South America 11.7.04 Atacama Desert & Misc.
Writing from San Pedro de Atacama, Argentina. Nice, warm and dry. Dry is the understatement. San Pedro has never had any recorded rain fall. The rainy season in this desert area is Jan. through April. In a good year they get 4 rain days, each rain lasting 20 to 90 minutes. This is a dry year, only 2 rain days so far.
What a very interesting and strange place. At times and in certain locations you can look in every direction and not see a single plant -- dead or alive. Just emptiness.
The afternoon of our arrival we took a trip to Valley of the Moon to watch the sunset. The landscape is just like the moon without meteor craters. New type of walking to add to our list: sand dune hiking. As if it isn't bad enough that you are at 11 or 12,000 feet but to really see, feel, and enjoy the sunset you should hike up a minimum of 500 feet -- all sand dune and preferably 600 to 700 feet with a few feet of rock to climb and the remainder all sand. When hiking up sand I do not know what hurts more: the lungs grasping for breath, your face from the blowing sand, your ears from the chill in the air, or your legs which are doing all the work. Would I do it again -- without hesitation.
Our guide took us to 2 places off the normal tour. A cave with an entrance and exit. Cool but not damp. Tight squeezes, low ceilings, and duck walking was the best way to move at times -- a lot of fun. Then after the sunset he took us into one of the canyons to hear the walls speak! Neither of us have ever heard of or heard a canyon wall speak before -- way cool! We were in a canyon, just the three of us, and you stand still and just listen to the walls. I think Nancy best described it when she said, It sounds like an old car radiator that is very hot and cooling off. Cracks, groans, etc. This one moment made the entire trip to the Atacama Desert worthwhile.
Next day was a van trip out to Salar De Atacama and The Flamingo Reserve. What a trip! The first stop is the Salar -- salt flats, and out in the middle of 2 foot high hard sand and salt monuments is a very shallow lake with flamingos, ducks, and several other types of birds. Not a plant in sight, just the strange wind shaped land, a lake and pink flamingos.
Nest stop is a small village and then up into the mountains. Oh yes, the trip starts at about 8,000 feet. Out next stop is below the twin lakes. To greet us at the park entrance was the park guard to take our money and a small fox to take any food we might drop. In the background is a smoking volcano, mountains for about 180 degrees including one that begins at the base of one lake and stops at over 18,000 feet, and in the opposite direction for another 180 degrees a voidless desert with snow covered peaks behind the desert. The water looks blue due to being shallow and therefore reflecting the sky.
We had a 90 minute hike. Of course, since we are back up higher than a person should be -- you hike up. We stopped on top of a ridge a little over 13,000 feet -- what a view, after I caught my breath!
Today was a rest day. Our guide picked us up at 9 for a trip out to the hot springs. Really not hot springs but a small stream with warm water with maybe a dozen pools to soak in. The stream is about 10 feet wide at its widest, maybe 3 feet deep, and both sides of the banks are densely covered by a pampas type grass -- gorgeous. Each pool is maybe 20 feet in diameter and the deepest pool did not come up to my chest. The water felt so great on our tired muscles. And this was sort of like a hot tub. What you do to get the feel of jetted water is back up to the two to three foot high water fall emptying into each pool. This falling water creates a jetted water feel. For more pressure, back up closer to the water and for less just step away from the water fall.
Commercialism: The world really is one place when it comes to business. I saw so many Bell South signs in Quito, Ecuador sometimes I thought the city's name was Bell South! Our favorite advertising was in Lima. Peru. We were driving on a subgrade freeway with grass on the slopes. And in sections of about 50 yards wide you would read the name of a company cut into the grass. Yes, Bell South was represented.
Coffee: Where is it. I have drank more Nescafe, instant coffee, in the last 4 months than in my entire life before South America. As Nancy has said more than once, I thought all great coffee came from South America and I was told coffee was the 3rd largest export of Ecuador. But we can remember each cup of real coffee. While I am on the subject, should you ever visit Pucon, Chile I know where you can get a bottomless cup of real brewed coffee -- it will not cost you much for this golden information.
