Exploring the Atacama Desert

After a week of being back in Santiago with running, potable water...we already want to get out of the city again. San Pedro de Atacama was a really cool place with colors, temperatures, and a landscape all its own. I had never seen so many of the things we came across. From flamingos at the salt flat, the salt flat itself as well as a real desert oasis. On our first full day there we rented bicycles and headed out to explore as much of the surrounding valley's as we could. What started out as a pretty audacious plan to see Valle de la Muerte and finish with the sunset at Valle de la Luna turned into a spectacular though exhausting trek through Valle de la Muerte. We made it out to the most western edge of Valle de la Luna and watched the sun set from there. While it wasn't what you'd find in the tour books, I think the sense of accomplishment made us feel like we were seeing the best there could be...and maybe it was!