Chile's last stop is the atacama desert town of San Pedro, the driest place in the world and one of the best places for stargazing. The Atacama Desert is located in eastern Chile, close to Bolivia and Peru. It has the closest natural environment on Earth to Mars, and the soil is barren and highly acidic, even bacteria cannot survive with it. And this barren desert is inhabited by nearly a million people. The whole town is not big, and it takes about half an hour or so to go around in a circle. Tourists here are mainly for the attractions around it, so the town's travel agencies offer a variety of itineraries, including stargazing, visits to Moon Valley/Death Valley, highland lakes, geysers... Wait.
I targeted stargazing and the Valley of the Moon. Originally, my idea was to go to the stars on the night of arrival, and then participate in the half-day tour of the Valley of the Moon the next day, and we just happened to encounter the full moon, and the stargazing cluster would not open for a few days before and after the full moon, so I had to comfort myself that at least in the sky mirror I had seen the most dreamy starry sky in my life.
Therefore, in the end, we only went to The Valley of the Moon and the Valley of Death, and spent the rest of the time in the hotel, or wandered around the street, but this arrangement was actually quite good, and we could take the opportunity to give ourselves a good rest.
There are no asphalt roads in the entire town of Atacama, and it is dusty at any time, which may also be a feature of the town. We ate the soil here for two whole days, friends who are prone to allergies, please remember to wear a mask or face shield.
Compared with Peru and Bolivia, the atacama Desert has an average altitude of only 610 meters, and the climate is much warmer, and it can even be said that it is a little hot during the day. Here I feel very much like a resort for Europeans and Americans, walking on the road, from time to time I can see tourists wearing sunglasses, wearing short-sleeved shorts, a leisurely party, before seeing people in other attractions are looking like they are going to climb a mountain, or wrapped in thick down jackets, I think, everyone should come to this desert town to rest.
The road of the whole town is checkerboard-like, and the range is not large, and the average person will be familiar with it after walking two or three times. Like several cities we've been to, in addition to the must-have travel agencies for attractions, the town also has barters, grocery stores, souvenir shops, meals, etc. Compared with Peru and Bolivia, it is obvious that the price of prices in Chile is relatively high, so it is still recommended that when you are in Peru, you will buy souvenirs at once, the same things, here it is twice as expensive as Cusco and it is not easy to bargain.
During the day, the town of Atacama is sparsely populated with tourists on the street, but at night it is much lively, as if it is a city that never sleeps, and deafening music can be heard outside in the middle of the night. In terms of security, from time to time you can see the police patrolling, and even after eight or nine o'clock in the evening, there are still many tourists on the streets eating and shopping, so there is no need to worry too much.
The Chilean flag is hung everywhere in town, and it is very beautiful to fly in the wind. The color collision of desert style has a different style, and the color of the town is also very photogenic.
I think South America is really animal-friendly place, at least in the few cities we've been to. It may be that the weather in the desert is too hot, even the dogs are drowsy, no matter where they go, they can see the puppies lying on the side of the street, and the sleeping position is more interesting than one, and they are envious that they can sleep on the floor so relaxed.
The first meal we had here was La Casona recommended by the hostel staff and the only restaurant where we ate better, and it wasn't cheap at the price point.
There is a piano in the restaurant and there is live music for dinner.
The appetizer, the rustle sauce is sour and spicy, and the spices suspected of being coriander are added, which is very appetizing, but it is not suitable for people who are afraid of coriander.
La Casona's meals are on the large side, and if you're not very hungry, it's recommended that you order a staple food for two people and add some side dishes. We order a meal for each of us, and in the end it's a bit wasteful that two people can't finish eating.
On the evening of the first day here, after signing up for the next day's Moon Valley trip to the travel agency, we began to walk randomly, unconsciously coming to the outskirts of the town, suddenly! Smelling the aroma of grilled meat, I knew that the hygiene of the roadside stall should not be too good, but I couldn't resist the temptation of aroma, so I risked diarrhea and bought a bunch of grilled meat.
Unexpectedly, this kebab was very tasty!!! It can be said that among the foods we have eaten in South America, the top few are the top ones, and the roadside stalls we have eaten in Cusco before are also delicious, all in all, if you come to South America, don't miss the roadside stalls!
Located in the very center of this mysterious desert, the small town of San Pedro is like a beating green heart, gathering tourists from all over the world to pass each other in the bustling crowds of the town.
I will continue to share the South American Spiritual Journey - 180 Days five countries in-depth tour series of articles, next: Chile's Moon Valley, Death Valley, unique geological wonders, like leaving the earth's surface. Stay tuned!