Hiking: why is it every time that we hike or walk (in our case) to somewhere special, without crowds, and beautiful that about a mile from the return to the trail head I start wondering why there is no escalator or people mover.
Duality is big in South America: sun and moon, male and female, Inca steps in series of two, and my favorite -- the churches in the Atacama desert consist of two buildings: the steeple and the church. Two separate buildings, not one.
News: I am a news junkie. We have always taken at least 2 newspaper and sometimes 3. I have no idea how many magazines and I use to spend a minimum of 30 minutes on the internet reading news. In the last 4 months I realize I have a lot more time now that I do not spend an hour or more a day reading news. Have I missed anything.
Music: If you are our age and love the golden oldies -- South America is the place for you. I have heard Hotel California more in the last 4 months than in my entire life and I own the album. And you have not lived until you have heard it on Andean pipes! I have sworn to Nancy that if I ever hear a Rolling Stones number on Andean pipes I will cause a major disturbance. Yes, the Beatles is another favorite on the pipes.
Vegetables: Mom, do not have a heart attach, but even I have begin to wonder if vegetables grow in South America. Tonight a very nice restaurant. My grilled salmon was great and I had my choice of seven side dishes -- 6 different potatoes and one rice! Tomorrow night, my suggestion, we will eat again at our hotel -- a vegetarian restaurant.
Hiking: Why is it the higher you climb the better the view.
Why Americans do not travel: We get three weeks at best for vacation. You spend at least one with family because we do not live in the same place we grew up and that leaves a maximum of two weeks to travel. A German gets a minimum of six weeks and I think I am starting to learn German, French, and England English because these are the people we constantly run into.
Southern South America vs. Northern South America: Why the very big difference. You see the poor everywhere in Ecuador and Peru but everything changes when you are in Argentina and Chile -- there is a middle class and life is like the U.S. And the tourist infrastructure is in place, the food is great, the prices better, service is at least average (in comparison to the U.S.), and how can you have a meal with out wine at these prices.
Beef: There was a time that I thought the best meal in the world was a good steak. After 4 weeks in Argentina and a week in Chile, I am tired of not good steaks but great steaks. The last two nights we ordered an extra meal, felia minion steak, that we have sliced thin and take with us for the next days lunch while hiking!
Weight: Why is it the resort towns of the United States every other store is a tee shirt store but in Argentina and Chile it is a chocolate store. Yes, after losing 20 pounds I have put back on six based on airline baggage scales and believe me after all our walking I do not have an ounce of fat below my waist. And for those who know me well, my head can not hold any more fat.
Language: Today we took a tour with Klaus, the owner and Deter, a visiting German. It was great hearing two people talk who we did not understand but it was German not Spanish. They both knew a little more English than we knew Spanish. I actually translated for Deter the day before. He would talk in English to the tour directors who were Chileans but did not understand his English and they would talk to him in English that he did not understand. I interpreted both their English to the other person!
Hiking: Why does a 10 km loop trail seem shorter than a 10 km trail up and back.
Dogs: Why does a hostel with a dog and lousy hot water feel more like home than a fancy hotel with a great shower and no dog.
Wind Shields: A wind shield without a crack has never left the garage in South America.
Bread: After 4 months in South America I have a whole new understanding of the saying, Man does not live by bread alone. Bread is a real staple in South America! And each county serves a different type of bread as breakfast. I like the biscuits we are eating in Santiago best. Since they are not sweet hopefully they have less calories.
Laundry: When having your laundry done, make sure they think you are crazy and tell them to use the soap they do sheets in, not the perfume smelling soap they normally use for clothes. You do not have to follow this advice if you do not mind smelling like a French whore.
Smile: No matter how many works you know in Spanish, my smile will get me father than a lot of people who do not smile and know spanish! And my pantomimes make everyone smile, not to mention my butchering of the Spanish language.
Plastic Surgeons: In the U.S. you open a hotel tourist book and every other page is for plastic surgery and as you walk the streets of America you know these surgeons are making a good living. I saw my first and second ad for plastic surgery in Buenos Aires. And the women of South America are not supporting (no pun intended) the 38 triple D bra industry.
