San Pedro de Atacama

Last weekend I travelled about 305km north of Antofagasta to a small rural village named San Pedro de Atacama located in Chile’s II region. Numerous colleagues and friends had spoken highly of San Pedro’s rustic charm and stunning landscapes, so I was eager to explore this tourist hot spot myself. 

Arriving at San Pedro at night, it was immediately apparent that it was a very different settlement to Antofagasta; the small town is much more Spanish- Indian looking as it was the former centre of the Atacama (Pre-Columbian) culture. The town’s architecture is very attractive, with its low set buildings made of stone, mud and wood, as you walk along San Pedro’s dusty and shady streets you can appreciate the town’s distinct history and heritage. It is a very special town as it is described as the archeological capital of Chile, filled with immense geographical variety and beauty. As I walked along the streets hearing English, French and German being spoken, it soon became evident that San Pedro is a very popular tourist destination.

Despite spending only the weekend in San Pedro we still managed to fill a lot in, on the first day we took a tour to “Laguna Cejar”, with a 40% salt content, the lagoon produces a floating effect similar to the Dead Sea. With an amazing backdrop including the Andes and numerous volcanoes (such as Licancabur, Lascar and Corona) swimming in the lagoon was a unique and breathtaking experience.  To get rid of all the salt stuck to our bodies, out next stop was a fresh water lagoon, where you had to either dive or jump a significant distance into the water. Although some group members (including myself!) were a little reluctant to take the plunge so to speak, we soon all plucked up the courage and really enjoyed ourselves! Our next stop was Laguna Tebinquinche, one of my favourite spots, a beautiful salt plain which you can walk across. Being the final stop of the day, the group enjoyed a Pisco sour (Chilean cocktail) together while watching el atardecer (sunset).

The next day was an extremely early start, 4am to be exact! This was because our first stop was “Los Geisers del Tatio”, the largest geysers(hot springs) in the world. The best water manifestations are seen before sunrise and at an altitude of 4200 meters, the temperature was  below freezing, minus five degrees centigrade.  To warm up, we enjoyed a cup of hot coffee and breakfast while watching the geysers generate steam, they also produced a strong odor of sulphur. Set against the barren hills of the dessert, the outpouring of steam by the geysers was particularly striking.

Feeling very cold, we were delighted to find out our next step was a 38 degree thermal pool! This was a very luxurious and invigorating experience, and was particular popular among the tourists. 

We then travelled to a little indigenous village with a beautiful blue and white church at the top of a hill. A community of perhaps only 20 houses surrounded by the hills of the dessert, this town relies heavily on tourists coming to buy handicrafts. With its very few houses and nearby fields filled with grazing lamas and alpacas, there is a great sense of serenity there.

We were then fortunate enough to witness a group of flamingos on one of the many salt lakes. This region is popular with this type of bird as they come to the salt lakes to find food.  

Our final adventure was a desert walk where we saw giant cacti and waterfalls; this was a wonderful experience as it highlighted the immense geographical diversity of this region. 

 Walking along, we realized that in just one morning we had experienced such a range of temperatures and scenery. With its volcanoes, San Pedro is an area of great mineral wealth and it is for this reason that it boasts such breathtaking and contrasting views.

La Capital, La costa y las Celebraciones especiales ( The Capital, The Coast and Special Celebrations)

To celebrate my twenty-first birthday I travelled nearly 700 miles south to the capital of Chile, Santiago. Although I had arrived in Santiago Airport when I came to Chile in August I did not have time to explore the city so this was my real experience of el capital. Having been living in the Atacama Desert for the past two and a half months I had grown accustomed to the brown, dusty and barren landscape of Antofagasta. They say that Chile, the long, thin country is a country of contrasts and with the few trips that I have made; I can already confirm this belief. Strolling along Santiago’s wide boulevards, surrounded by nature I realised how much I had missed being amongst greenery, something that Antofagasta unfortunately lacks.

I came to Santiago to celebrate my birthday with Gerrie and Ania, my two very good friends from Bath University. On my first evening we hopped on the metro and ventured to a famous bar called “La Piojera” a symbol of “el pueblo” (the people) and el “espíritu republicano” (Republican spirit).  The speciality of this rugged yet cheerful establishment is the notorious “terremoto”, a drink named “the earthquake”. This is a drink made entirely of white wine called “Vino Pipeno” embellished with a scoop of pinapple ice cream on top. All I can say is that is “¡no se llama el terremoto para nada! (It’s not called an “earthquake” for nothing!) It is extremely strong, but everyone should give it a try, it is part of the culture after all!  The next day was my birthday, we enjoyed a spot of sightseeing in the afternoon, browsing around the “Plaza de armas” (Square of armoury) the Cathedral and the various art stalls around the square. Then in the evening, we celebrated in “discoteca caramel” where we danced to night away, boogying to mix of old school pop, including my personal favourite, the Spice Girls and of course South America’s beloved “Reggaeton” (latin urban music).  

