South American desert dreams

Dia 21 del proyecto, 
Entre San Pedro de Atacama y Valparaiso, Chile

Many people consider deserts to be barren and boring. Lifeless with strange plants and few visible animals. It is easy to dismiss, especially in northern Chile, the landscape as such. But to do so would be to miss some of the most spectacular terrain on this planet.

The Atacama desert is enormous--it spans about a third of northern Chile, a decent chunk of northwestern Argentina, most of Bolivia and all of southern Peru. It is the driest desert on earth, with many places never recording rainfall in the history of (western) civilization. The ground ranges from the peaks of the Andes to the altiplano, or high plane, to enormous sand dunes. Vegetation can be standard cactus to clumps of indigenous grasses designed to withstand the incredibly dry conditions.

In spite of the dryness, the Atacama is a geologist's dream. Salt is prevalent in nearly every area; crystals form in various patterns from traditional salt pans to fields that look like the top of an apple crumble. Lithium, copper and nitrates are also found in huge quantities and are mined by all four countries. Volcanoes dot the mountain-scape, with the active ones occasionally sending up a puff of gas as a reminder of their presence.

San Pedro has become Chile's tourist outpost in the Atacama. The town lives and dies based largely on visitors who either come to see the local attractions or to pass through on a tour of the Bolivian salt flats. Not wanting to deal with the ongoing labor strikes (not to mention the ludicrous $135USD visa fees and even colder temperatures), I skipped a trek to Ullumi and stick with day trips into the national parks.

It was a great decision. My first foray outside of town was a trip to Valle de la Luna at sunset. I was extremely lucky--our guide was passionate about deserts and very well educated on the park. He explained about the formation of the valley, the salt content (three different types) and the human history of the area. We hiked through a small underground cave, revealing how the small amount of water moves through the desert. At sunset, the colors that reflected on the Andes as the sun went down were indescribably beautiful.

The second tour was to Laguna Altiplano. These small and briny lagoons are the breeding grounds for three different types of flamingos. Unfortunately, it is the middle of winter and most of the majestic pink birds had gone north for warmth. I don't blame them; as soon as the sun went down, temperatures plunged to -18 Celsius (or 0 degrees Fahrenheit).

Tour number three was the most spectacular. The absence of civilization, virtually no rain clouds and the high altitude make the Atacama desert one of the best places for star gazing, and an international collaboration of astronomers have set up huge telescopes accordingly. A French-Canadian couple moved to the area to participate in the research and, on the side, opened a private tour company. Just looking with the naked eye, I saw more of the Milky Way than I have in my entire life. Shooting stars every fifteen minutes or so. Looking through the telescopes, a clear picture of Saturn and its rings; a dead star with its gas cloud spewing outward; a "jewel box" of stars at different temperature; a star being born. It was a beautiful, humbling reminder of the universe's vast expanse.

The final tour was to the Tatio geysers at 4am. It is the highest geyser field in the world, and the third largest after Yellowstone National Park and another place in Russia. While impressive, I admit I had been spoiled by Yellowstone. I was also unbelievably cold; despite wearing two pairs of wool socks and heavy boots, I lost feeling in my toes about 20 minutes into the walk.

As I head down the highway on a 25-hour bus ride, its clear the huge detour into the middle of nowhere was worth it. San Pedro presented a glimpse of the Atacama, a tasting of the simultaneously subtle and brazen beauty of a desert.