Heaven and Hell!!
Trip Start
Dec 29, 2007
1
8
15
Trip End
Feb 17, 2008
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San Pedro de Atacama,
Chile
Saturday, January 12, 2008
We are currently in San Pedro, Chile, which is basically the Queenstown of Chile, and is the place we are leaving for our 2night, 3day tour across salt flats and all sorts of crazy landscape, to end up in Bolivia.
To update you on our recent adventures - after leaving the amazing Elqui valley we headed for the resort town of Bahia Inglesa (English Bay), where the landscape abruptly changed and we suddenly hit the desert. We arrived off the bus late that night, and decided to spend the night in the adjacent town of Caldera - the lonely planet seemed to think it was ok. Unfortunately the LP was very wrong...!! and the place was a decrepid old fishing village, and the accomodation enough to cry at - well i just about did, after being shown rooms worse than you could imagine for 20 US dollars. Being the more sophisticated traveller now, i demanded guy take me to most expensive hotel in town - which was óverpriced and average, trying to be something it really wasnt - upmarket! However the town accomodation made up for it with it´s amazing seafood platters (see photo!).
We eventually found our way to the Bahia Inglesa resort the next morning (early!), and found the most amazing camp site, staying in A frame cabins a stones throw from the beach. We spent the next few days swimming, sunbathing (all the hard things about travelling) and of course being adopted by a stray pack of dogs that lived at the campsite.
Attempting to swim with my dog pack posse
For some reason (we swear its because they sensed we´re animal lovers!), this pack of 4 dogs did not leave our sides the whole time we were residing at the campsite. They sat outside our cabin at night at the door and barked at passers by, they followed us to the toilet, shower and dishwashing, they even followed us to the beach on the last day and attempted to huddle under our umbrella - which we were not having. The worst of it was when i went for a swim on the crowded beach, and they ALL followed me in to the water, then around on to the rocks to keep as close as poss! It was so embarassing, and I had to make a quick exit from the water to stop people thinking i was some weird dog lady!So we moved on after two days of beach bliss, only to enter the next 2 days of hell!! We caught an overnight bus to San Pedro - a kid puked down guys seat and on the last leg of the bus ride i developed a stomach bug (yes - i did the big travel no no and drunk the water at the campsite!! the owner said it was safe, but not safe enough for my delicate stomach) this was not helped by the toilets being closed for the last hour of the bus journy. So we got to the hostel in San Pedro early the next morning, thank god with no little accidents, whereby Guy discovered his ankles had swollen up to something resembling melons! Thus the day was spent with me in the toilets and feeling drained, and Guy with his feet elevated in our room. The day even included a quick stop at the local hospital to make sure his ankles werent´delayed DVT symptoms... no - just a bad case of sunburn - yes, we broke golden travel rule number two - wear ample sunblock whilst sunning yourself at foreign beach resorts!
So it´s day 2 in San Pedro and we´ve had a 12 hour sleep - Guys feet have gone down, and my stomach is back to normal, so it´s all good! We are off to book our tour, and a few other side adventures to keep us busy until we depart on monday!
x
Comments
Typical
Guy is always ill/sick/injured after big days out!
Things can only get better
Sounds like a low point of the travels, but at least its out the way now and I am sure that things will return back to as well as they have been doing up till now.
Chin up ! Its ture what they say that you learn something new every day and I am sure that cream will be used accordingly in the future and no dirty local water will pass your lips again.