salt flats in Uyunia, Bolivia. Most say that the trip is almost as difficult as it is breathtaking with the rustic conditions, high altitude, and bitter cold but that it's all worth it. As always, I'll keep you posted on my travels as I see it.