The driest desert in the world

Sitting 2500m above sea level, the Atacama desert is known to be the driest desert in the world. And most fittingly, it is the site of the largest telescope in the world. San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis in the middle of the desert, is a nice 24 hour bus ride away from Santiago. But having traveled quite extensively, 24 hour bus ride just doesn't faze me anymore, it's actually quite nice to sit back and do nothing for awhile. Well, it's actually not the doing nothing part that's great, but more of the fact that I CAN'T do anything part that's a relief when traveling. Just read, listen to music, sleep, repeat.

I arrived at this tiny village at noon, and man, was it touristy! I guess an oasis attracts travelers. I had come to this place just to chill and absorb the great expanse of the desert. I got myself a small, rather bleak single room on the main road. As soon as I put my bag down, I rented a mountain bike - sunscreen in one hand, water bottle in the other.

I set out for a 12th century fortress ruins that were a few km on the outskirts. Traveling on a half stone/half sand path, I was really worried that the tires would punctures in the middle of the desert, leaving me to face the terrifying consequence of naure. On the other hand, it's hard to worry when surrounded by other-worldly scenery, as all you can do is stare and admire. Similar to the time on Easter Island, you can't help but to feel the insignificance of the human race.






The next day, I signed up for a tour of the Salar de Atacama (Atacama Saltflats) and a small traditional pueblo (village). This was my consolation prize as I had to give up going to Bolivia and its (apparently) beautiful Salar de Uyuni because as an American, I need to pay a $160 reciprocity fee (as in, a fuck you America fee) and a yellow fever vaccination certificate that I did not have. Salar de Atacama was interesting enough, quite different from the salt flats n Utah or the pictures I've seen of Salar de Uyuni as it is much drier in Atacama. The main tourist attraction was definitely the 3 species of flamingoes that nest in the area. Outside o zoos, this was the first time I had seen these elegant creatures. And all I could think was how their bodies can possibly be supported by those sticks called "legs." I was absolutely mesmerized.




The tour didn't take long, and I felt like I had accomplished most of the things I wanted to do in San Pedro de Atacama - desert and salt flats - so I got on the overnight bus to Arica, then Tacna (a Peruvian border town), and finally to Arequipa in Peru, all in one day just to make it to Arequipa's supposedly wild nightlife on a Friday night!

- Ryoji