Sidelight on spelling: Why is it if a computer is so smart that I can still spell words it has no idea of what I am spelling.
Colors: Why is it no matter how good a bird book you have the colors they depict are never as clear, bright, and glorious as the bird they are trying to depict.
Food: Why is it no matter how good the food you eventually want a U.S. hamburger or a home cook meal by Nancy.
What to take when traveling: I will tell you what to take vs. what you will read in the guide books and web pages. Anyone reading this email, do you really think you will stay in a place where a door stop is necessary for security.
Musiac: If you have wonder why the music in elevator may have improved we sold it to South America.
Packing: All the books say pack and then remove 33 percent. This is wrong! Remove everything and add back one shirt, one pants, two socks and underwear, and something warm.
Additional modes of transportation: Went 4x4 wheeling in Ushuaia, Argentina. When the jeep was at 15 degrees I though this is pretty good but I have driven a couple of roads like this, so what. Not to much farther into the trip the Land Rover was at 35 degrees and you start thinking exactly what will happen when we fall over on the side of the Land Rover -- oh yea, where is my seat belt. And, then there was no road so we drive through the lake. But before driving into the lake our driver without saying a word gets out of the 4x4, reaches under the seat, pulls out a life vest, puts it on, gets back in and starts driving -- being the optimist, I will call this great showmanship.
Another transportation: The metro in Santiago, Chile. Very nice stations and cars, but crowded. Crowded like rush hour in Washington DC. It is interesting to me that every county I have traveled in and that has a metro the stations and cars are clean. Has anyone ridden the NY, DC or San Francisco metros and want to say the same thing.
When a tree in the forest falls, and no one is there, does the falling tree make a noise: Nancy and I discussed this for about 30 minutes the other afternoon. I know I heard trees fall in Manu jungle that I did not see and therefore believe a falling tree does make a Noise. Nancy believes that we as humans think to much of ourselves, does not the bird or insect hear the tree fall.After the last random though some of you may believe we have too much time on our hands, gone over the edge, or we really are having a great time.
Traveling: is entirely different than vacationing. Try it, you will like it.
Best to everyone,
Nancy and Tom
South America
What a very interesting and strange place. At times and in certain locations you can look in every direction and not see a single plant -- dead or alive. Just emptiness.
The afternoon of our arrival we took a trip to Valley of the Moon to watch the sunset. The landscape is just like the moon without meteor craters. New type of walking to add to our list: sand dune hiking. As if it isn't bad enough that you are at 11 or 12,000 feet but to really see, feel, and enjoy the sunset you should hike up a minimum of 500 feet -- all sand dune and preferably 600 to 700 feet with a few feet of rock to climb and the remainder all sand. When hiking up sand I do not know what hurts more: the lungs grasping for breath, your face from the blowing sand, your ears from the chill in the air, or your legs which are doing all the work. Would I do it again -- without hesitation.
Our guide took us to 2 places off the normal tour. A cave with an entrance and exit. Cool but not damp. Tight squeezes, low ceilings, and duck walking was the best way to move at times -- a lot of fun. Then after the sunset he took us into one of the canyons to hear the walls speak! Neither of us have ever heard of or heard a canyon wall speak before -- way cool! We were in a canyon, just the three of us, and you stand still and just listen to the walls. I think Nancy best described it when she said, It sounds like an old car radiator that is very hot and cooling off. Cracks, groans, etc. This one moment made the entire trip to the Atacama Desert worthwhile.
Next day was a van trip out to Salar De Atacama and The Flamingo Reserve. What a trip! The first stop is the Salar -- salt flats, and out in the middle of 2 foot high hard sand and salt monuments is a very shallow lake with flamingos, ducks, and several other types of birds. Not a plant in sight, just the strange wind shaped land, a lake and pink flamingos.
