Moon and Mars Valleys
Day 236 – San Pedro de Atacama, Chile I was supposed to go on the Moon Valley sunset tour last Sunday, but I got a bit sick and the agency agreed to reschedule it to Tuesday. (We got a water blackout the same day, nothing like being sick when there is no running water.) We…
El Tatio geothermal field
Day 233 – San Pedro de Atacama, Chile Today was my first big tour. Painfully aware that waking up an entire dorm at 4am with one’s alarm and then digging around one’s stuff, coming and going, is rather perturbing for other’s sleep, I had all ready in two bags: my clothes for the day and…
Cactii and stargazing
Day 225 – Vicuña, Chile Vicuña is a town dedicated to Gabriela Mistral, a famous Chilean poet who was born here. So the main plaza is named for her, there is a museum dedicated to her, and so on. I will have to find some poem to learn more! Vicuña is also in the centre…
French people in Chile
Day 216 – Valparaiso, Chile I had decided to stay a few more days in Valparaiso to enjoy the city a little more. But I wasn’t going to stay in my expensive hotel -where the mattress is so soft that I woke up with a back ache. So I went looking for a hostel, and…
Happy New Year!
Day 215 – Valparaiso, Chile Happy New Year everybody! I took advantage of the quiet of a morning after a big party to visit the open-air museum, a specific section of Valparaiso known for its murals. The morning after was a great idea, lack-of-people-wise. