this was our favorite restaurant in san pedro. not only did oscar work there, but they had a roaring fire every night, a great 3-course menu del dia for only $5,000 pesos, and a rectangular hole in the ceiling above the fire where you could see the stars.
i believe that we ate dinner there 4 times, lunch once, and drinks about 3. we were there a lot.
the food was tasty as well. regardless, if you ever go, check out milagro. i'm addicted to their fire.
our first night, i was looking for a campfire, but our hostel didn't have one and there wasn't just one in the plaza, the way i thought there should be. every small town needs a fire pit! regardless, i was overjoyed when i found out that i could make milagro my own personal campfire.
the thing about campfires is that somehow, they make people open up and talk about their feelings. we had tons of great conversations around the fire, mostly because it's so mesmerizing. it crackles, the flames are endlessly entertaining and it's warm! and in the desert at night, to be warm is no small feat. also, personally, it's very calming and peaceful to sit around a fire. after all, without fire, the human race probably wouldn't have been nearly as successful - we would have lived mostly at the equator and eaten only fruits and nuts or raw meat. fires are a good thing. i miss them.
anyone want to go camping?
Showing posts with label san pedro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label san pedro. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
valle de catarpe/the end.
saturday, after having a lazy morning, bimbi and i began our horseback riding adventure. we left SP around 1 and were driven to a ranch where we met our guide, Stephanie. Stephanie is half Swiss/English and speaks German, English, French and Spanish. fluently. She grew up bilingual which we surmise made it easier for her to learn the other two languages. lucky lady.
it was just the three of us and so we set off on our horses for the valle de catarpe, another verdant spot in the middle of the desert.
along the way, we talked lots, saw a random horse escape without its owner knowing, crossed streams, climbed mountains, and cantered! that was thrilling. especially after i ceased being stiff and was able to get into the rhythm of it - had estella been able to canter all day, i would have gone along without complaint.
this, of course, furthered my not-so-secret dream of being a cowgirl and working on a ranch, riding horses and mending fences. stephanie assured me that aside from the US and Europe, you can pretty much move anywhere and get a job like this. if oboe and opera and being a singer in a band don't work out, i plan on moving to some place like SP and working as a cowgirl. we even have the hats.
after a nice hot shower at the end of the day, we went to milagro, ate some dinner until zoe, james and stephanie joined us for a drink. we sat around the fire and talked until it got a bit later, and then moved to a bar called "grado 6." we were pretty much the only females in the entire bar and it got more and more hectic until the bar finally closed and we all moved to a different party out in a field. more stars, more fire. i was getting used to that life....
the next morning i woke up with a cold, and we cleaned out our hostel and spent the day sitting in the sun and trying to resist buying lots of beautiful jewelry and art - i was only successful 1 out of 3 times. pathetic.
we flew back through a gorgeous sunset and arrived in santiago around 9:30pm or so. it is nice to be home, but i've fallen in love with the desert...
it was just the three of us and so we set off on our horses for the valle de catarpe, another verdant spot in the middle of the desert.
along the way, we talked lots, saw a random horse escape without its owner knowing, crossed streams, climbed mountains, and cantered! that was thrilling. especially after i ceased being stiff and was able to get into the rhythm of it - had estella been able to canter all day, i would have gone along without complaint.
this, of course, furthered my not-so-secret dream of being a cowgirl and working on a ranch, riding horses and mending fences. stephanie assured me that aside from the US and Europe, you can pretty much move anywhere and get a job like this. if oboe and opera and being a singer in a band don't work out, i plan on moving to some place like SP and working as a cowgirl. we even have the hats.
after a nice hot shower at the end of the day, we went to milagro, ate some dinner until zoe, james and stephanie joined us for a drink. we sat around the fire and talked until it got a bit later, and then moved to a bar called "grado 6." we were pretty much the only females in the entire bar and it got more and more hectic until the bar finally closed and we all moved to a different party out in a field. more stars, more fire. i was getting used to that life....
the next morning i woke up with a cold, and we cleaned out our hostel and spent the day sitting in the sun and trying to resist buying lots of beautiful jewelry and art - i was only successful 1 out of 3 times. pathetic.
we flew back through a gorgeous sunset and arrived in santiago around 9:30pm or so. it is nice to be home, but i've fallen in love with the desert...
friday.
so, i'm back now in santiago but wanted to share about the last couple of days.
david, a friend that we had met during our first tour, was leaving friday night so we spent the afternoon with him. we had lunch at milagro (more on that in a bit) and then went for a hike near the Quitor fortress. however, instead of paying the 2,000 pesos, we hiked up a nearby hill where we had a beautiful view of the mountains, the small green patch of san pedro and endless sky.
we sat on top of the mountain, the sun shining down and talked about all the things you never get to on a daily business. the bread of life, if you will. it was lovely.
we lingered there in the sun until the wind got too strong and then meandered back to SP. we met up again for drinks later before he left to catch his bus for Arica. we were a bit jealous.
after that, zoe, james, bimbi and i went to the restaurant Quitor for some food and supposedly dancing. the food was tasty (swordfish!) and i was basically sitting in the fire, keeping warm. zoe and james left and bimbi and i hung around in the hopes that the rumors of dancing were going to come true. people began filtering in around 10:30pm or so and finally a band came.
the "bands" of SP are composed of recorder/flute-type instruments, little string instruments that look like tiny banjos, drums, guitar and usually some sort of wind-chime. very folky.
the place finally filled up and the dancing began. our friend Oscar, who had been our guide for both the flamencos and valle de la luna joined us and we hung out, dancing and talking and drinking wine until it closed around 2.
then we went to the illegal party. in SP, they had problems many years ago and have since become hard-core about the no-party law. people aren't permitted to sell alcohol after 1pm, and there are no clubs or anything remotely close. the kids have parties in the desert, and buy alcohol from houses on the outskirts of town where you approach quietly and knock on the window. the curtain parts, you whisper what you want, hand over the money, and receive your sins through the window without ever seeing who lives there. sneaky. i loved it.
the party was just down the street from the restaurant, but as the police passed by SLOWLY we ended up walking a few extra blocks until they turned the corner. then everyone rushed into the backyard of someone's house, where there was a fire and music. the police must know what occurs but are just too tired of breaking up the parties. also, i suppose as long as things are contained, people can't make too much harm...
anyway. fun night, gorgeous stars - i was able to pick out all the constellations from the night before and felt proud...
david, a friend that we had met during our first tour, was leaving friday night so we spent the afternoon with him. we had lunch at milagro (more on that in a bit) and then went for a hike near the Quitor fortress. however, instead of paying the 2,000 pesos, we hiked up a nearby hill where we had a beautiful view of the mountains, the small green patch of san pedro and endless sky.
we sat on top of the mountain, the sun shining down and talked about all the things you never get to on a daily business. the bread of life, if you will. it was lovely.
we lingered there in the sun until the wind got too strong and then meandered back to SP. we met up again for drinks later before he left to catch his bus for Arica. we were a bit jealous.
after that, zoe, james, bimbi and i went to the restaurant Quitor for some food and supposedly dancing. the food was tasty (swordfish!) and i was basically sitting in the fire, keeping warm. zoe and james left and bimbi and i hung around in the hopes that the rumors of dancing were going to come true. people began filtering in around 10:30pm or so and finally a band came.
the "bands" of SP are composed of recorder/flute-type instruments, little string instruments that look like tiny banjos, drums, guitar and usually some sort of wind-chime. very folky.
the place finally filled up and the dancing began. our friend Oscar, who had been our guide for both the flamencos and valle de la luna joined us and we hung out, dancing and talking and drinking wine until it closed around 2.
then we went to the illegal party. in SP, they had problems many years ago and have since become hard-core about the no-party law. people aren't permitted to sell alcohol after 1pm, and there are no clubs or anything remotely close. the kids have parties in the desert, and buy alcohol from houses on the outskirts of town where you approach quietly and knock on the window. the curtain parts, you whisper what you want, hand over the money, and receive your sins through the window without ever seeing who lives there. sneaky. i loved it.
the party was just down the street from the restaurant, but as the police passed by SLOWLY we ended up walking a few extra blocks until they turned the corner. then everyone rushed into the backyard of someone's house, where there was a fire and music. the police must know what occurs but are just too tired of breaking up the parties. also, i suppose as long as things are contained, people can't make too much harm...
anyway. fun night, gorgeous stars - i was able to pick out all the constellations from the night before and felt proud...
Friday, May 30, 2008
Las Estrellas
Last night we went stargazing, heading out with a tour at 9pm. Alan, the propieter, is a French astronomer who has lived in Chile now for many years. We arrived and his wife Alejandra gave us a great explanation of where we were in the galaxy as well as explained some basic information about the Milky Way, and how we can look at the sky.
We then walked inside their house and sat in a circular room while Alan prepped us for what we would be seeing through their 6 large telescopes.
It is hard to describe what the sky looked like last night, except to say that I doubt I will ever again see so many stars so clearly, and throughout the entire sky. Usually, because of pollution or humidity, we never see stars that are directly on the horizon - we usually start being able to see them about 15 degrees above. Last night, however, everywhere you looked there were stars, and of course with the telescopes, the places that looked empty were also in fact completely full of stars.
We also got to see SATURN and JUPITER!!!! and the Southern Cross, the Triangle, Scorpio, the Centaur, nebulas, spiral galaxies, star clusters, etc etc. I am so excited to be able to add to my constellation knowledge, especially since I knew nothing about the Southern Sky.
Supposedly, the southern sky is more beautiful because statistically it has a higher concentration of everything, and I believe it may be true. With our naked eye, with the best conditions, we are able to see about 6,000 stars, and I believe I saw every single one of them last night. What a glorious sight.
We then walked inside their house and sat in a circular room while Alan prepped us for what we would be seeing through their 6 large telescopes.
It is hard to describe what the sky looked like last night, except to say that I doubt I will ever again see so many stars so clearly, and throughout the entire sky. Usually, because of pollution or humidity, we never see stars that are directly on the horizon - we usually start being able to see them about 15 degrees above. Last night, however, everywhere you looked there were stars, and of course with the telescopes, the places that looked empty were also in fact completely full of stars.
We also got to see SATURN and JUPITER!!!! and the Southern Cross, the Triangle, Scorpio, the Centaur, nebulas, spiral galaxies, star clusters, etc etc. I am so excited to be able to add to my constellation knowledge, especially since I knew nothing about the Southern Sky.
Supposedly, the southern sky is more beautiful because statistically it has a higher concentration of everything, and I believe it may be true. With our naked eye, with the best conditions, we are able to see about 6,000 stars, and I believe I saw every single one of them last night. What a glorious sight.
Valle de la Luna
yesterday we slept in and spent a nice morning in the plaza reading and soaking in the sun before heading off to El Valle de Muerte y El Valle de la Luna. No one quite knows how Death Valley got its name... there are three different possibilities. The first is that the man who discovered it thought it looked a great deal like Mars, and called it Valley de Marte (Mars) and it got changed over time to Muerte... The second is that the valley is where people go to die, and the third is that it's called this because nothing can grow there. All three seem plausible to me. Regardless, it does look incredibly similar to pictures I've seen of Mars.
Stunning views, red rocks and large dunes accompanied us as we trekked for two hours from the ridge down into the valley and then followed the path the river (which is no longer there) created as it made its way through the rocks millions of years ago. Once again, the area used to be a lake and the water was forced under when the tectonic plates collided oh so many years ago. The result is that many layers of the rock are made of salt, and in some places it is so thick it looks like snow in the riverbed. The salt also creates this amazing phenomenon which our great guide Oscar calls the Symphony. Because oxygen got trapped in the rock (very porous) underneath the salt, somehow when the sun shines on the rock, it heats the oxygen and creates millions of tiny little gas explosions which sound like pops and crackles (rice crispy-ish). It's truly amazing to sit there and have the canyon walls talk to you. Even more so that it's been happening for millions of years.
There was also an amazing cave that was created out of compressed salt which turned into quartz. It was fun to enter and realize that crystals were holding up the ceiling of the cave.
After we wound our way through the Death Valley, we headed over to Valle de la Luna where we climbed to the top of the mountains to watch the sun set. Moon Valley also deserved its name! There were incredible sand dunes, a salt ridge and the ring of Andean volcanos around the edge. Others sat to watch the sunset, but I continued walking to the furthest outpost on the Cordillera de Sal (salt mountain range) until I was the only one aside from the ranger, looking out at the entire 360 degree view. I have been appreciating the sun here. In cities, the sun doesn't change the colors as much as in the desert, where it lights up and alters everything every moment of the day. I stood there watching the mountains change from gold to pink to blue as the sun went down. Afterwards, we trekked to the other peak and then flew down the volcanic black dune and headed back to San Pedro.
