The place we stayed the second night was nicer than our first night in San Pedro, but only a little more expensive.
There was some small group of people that seemed to be celebrating Carnival that night.
Showing posts with label San Pedro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Pedro. Show all posts
Sunday, November 25, 2007
San Pedro 2
Having been delayed by the snow we had just enough time to find a room for the night back in San Pedro, arrange for a tour of the Geysers the next day, and go out in search of some food.
The place we stayed the second night was nicer than our first night in San Pedro, but only a little more expensive.
There was some small group of people that seemed to be celebrating Carnival that night.
The place we stayed the second night was nicer than our first night in San Pedro, but only a little more expensive.
There was some small group of people that seemed to be celebrating Carnival that night.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Travelling to the Bolivian Border
One of the reasons we did not make it to Valle de la Muerte, was because we rented our bikes late in the afternoon. The reason we rented the bikes so late was because we spent time planning out trip to Bolivia. We got up early after one night in San Pedro de Atacama to start our Bolivian tour.
At the edge of the town of San Pedro you go through the Chilean immigration before driving an hour or so to the border. This immigration facility is a modern facility that you would expect to see at an airport with a staff of luggage handlers and x-ray machines, keep that in mind for when you see the Bolivian border station.
After seeing such aridness it was interesting to see peaks with snow and plants in the ground. These next few pictures were taken from the minibus that took us to the border.
We had made quite an elevation gain by this point as you can see in this picture.
Alpacas grazing.
We may not have settled into the Bolivian "Jeep" that would practically be our home for the next four days, but we were certainly already on a tour. The bus taking us to the border made a picture stop to enjoy the short-lived Chilean part of the tour.
Around this point I don't even remember seeing a sign but the bus turned off the pavement onto a parallel dirt road.
As we approached the Bolivian border I had to take a picture of it through the front windshield of the minibus, because I was so amazed by how ramshackle it was. I thought there would be some kind of fence and a facility similar to the one on the Chilean side, but nope. Welcome to Bolivia.
At the edge of the town of San Pedro you go through the Chilean immigration before driving an hour or so to the border. This immigration facility is a modern facility that you would expect to see at an airport with a staff of luggage handlers and x-ray machines, keep that in mind for when you see the Bolivian border station.
After seeing such aridness it was interesting to see peaks with snow and plants in the ground. These next few pictures were taken from the minibus that took us to the border.
We had made quite an elevation gain by this point as you can see in this picture.
Alpacas grazing.
We may not have settled into the Bolivian "Jeep" that would practically be our home for the next four days, but we were certainly already on a tour. The bus taking us to the border made a picture stop to enjoy the short-lived Chilean part of the tour.
Around this point I don't even remember seeing a sign but the bus turned off the pavement onto a parallel dirt road. 
As we approached the Bolivian border I had to take a picture of it through the front windshield of the minibus, because I was so amazed by how ramshackle it was. I thought there would be some kind of fence and a facility similar to the one on the Chilean side, but nope. Welcome to Bolivia.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Attempt at Valle De La Muerte
After exiting the Valle de la Luna, we made an attempt to go to Valle de la Muerte. We were told it was close and doable on a bike within the time frame in which we had rented our bikes. Now I believe this was just a sales pitch to get us to rent the bikes.
Coming back to the highway from the Valle de la Luna provided our first down hill cruise of the day as you can see in the next two photos.
Once we reached the highway again, the terrain was a different story. Although it was easier because it was pavement it was all uphill for as far as we could see.
The views from the side of the road were almost as cool as what we'd seen at the Valle de la Luna.
Going uphill...
Still heading uphill...
When does this hill end?
Just around the corner then we ought to be at the top, right?
Well by the time we got to what we thought was the top of the hill, we realized we weren't going to have enough time to make it to the Valle de la Muerte. The road continued to go up hill, so we just took some photos from here and returned back to town.
The down hill was so much fun, but I had to reign it in, because I easily escaped Sita by wide margins and she was scared that I was going to fast (I probably was, I think I probably came close to 50 or 60 mph). I stopped repeatedly to let Sita catch up. In the photo below I let her pass me and go on for some time, fully confident that I would catch up again. Hey, what can I say, it pays to be heavier then your riding partner on the downhill. I caught up without even pedaling. I couldn't pedal, I was going to fast.
