About 15 kilometers southwest of the small town of San Pedro de Atacama, there is the Valley of the Moon, known for its unique geological wonders, which has undergone a long period of weathering, thus forming a special terrain that looks somewhat similar to the surface of the moon, even if there is no money and no chance to travel to space, as long as you come to the Valley of the Moon, you can experience the feeling of walking on the moon. The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world, many places have not rained for hundreds of years, and the dry climate is similar to Mars, so scientists have also tested Mars rovers here!
After meeting at the designated place in the town at three o'clock in the afternoon, we took the bus of the travel agency to set off, about 20 people, in addition to some individual customers, there are a large group of elderly people from the United States, they do not understand Spanish like us, so from time to time we will hear them raise their hands and ask questions, ask the tour guide to explain the content just said in English again, and be able to meet people who do not speak Spanish like us, and they are inexplicably relieved.
The American aunt sitting next to us asked where we were from, and when she heard us say we were from China, she immediately said with a twinkle in her eye that she liked Hangzhou! She had traveled to Hangzhou a few years ago, so she left a good impression, and she also pointed to the side, saying that the clothes her family was wearing now were also bought at that time and were of good quality.
Look at this one rock, isn't it very much like a dinosaur head? The rocks of the Valley of the Moon come in all shapes, all of which have been formed by years of erosion by wind and water, and people can't help but marvel at the magic of nature.
The Moon Valley itinerary is not very tiring, although every attraction needs to walk a distance, but most of them are flat roads or deserts, the whole process is to relax listen to the guide introduction, see the scenery and take photos, you can easily complete this trip.
The white objects covered on the ground are salt layers
Although this trip is not difficult, it is very troublesome that the desert wind and sand are very large, and we completely forgot about it before departure, so that we not only ate soil in the town, but also continued to eat sand in the Moon Valley. If you don't want to be like me, be sure to prepare a mask or face shield.
The sun in the Atacama Desert is strong, so you need to prepare plenty of water, sunglasses, and sun protection. In addition, the wind and sand are strong here, and it is sometimes necessary to climb rocks to take photos, so it is not recommended to wear light-colored clothing or clothes that will be distressing if they are dirty.
I have always loved this endless desert landscape, and I hope to one day advance to the Sahara Desert and experience the feeling of spending the night in the desert.
If you want to see the Moon Valley from a different perspective, you can climb this small sand dune according to the route indicated by the guide, and look down from a high place to get a full view of the Moon Valley.
Immediately after, we came to Death Valley, which at first sounds a little scary, however, its name does not have much to do with death, according to legend, there was an explorer who came here before, and the locals introduced him to the name of Mars Valley, but because his Spanish is not very good, he misheard the place name of this place as Death Valley, and under the false rumors, this name has been used until now.
The geology here is rich in minerals, which is rich in rose gold and bronze. Standing here and looking around, accompanied by rolling yellow sand, is a whole of strange rocks formed by years of weathering and erosion, such a unique beauty, only in the Atacama Desert can be seen.
We're about to get on the bus in Less than half an hour at Death Valley, and in between, we'll head back to the entrance to Moon Valley for a short stop to go to the bathroom or buy water and cookies. The last stop of the Moon Valley itinerary is also the part I am most looking forward to, the tour bus will take us to the commanding heights to watch the sunset, the tour guide will return to the car after the sunset with everyone, and then it is free time to find a seat you like to enjoy the sunset.
The Valley of the Moon in the evening should be the most beautiful moment of the day, the original barren land is dyed with a whole piece of gold, and with the change of light and time, it adds red, orange, blue and purple tones, which is very romantic. However, it is very difficult to find a good view to enjoy the sunset, and the good seats have long been occupied, and I can only look at the backs of others and stare dryly.
I happened to encounter the full moon, and the Valley of the Moon, at the turn of day and night, was full of a mysterious magic, and I quickly took a few photos before reluctantly returning to the car.
My trip to Chile came to an end in the setting sun in the Valley of the Moon. These two weeks have been like a dream,
There are so many attractions to explore, in addition to the unique cultural scenery, there are also animals I love, and this time I saw alpacas and flamingos.