Stunning views, red rocks and large dunes accompanied us as we trekked for two hours from the ridge down into the valley and then followed the path the river (which is no longer there) created as it made its way through the rocks millions of years ago. Once again, the area used to be a lake and the water was forced under when the tectonic plates collided oh so many years ago. The result is that many layers of the rock are made of salt, and in some places it is so thick it looks like snow in the riverbed. The salt also creates this amazing phenomenon which our great guide Oscar calls the Symphony. Because oxygen got trapped in the rock (very porous) underneath the salt, somehow when the sun shines on the rock, it heats the oxygen and creates millions of tiny little gas explosions which sound like pops and crackles (rice crispy-ish). It's truly amazing to sit there and have the canyon walls talk to you. Even more so that it's been happening for millions of years.
There was also an amazing cave that was created out of compressed salt which turned into quartz. It was fun to enter and realize that crystals were holding up the ceiling of the cave.
After we wound our way through the Death Valley, we headed over to Valle de la Luna where we climbed to the top of the mountains to watch the sun set. Moon Valley also deserved its name! There were incredible sand dunes, a salt ridge and the ring of Andean volcanos around the edge. Others sat to watch the sunset, but I continued walking to the furthest outpost on the Cordillera de Sal (salt mountain range) until I was the only one aside from the ranger, looking out at the entire 360 degree view. I have been appreciating the sun here. In cities, the sun doesn't change the colors as much as in the desert, where it lights up and alters everything every moment of the day. I stood there watching the mountains change from gold to pink to blue as the sun went down. Afterwards, we trekked to the other peak and then flew down the volcanic black dune and headed back to San Pedro.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
El Tatio Geyser
This morning we woke at 3:30am to leave at 4am to visit the geysers at El Tatio at dawn. We slept most of the bumpy way there, arriving to see steam rising throughout the valley.
I seem to be repeating myself, but dawn at the geysers was equally as magnificent as dawn at the salt flat. Maybe I need to experience dawn more often. The geysers gurgled and sputtered, throwing the occasional water in the air, but with vapor always rising. And of course, as the sun finally came out, the entire area sparkled. I felt as though I was living in an Ansel Adams photograph.
There are four different types of geysers in the park: thermal, mud, gas and (i forget the name) but whichever ones are pressurized and actually shoot water in the air. The thermal geysers were so inviting and I wished I had brought my suit with me to climb in to escape the -8 C/10F air. The mud geysers looked like boiling mud-pies, all bubbly and as though they could have been in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The gas ones just steamed (delightful noises!) and the ones under extreme pressure shot up into the air, the beads of water exploding upwards like fireworks and looking like flying diamonds in the sun.
After spending lots of time playing around the geysers, (some of which were different colors because of the bacteria - red, yellow, green - gorgeous!) we went to a village and ate some llama meat. It was tasty. I felt a bit bad because I've been kissed by a llama before, but the THREE people who live in this village subsist on it, so I bought a kebab. Delicious - very tender.
Next stop was a cactus forest which grew on rocky hills, and in the valley between the hills was a stream and hundreds of fox tails, which waved in the wind and stood out in stark whiteness against the clay colored, cactus covered hills. We climbed to the top and were able to look back over the entire valley ringed by mountains. When we turned the other direction, we could see the Dameyko range and the salt flats we visited yesterday.
I am happy...
I seem to be repeating myself, but dawn at the geysers was equally as magnificent as dawn at the salt flat. Maybe I need to experience dawn more often. The geysers gurgled and sputtered, throwing the occasional water in the air, but with vapor always rising. And of course, as the sun finally came out, the entire area sparkled. I felt as though I was living in an Ansel Adams photograph.
There are four different types of geysers in the park: thermal, mud, gas and (i forget the name) but whichever ones are pressurized and actually shoot water in the air. The thermal geysers were so inviting and I wished I had brought my suit with me to climb in to escape the -8 C/10F air. The mud geysers looked like boiling mud-pies, all bubbly and as though they could have been in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The gas ones just steamed (delightful noises!) and the ones under extreme pressure shot up into the air, the beads of water exploding upwards like fireworks and looking like flying diamonds in the sun.
