The national drink of Chile, well Peru and Ecuador to for that matter too, but apparently it was first brewed in Chile. The grape growing region in Chile is in the Valle de Elqui so only an hour and a half from La Serena I caught the bus to the very small village of Pisco Elqui to see what its all about.

Call me crazy, but before I knew "Elqui" was spelled with a "qui", I thought it was Elke, a clear derivative of elk, so of course with a name like that you can imagine the activity of my salivary glands thinking I would be eating elk. But no sir, no elk in Pisco Elqui, only stars, possessed roosters and dogs, horses, enormous quantities of fresh...

I spent today in a town called Pisco Elqui. Setting off early to make a full day of it I ended up arriving before the shops and restaurants opened. Tours to Pisco Elqui are offered from La Serena and from Vicuna. I travelled to Piso from Vicuna and would recommend this as accommodation in Vicuna is cheap and the buses leaving to Piso are very fr...

Day Two - La Serena Today I awoke refreshed and packed to take the bus to La Serena. Gillian and David took me to the station wher I nervously allowed someone to help me with my bags. It was all I could do not to grab the bags myself, but instead I contented myself with watching them be put on and the scurrying to my seat by the window, ensuring...