Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. --- Mark Twain

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Laguna Chaxa And One More Story


Days 1140-1142,
03.04.2014-05.04.2014,
121 979 km since the beginning of the journey.
The Route: Laguna Chaxa - Laguna Leija - Talabre - San Pedro de Atacama (233 km).

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An overnight place in the middle of the crossroads and an extra spacious view in the morning.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

San Pedro de Atacama III, Salt Lakes

Day 1139
02.04.2014
121 826 km since the beginning of the journey.
The Route: San Pedro de Atacama – Laguna Cejar – Laguna Tebinquinche – Toconao - Laguna Chaxa (132 km).

While in San Pedro de Atacamat, it could be interesting besides The Moon Valley, Death Valley and Cordiella de Sali , to visit the salt lakes near the town as well. Laguna Cejar and Laguna Pedra are 15 kilometers away, and 10 kilometers further is Laguna Tebinquince.

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Laguna Cejar.

Monday, April 21, 2014

San Pedro de Atacama II


Written in Calama.

San Pedro de Atacama is a nice town, small enough, and everything necessary for life is close at hand. Only a few hundred meters from the overnight place. There are some so-called main streets in the center of the town for which are designed for pedestrians and on the sides of which are predominantly either hostels or tourist services companies, or both together. For a change, there are some restaurants and souvenir shops.

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The following is a typical street scene at noon.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

San Pedro de Atacama, I


San Pedro de Atacama is a small town of less than 4,000 inhabitants in the region of Antofagasta (in the year of 2012, the number of the inhabitants was 3899). The town is believed to have been founded in 1450 and the main source of making living is mostly tourism.

In the center of the town there is a 17th-century white church - Iglesia de San Pedro de Atacama.

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The first night was spent in a familiar place – in Camping Los Perales, which was exactly in the same condition as almost a year ago. Even the price is the same - 5,000 pesos per night, (in euros it would be as 6.67).

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Paso de Jama


Day 1128,
22.03.2014
121 549 km since the beginning of the journey.
The Route: Susques – Paso de Jama (ie Argentina Chile border) – San Pedro de Atacama (267 km)

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Paso de Jama.

Abra de Acay, ie the highest point on the Ruta 40 will currently be unvisited. As the allowed time of staying in Argentina (90 days) will end soon. And besides in such a sparsely populated area one should always have some spare time for getting around. And on nice weather Polvorilla viaduct and its surroundings are worth to spend there at least half a day. So it does not make sense to drive to the spot in a hurry, take some pictures from the car window before a cloud of dust reaches on the ground, and then drive to the direction of Chile anyway. So better calmly proceed toward Chile.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Ruta 40, Susques


Days 1125-1127
19.03.2014 – 21.03.2014
121 282 km since the beginning of the journey
Journey : From behind the stone - Coyagua - Coranzuli - Susques - Huancar - Puesto Sey - Huancar - Suscues ( 305 km).

In the beginning the direction is southwards.
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Llamas