Chillin in Chile
So far, we are really enjoying Chile. I suppose that after traveling in third world countries for five months, the amenities in Chile are a welcome relief: well-stocked stores, abundance of good wine (yeah!), comfortable accommodations, well educated people, potable water and high speed internet.
We take a break from driving and spend three days at San Pedro de Atacama, which is in the high desert near salt flats. The town is small and very touristy, but has a laid-back feeling; the town is what I envision Sedona or Sante Fe would be like. The dusty, unpaved streets are lined with rustic adobe hotels, upscale restaurants, art galleries and tour agencies. I constantly smell burning incense, but never actually see any.
We take an organized tour to Laguna Cejar, a small salt water pond. We are led to believe that the water is “temperate’, but it is actually freezing. All of us manage to take a plunge – mine lasts all of 12 miserable seconds… We then visit a couple of perfectly round ponds caused by falling meteorites. The tour ends by watching the incredible sunset. The desert turns from brown to a range of pinks, purples and oranges – just stunning! We enjoy the changing scenery as we sip Pisco Sours, which taste like an a modified margarita – yum!
On two separate occasions, we go horseback riding: Paul and Quinn go together, then the next day, Quinn and I go (Connor is officially done with riding). We take a ride through the desert and small towns for two hours. Quinn’s horse is spunky and loves to run. He rides the horse far ahead, then needs to turn back to meet us. He gets twice as much riding as the rest of us. He handles the horse very well and even helps our guide take off the saddles and bridles after the ride. This kid is crazy about horses!
We have one week to drive through the desert and along the coast, then will go to Portillo to ski and snowboard. The weather changes drastically here – from the high 80s in the desert, to 60s at the coast and 30s and 40s at night. Kind of like California…
Tags: Chile
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