The next few photos are of us coming back into town as the sun started to set.
Coming back to the highway from the Valle de la Luna provided our first down hill cruise of the day as you can see in the next two photos.
Once we reached the highway again, the terrain was a different story. Although it was easier because it was pavement it was all uphill for as far as we could see.
The views from the side of the road were almost as cool as what we'd seen at the Valle de la Luna.
Going uphill...
Still heading uphill...
When does this hill end?
Just around the corner then we ought to be at the top, right?
Well by the time we got to what we thought was the top of the hill, we realized we weren't going to have enough time to make it to the Valle de la Muerte. The road continued to go up hill, so we just took some photos from here and returned back to town.
The down hill was so much fun, but I had to reign it in, because I easily escaped Sita by wide margins and she was scared that I was going to fast (I probably was, I think I probably came close to 50 or 60 mph). I stopped repeatedly to let Sita catch up. In the photo below I let her pass me and go on for some time, fully confident that I would catch up again. Hey, what can I say, it pays to be heavier then your riding partner on the downhill. I caught up without even pedaling. I couldn't pedal, I was going to fast.
The next few photos are of us coming back into town as the sun started to set.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Riding to the moon! or Riding into ...death?
The first day we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama we didn't have enough time to arrange a tour to the Valle de la Luna, the Valle de la Muerte and to Bolivia. I really wanted to go to Bolivia, so we spent some time arranging our trip to Bolivia. While we were getting the details about the Bolivia tour the last tour to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) left. We had been told that you could bike to both the Valley de la Muerte (Valley of Death) and Valle de la Luna. So we rented some bikes and set out.
It had been a while since I had been on a bike but it felt really good to be back on one. So I immediately moved into riding with one hand while turning my body around and taking pictures. That's how I eneded up with the following two pictures of Sita.
On the way out of town you pass over a bridge, under which a stream runs. This creates a really green area which, given the surroundings, is compelling. It also happened to be cloudy that day (it didn't rain, though) which gives the impression that this view could possibly have been created naturally... That is, until you see the pictures after the following two.
This picture was only a few hundred feet from the last two. I'm trying to interepret the directions to the Valle de la Muerte.
Riding to the Valle de la Muerte.
Sita is actually in this photo can you see her?
The entrance to the Valle from the main highway, you can see Sita on the bike and other's touring on horses.
A picture of the highway we would face after visiting the Valle de la Muerte.
The road into the Valle, looked prett cool.
It was dry and we got so thristy so often that I had to pull the larger bottle out of my backpack and use it to fill up the smaller one that I kept in my more accessible pocket.
Almost at the Valle...
It had been a while since I had been on a bike but it felt really good to be back on one. So I immediately moved into riding with one hand while turning my body around and taking pictures. That's how I eneded up with the following two pictures of Sita.
On the way out of town you pass over a bridge, under which a stream runs. This creates a really green area which, given the surroundings, is compelling. It also happened to be cloudy that day (it didn't rain, though) which gives the impression that this view could possibly have been created naturally... That is, until you see the pictures after the following two.
This picture was only a few hundred feet from the last two. I'm trying to interepret the directions to the Valle de la Muerte.
Riding to the Valle de la Muerte.
Sita is actually in this photo can you see her?
The entrance to the Valle from the main highway, you can see Sita on the bike and other's touring on horses.
A picture of the highway we would face after visiting the Valle de la Muerte.
The road into the Valle, looked prett cool.
It was dry and we got so thristy so often that I had to pull the larger bottle out of my backpack and use it to fill up the smaller one that I kept in my more accessible pocket.
Almost at the Valle...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
San Pedro de Atacama
The town of San Pedro is an interesting place. There are paved roads leading up to it and leaving it in all directions, but in the town itself, all of the roads are dirt. This leads one to the conclusion that it was done on purpose. Certainly, San Pedro would not exist in it's current form if it were not for tourism. We were told to expect steep prices and an abundance of Europeans. This is exactly what we encountered. You can't get a meal for less than the equivalent of ten dollars (often more), but they actually know what it means to be vegetarian, thanks to the tourists.