After spending lots of time playing around the geysers, (some of which were different colors because of the bacteria - red, yellow, green - gorgeous!) we went to a village and ate some llama meat. It was tasty. I felt a bit bad because I've been kissed by a llama before, but the THREE people who live in this village subsist on it, so I bought a kebab. Delicious - very tender.
Next stop was a cactus forest which grew on rocky hills, and in the valley between the hills was a stream and hundreds of fox tails, which waved in the wind and stood out in stark whiteness against the clay colored, cactus covered hills. We climbed to the top and were able to look back over the entire valley ringed by mountains. When we turned the other direction, we could see the Dameyko range and the salt flats we visited yesterday.
I am happy...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Los Flamencos
We woke up at 5:30 this morning and drove with our tour to the Flamenco National Reserve, which hosts three types of flamingos that thrive in the salt flat called the Chaxa Lagoon. The salt flat is exactly how it sounds - flat land covered in salt crystals, with various shallow ponds where algae, teeeensy shrimp and other micro-organisms live and support the birds and other wildlife.
The Chaxa Lagoon lies between the Andes and the Domeyko Mountain Ranges and used to be a sea before the mountains pushed their way up and the water formed underground lakes, leaving the salt behind. What is left looks like a giant white coral reef which stretches for miles.
We arrived before dawn, shivering a bit as we walked through the clear morning, and watched the flamingos feed and fly as the sun rose from behind the mountains and finally shone full-force on the sparkling water, lighting up the mountains in purple and pink hues, the colors slowly seeping downward towards us.
The other magnificent occurence of the day was the hike to more than 14,000 ft to see the two Altiplano Lagos, which rival the Texas sky for their intense color. The lakes were pristine, with salt rings around the edges, and birds flocked on the shores. We were looking down on both lakes at the same time, and also were able to look out on the valley and the salt flats from above... truly spectacular.
pictures to follow when i return to santiago...
The Chaxa Lagoon lies between the Andes and the Domeyko Mountain Ranges and used to be a sea before the mountains pushed their way up and the water formed underground lakes, leaving the salt behind. What is left looks like a giant white coral reef which stretches for miles.
We arrived before dawn, shivering a bit as we walked through the clear morning, and watched the flamingos feed and fly as the sun rose from behind the mountains and finally shone full-force on the sparkling water, lighting up the mountains in purple and pink hues, the colors slowly seeping downward towards us.
The other magnificent occurence of the day was the hike to more than 14,000 ft to see the two Altiplano Lagos, which rival the Texas sky for their intense color. The lakes were pristine, with salt rings around the edges, and birds flocked on the shores. We were looking down on both lakes at the same time, and also were able to look out on the valley and the salt flats from above... truly spectacular.
pictures to follow when i return to santiago...
Monday, May 26, 2008
San Pedro de Atacama
i am in the desert, about 1500 km north of santiago. my friend bimbi and i took the 23.5 hour bus ride from santiago, and arrived today at around 3pm. for all of today, it was the exact same scenery, which consisted of nothing except various hills/mountains of rock and sand. there was absolutely no vegetation unless we were close to a village, which is also where some of minute amounts of water exist.
we did see a lone alpaca, with no owner or companion in site.
we are staying in a hostel and right now i am bundled up as much as possible, since it's about freezing right now. during the day, however, it was about 75F.
tomorrow we're going to see the altiplano lakes, with flamingos, and for a nice trek to "see the flora and fauna."
right now, however, in the middle of nowhere, the stars are incredibly bright, and last night we saw a sunset that we can only hope to see again sometime in our lives. the sunrise this morning on the bus was equally magnificent, backlighting the craggy horizon.
another sunrise tomorrow...
we did see a lone alpaca, with no owner or companion in site.
we are staying in a hostel and right now i am bundled up as much as possible, since it's about freezing right now. during the day, however, it was about 75F.
tomorrow we're going to see the altiplano lakes, with flamingos, and for a nice trek to "see the flora and fauna."
right now, however, in the middle of nowhere, the stars are incredibly bright, and last night we saw a sunset that we can only hope to see again sometime in our lives. the sunrise this morning on the bus was equally magnificent, backlighting the craggy horizon.
another sunrise tomorrow...
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