Nest stop is a small village and then up into the mountains. Oh yes, the trip starts at about 8,000 feet. Out next stop is below the twin lakes. To greet us at the park entrance was the park guard to take our money and a small fox to take any food we might drop. In the background is a smoking volcano, mountains for about 180 degrees including one that begins at the base of one lake and stops at over 18,000 feet, and in the opposite direction for another 180 degrees a voidless desert with snow covered peaks behind the desert. The water looks blue due to being shallow and therefore reflecting the sky.
We had a 90 minute hike. Of course, since we are back up higher than a person should be -- you hike up. We stopped on top of a ridge a little over 13,000 feet -- what a view, after I caught my breath!
Today was a rest day. Our guide picked us up at 9 for a trip out to the hot springs. Really not hot springs but a small stream with warm water with maybe a dozen pools to soak in. The stream is about 10 feet wide at its widest, maybe 3 feet deep, and both sides of the banks are densely covered by a pampas type grass -- gorgeous. Each pool is maybe 20 feet in diameter and the deepest pool did not come up to my chest. The water felt so great on our tired muscles. And this was sort of like a hot tub. What you do to get the feel of jetted water is back up to the two to three foot high water fall emptying into each pool. This falling water creates a jetted water feel. For more pressure, back up closer to the water and for less just step away from the water fall.
Commercialism: The world really is one place when it comes to business. I saw so many Bell South signs in Quito, Ecuador sometimes I thought the city's name was Bell South! Our favorite advertising was in Lima. Peru. We were driving on a subgrade freeway with grass on the slopes. And in sections of about 50 yards wide you would read the name of a company cut into the grass. Yes, Bell South was represented.
Coffee: Where is it. I have drank more Nescafe, instant coffee, in the last 4 months than in my entire life before South America. As Nancy has said more than once, I thought all great coffee came from South America and I was told coffee was the 3rd largest export of Ecuador. But we can remember each cup of real coffee. While I am on the subject, should you ever visit Pucon, Chile I know where you can get a bottomless cup of real brewed coffee -- it will not cost you much for this golden information.
Hiking: why is it every time that we hike or walk (in our case) to somewhere special, without crowds, and beautiful that about a mile from the return to the trail head I start wondering why there is no escalator or people mover.
Duality is big in South America: sun and moon, male and female, Inca steps in series of two, and my favorite -- the churches in the Atacama desert consist of two buildings: the steeple and the church. Two separate buildings, not one.
News: I am a news junkie. We have always taken at least 2 newspaper and sometimes 3. I have no idea how many magazines and I use to spend a minimum of 30 minutes on the internet reading news. In the last 4 months I realize I have a lot more time now that I do not spend an hour or more a day reading news. Have I missed anything.
Music: If you are our age and love the golden oldies -- South America is the place for you. I have heard Hotel California more in the last 4 months than in my entire life and I own the album. And you have not lived until you have heard it on Andean pipes! I have sworn to Nancy that if I ever hear a Rolling Stones number on Andean pipes I will cause a major disturbance. Yes, the Beatles is another favorite on the pipes.
Vegetables: Mom, do not have a heart attach, but even I have begin to wonder if vegetables grow in South America. Tonight a very nice restaurant. My grilled salmon was great and I had my choice of seven side dishes -- 6 different potatoes and one rice! Tomorrow night, my suggestion, we will eat again at our hotel -- a vegetarian restaurant.
Hiking: Why is it the higher you climb the better the view.
Why Americans do not travel: We get three weeks at best for vacation. You spend at least one with family because we do not live in the same place we grew up and that leaves a maximum of two weeks to travel. A German gets a minimum of six weeks and I think I am starting to learn German, French, and England English because these are the people we constantly run into.
Southern South America vs. Northern South America: Why the very big difference. You see the poor everywhere in Ecuador and Peru but everything changes when you are in Argentina and Chile -- there is a middle class and life is like the U.S. And the tourist infrastructure is in place, the food is great, the prices better, service is at least average (in comparison to the U.S.), and how can you have a meal with out wine at these prices.
Beef: There was a time that I thought the best meal in the world was a good steak. After 4 weeks in Argentina and a week in Chile, I am tired of not good steaks but great steaks. The last two nights we ordered an extra meal, felia minion steak, that we have sliced thin and take with us for the next days lunch while hiking!
