So i saw the desert...

Trip Start Unknown

Trip End Ongoing

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Chile San pedro de atacama, Chile
Sunday, August 13, 2006

so i heard that san pedro de atacama was a backpackers paradise from more than one source. it was the truth, for sure. small little desert villiage where you can eat sushi, ride horses to ruins, and pretty much anything you could want. rolled in after ten hours on a bus from salta. not as bad as it sounds, but i am still banking on the overnighters. it was the first time i have had my shoes sprayed with pesticides, though. anyway. very cute little town, dirt roads and whitewashed buildings. the first two night i had to myself in this great hostel. it was perfect, my own kitchen, bathroom, and feather comforter. only because the bed in the room that i had booked fell through when i set my pack on it. but they were very nice. that afternoon went into town and met alejandro at one of the tour offices (they are EVERYWHERE) and booked a tour for the valley of the moon the next afternoon. ended up having drinks with him that evening, very nice fellow indeed. the next morning i went to the museum, which is very well done and just checked out the town for the rest of the day

main street in san pedro

. that afternoon on the tour i met russelle, a really nice chick from chapel hill. we got invited to a party (which never happened) the next night, so i changed my ticket and arranged to bunk with her for an extra night. that evening had dinner with her, a spaniard, an argentinian, a chillena, and a girl from italy. very good food and company. went out for drinks and watched the stupid drunk american be obnoxious to everyone. rather amusing. spent the next morning biking to the atacama ruins outside of the town. that was INCREDIBLE. huge site, and the consolidation was very well done. but i have alot of respect for the people who built it and those who dug it. crazy dry heat. did find out that there is now an ATM in san pedro, but it doesn�t take visa, only mastercard, which gave me a fit untill i found out what was going on. the only time i�m happy about the extra cards. anyway, sitting in a mall in calama waiting for my connection to arica. then it�s on to peru...