April 2013
2013 has not been very exciting as far as our leisure trips are concerned. We just didn't have enough time to plan a holiday. The year is almost coming to an end and I don't see anything changing. We managed to escape to San Pedro de Atacama in April and that stands as the only highlight of the year. Ofcourse I did go to Oxford, UK a number of times but those don't count as holidays.
This was our first trip to the North of Chile which is known for its perspicuously different flora and fauna from the south. The village of San Pedro is small and pretty but there is not much to do in the village itself. I
was impressed with the eating options available in this village. In general the food was very good; very unlike Vina del Mar!
Most tourists use San Pedro as a base to venture out into places like Laguna Altiplanico, the Geysers and the Moon valley. The trip to the Geysers is probably the most popular, starting at around 4 in the morning. Tourists are expected to combat below freezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of the smoke coming out of the geysers precisely before sunrise. We didn't enjoy it much but we weren't the majority. The Moon Valley also seems to be a popular touristy thing to do. With the afternoon sun burning down your neck, it is really not enjoyable. Having said that, sunset is the right time to visit the Moon Valley to capture breathtaking views of the moon against the back drop of the famous lunar type surface (hence the name Moon Valley).
Then there was the astronomical tour provided by STAR Space Tours. This is absolutely recommended for every visitor to San Pedro. Incidentally, the famous ALMA telescope is located in Atacama. The highlight of our trip was the visit to Laguna Altiplanico. These lakes are at an altitude but we got rewarded with some beautiful views. This is probably one place where we would have liked to spend more time.
This last photo above is one of my favourites.
That was all about San Pedro de Atacama. I really hope that 2014 is more exciting, atleast as much as 2012 was. We are going to start the year with a bang so watch out for this space!
2013 has not been very exciting as far as our leisure trips are concerned. We just didn't have enough time to plan a holiday. The year is almost coming to an end and I don't see anything changing. We managed to escape to San Pedro de Atacama in April and that stands as the only highlight of the year. Ofcourse I did go to Oxford, UK a number of times but those don't count as holidays.
This was our first trip to the North of Chile which is known for its perspicuously different flora and fauna from the south. The village of San Pedro is small and pretty but there is not much to do in the village itself. I
Most tourists use San Pedro as a base to venture out into places like Laguna Altiplanico, the Geysers and the Moon valley. The trip to the Geysers is probably the most popular, starting at around 4 in the morning. Tourists are expected to combat below freezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of the smoke coming out of the geysers precisely before sunrise. We didn't enjoy it much but we weren't the majority. The Moon Valley also seems to be a popular touristy thing to do. With the afternoon sun burning down your neck, it is really not enjoyable. Having said that, sunset is the right time to visit the Moon Valley to capture breathtaking views of the moon against the back drop of the famous lunar type surface (hence the name Moon Valley).
Then there was the astronomical tour provided by STAR Space Tours. This is absolutely recommended for every visitor to San Pedro. Incidentally, the famous ALMA telescope is located in Atacama. The highlight of our trip was the visit to Laguna Altiplanico. These lakes are at an altitude but we got rewarded with some beautiful views. This is probably one place where we would have liked to spend more time.
This last photo above is one of my favourites.
That was all about San Pedro de Atacama. I really hope that 2014 is more exciting, atleast as much as 2012 was. We are going to start the year with a bang so watch out for this space!