If you happen to find a North American, they're more likely to be Canadian. The Germans seemed to dominate the European population, and there seemed to be more Brazilians than Chilean tourists, but there was also numerous Israelis (just as in the south). All of the tourists speak English though.
One more note, don't just bring lot's of money and sun screen to San Pedro and think you'll be alright. Bring lots of money in Chilean pesos and if you think you're going to go to Bolivia get Bolivianos (the currency of Bolivia) before arriving in San Pedro. Before we left to Bolivia we had to get some Bolivianos and we got about half as many as we should have. I can only imagine its the same from dollars to Chilean Pesos. So instead of $10 meals expect to pay $15-$20.
Most of the buildings are adobe (a good use of local resources wouldn't you say?)।
Most of the streets near the center are crowded with backpackers and bicyclists all day long, with hardly any vehicle traffic।
If you want to add security to your place just grow briars on top of your adobe wall or implant dead briars।
The repair work doesn't look too difficult.
We arrived at the end of one street and didn't expect to see this! This green field is in such stark contrast to everything surrounding it that it almost mesmerizes you। A horse was kept in this field.
This is the room we stayed in. Lodging is fairly inexpensive compared to the US. But considering in the US you can get a clean single room at a motel 6 with a private bathroom, a tv and free internet for as little as $35, you may be disappointed to spend $20 to $30 on the room below even if it accomodates two people.
This is the outside of the room।
This is the courtyard of the place we stayed. It doesn't look all that attractive yet, people managed to keep it filled with drunken noisiness the whole night.
We were lucky to have one of the shared bathrooms right next to our room।
I was so impressed with how clean the interior of the bathroom was compared to the dinginess of the room that I took the following 3 pictures।
I took this picture the morning after our first day in San Pedro। You can see the sun coming up. At this hour the town is so quite; you only hear the noise of the shuttle buses driving around picking up people to go on tours. That's what we were waiting for (a shuttle to take us to the Bolivian border).
If you happen to find a North American, they're more likely to be Canadian. The Germans seemed to dominate the European population, and there seemed to be more Brazilians than Chilean tourists, but there was also numerous Israelis (just as in the south). All of the tourists speak English though.
One more note, don't just bring lot's of money and sun screen to San Pedro and think you'll be alright. Bring lots of money in Chilean pesos and if you think you're going to go to Bolivia get Bolivianos (the currency of Bolivia) before arriving in San Pedro. Before we left to Bolivia we had to get some Bolivianos and we got about half as many as we should have. I can only imagine its the same from dollars to Chilean Pesos. So instead of $10 meals expect to pay $15-$20.
Most of the buildings are adobe (a good use of local resources wouldn't you say?)।
Most of the streets near the center are crowded with backpackers and bicyclists all day long, with hardly any vehicle traffic।
If you want to add security to your place just grow briars on top of your adobe wall or implant dead briars।
The repair work doesn't look too difficult.
We arrived at the end of one street and didn't expect to see this! This green field is in such stark contrast to everything surrounding it that it almost mesmerizes you। A horse was kept in this field.
This is the room we stayed in. Lodging is fairly inexpensive compared to the US. But considering in the US you can get a clean single room at a motel 6 with a private bathroom, a tv and free internet for as little as $35, you may be disappointed to spend $20 to $30 on the room below even if it accomodates two people.
This is the outside of the room।
This is the courtyard of the place we stayed. It doesn't look all that attractive yet, people managed to keep it filled with drunken noisiness the whole night.
We were lucky to have one of the shared bathrooms right next to our room।
I was so impressed with how clean the interior of the bathroom was compared to the dinginess of the room that I took the following 3 pictures।
I took this picture the morning after our first day in San Pedro। You can see the sun coming up. At this hour the town is so quite; you only hear the noise of the shuttle buses driving around picking up people to go on tours. That's what we were waiting for (a shuttle to take us to the Bolivian border).
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