During my trip to Santiago my friends and I made an evening visit to “Cerro San Cristobal” with the objective to watch the sun set. With a 22 meter statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at its peak, San Cristobal Hill is a beautiful tourist attraction offering splendid views of the capital.  It is also a park, filled with flowers and candles creating a very tranquil and reflective atmosphere there is also a small chapel where we saw a young couple being wed. To ascend the mountain it is most common to use the funicular which we did, and after watching a stunning sunset while drinking mote (a typical syrupy Chilean drink) we were ready to go back down the mountain. But being typically Chilean, we had lost track of time while enjoying our exquisite sunset and we soon realised that the funicular had stopped running which meant we had to walk down this 880 meter hill which took us over an hour and a half in the dark! Being in the Halloween spirit we decided to pass the time recounting spooky tales in the dark which I half loved/ hated! Nevertheless we made it to the bottom of the hill in one piece and I’m sure we will all be more careful to keep track of time!

The next day, Gerrie, Ania and I decided to make a day trip to Valparaiso, a historical sea port and stunning city just a few hours bus ride from Santiago. After reading Isabelle Allende’s novel “Daughter of Fortune” which is set in Valparaiso and recently watching a ballet and music performance in Antofagasta called “Valpariaso Waltz”, I was eager to see this artistic and bohemian city for myself.  The ballet performance was particularly intriguing as it recounted the passionate and tragic love tales between sailors and inhabitants of this old and magical city.  Valparaiso made a real impression on me, filled with colour and vibrancy; it is nicknamed the “Jewel of the Pacific”. This World Heritage Site is often described as Chile’s cultural centre, a statement which is not hard to believe. With its jumbled arrangement of pastel houses all built on top of one another the city is filled with immense charm.  Valparaiso is a city of art and creativity, I have never witnessed so much art in one place before, and nearly every wall has been covered in some sort of bright and dazzling design or has a quotation by a famous artist, for example Federico Garica Lorca.  Moreover, Valparaiso is home to “La Sebastiana,” Pablo Neruda’s home by the coast which is now a museum open to the public. Valparaiso is just one of those places which inspire creativity; just going there makes you want to become an artist!

My few days down south to Santiago and Valparaiso were very memorable for me, not only because I was able to celebrate my 21^st birthday with two very close friends but also because it was my first experience of the country apart from Antofagasta which made me realise how varied Chile is, in terms of both geography and at times culture. This trip has inspired me to carry on with my travels and to make the most of what Chile has to offer.    

Dos Meses, Dos hitos memorables. ( Two months, Two historic Landmarks)

Having arrived in Antofagasta (Chile’s second region, situated in the far north) in late August, I have been fortunate enough to witness two momentous events in Chilean history. The first being “El Bicentenario” celebrated on the 18^th September 2010 which commemorated Chile’s  200^th anniversary as an independent country liberated from Spanish colonial rule. With a four day national holiday, the whole country was in an elated period of festivity. In Antofagasta, we enjoyed plenty of “asados” (barbeques), special stalls were set up in various parts of the city selling traditional Chilean food and drink, for example “Empanadas (sort of like a Cornish pasties but come with a range of fillings) and “Chicha” ( an alcoholic drink made from fermented maize) this is delicious but particularly potent- “tener cuidado” ( be careful!). Dancing is a vital part of the celebrations, the “Cueca”, Chile’s national folkloric dance is enjoyed by all. Chileans, unlike the English aren’t reluctant to get on the dance floor; the difficult part is getting them off! Another popular activity for children is kite flying. If you happened to walk past the coast during this celebratory period, you would see the skies filled with “cometas” (Chilean word for Kite) soaring high above, in a range of beautiful colours and designs.

 That brings me on to my next point- the language! A major shock for me when I first arrived was the amount of Chilean slang used. Although Chileans will understand a particular word or phrase in Spanish they will also have their own Chilean equivalent. For example, “¿Entiendes? In Castilian Spanish means “do you understand?” However in Chile, they would say “¿Cachai?” They both mean the same thing but are just completely different words! For anyone thinking of coming to Chile “¿Cachai?”  is probably one of the most important phrases to learn as it often comes at the end of a sentence and generally means “do you get it?/ do you know what I mean?”. As time has passed I’ve become much more accustomed to “ los chilenismos” ( Chilean slang) and my confidence in speaking Spanish or perhaps “Chilean “ I should say has grown tremendously,  I’ve even stared using a few phrases myself!

The second major event and undoubtedly a major historical landmark was the extraordinary rescue of the “los treinta tres”, the 33 miners stuck underground for 70 days at the San Jose mine in the Atacama Desert. The success of the rescue mission sparked off celebrations around the world, but it of course held special importance for the Chilean people who had worked unremittingly to guarantee the men’s safety. The people of Antofagasta were especially sympathetic, we ourselves live in the Atacama desert and with mining as our main economic industry, everyone in some way is connected to the mines. My very own housemate’s father works in a mine; she told me that she felt particularly emotional about the whole event as it could have been her father trapped underground. Apart from the obvious delight of saving the miners, the story of “los treinta tres” has finally put Chile on the world map, and quite rightly so. Just having been here for two months, the hardworking nature and determination of the Chilean people is clearly visible, as is their ability to come together during times of both national crisis and celebration. I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed these two momentous events.