Weight: Why is it the resort towns of the United States every other store is a tee shirt store but in Argentina and Chile it is a chocolate store. Yes, after losing 20 pounds I have put back on six based on airline baggage scales and believe me after all our walking I do not have an ounce of fat below my waist. And for those who know me well, my head can not hold any more fat.
Language: Today we took a tour with Klaus, the owner and Deter, a visiting German. It was great hearing two people talk who we did not understand but it was German not Spanish. They both knew a little more English than we knew Spanish. I actually translated for Deter the day before. He would talk in English to the tour directors who were Chileans but did not understand his English and they would talk to him in English that he did not understand. I interpreted both their English to the other person!
Hiking: Why does a 10 km loop trail seem shorter than a 10 km trail up and back.
Dogs: Why does a hostel with a dog and lousy hot water feel more like home than a fancy hotel with a great shower and no dog.
Wind Shields: A wind shield without a crack has never left the garage in South America.
Bread: After 4 months in South America I have a whole new understanding of the saying, Man does not live by bread alone. Bread is a real staple in South America! And each county serves a different type of bread as breakfast. I like the biscuits we are eating in Santiago best. Since they are not sweet hopefully they have less calories.
Laundry: When having your laundry done, make sure they think you are crazy and tell them to use the soap they do sheets in, not the perfume smelling soap they normally use for clothes. You do not have to follow this advice if you do not mind smelling like a French whore.
Smile: No matter how many works you know in Spanish, my smile will get me father than a lot of people who do not smile and know spanish! And my pantomimes make everyone smile, not to mention my butchering of the Spanish language.
Plastic Surgeons: In the U.S. you open a hotel tourist book and every other page is for plastic surgery and as you walk the streets of America you know these surgeons are making a good living. I saw my first and second ad for plastic surgery in Buenos Aires. And the women of South America are not supporting (no pun intended) the 38 triple D bra industry.
Sidelight on spelling: Why is it if a computer is so smart that I can still spell words it has no idea of what I am spelling.
Colors: Why is it no matter how good a bird book you have the colors they depict are never as clear, bright, and glorious as the bird they are trying to depict.
Food: Why is it no matter how good the food you eventually want a U.S. hamburger or a home cook meal by Nancy.
What to take when traveling: I will tell you what to take vs. what you will read in the guide books and web pages. Anyone reading this email, do you really think you will stay in a place where a door stop is necessary for security.
Musiac: If you have wonder why the music in elevator may have improved we sold it to South America.
Packing: All the books say pack and then remove 33 percent. This is wrong! Remove everything and add back one shirt, one pants, two socks and underwear, and something warm.
Additional modes of transportation: Went 4x4 wheeling in Ushuaia, Argentina. When the jeep was at 15 degrees I though this is pretty good but I have driven a couple of roads like this, so what. Not to much farther into the trip the Land Rover was at 35 degrees and you start thinking exactly what will happen when we fall over on the side of the Land Rover -- oh yea, where is my seat belt. And, then there was no road so we drive through the lake. But before driving into the lake our driver without saying a word gets out of the 4x4, reaches under the seat, pulls out a life vest, puts it on, gets back in and starts driving -- being the optimist, I will call this great showmanship.
Another transportation: The metro in Santiago, Chile. Very nice stations and cars, but crowded. Crowded like rush hour in Washington DC. It is interesting to me that every county I have traveled in and that has a metro the stations and cars are clean. Has anyone ridden the NY, DC or San Francisco metros and want to say the same thing.
When a tree in the forest falls, and no one is there, does the falling tree make a noise: Nancy and I discussed this for about 30 minutes the other afternoon. I know I heard trees fall in Manu jungle that I did not see and therefore believe a falling tree does make a Noise. Nancy believes that we as humans think to much of ourselves, does not the bird or insect hear the tree fall.After the last random though some of you may believe we have too much time on our hands, gone over the edge, or we really are having a great time.
Traveling: is entirely different than vacationing. Try it, you will like it.
Best to everyone,
Nancy and Tom
South America
posted by Rambling Tom at 6:44 PM
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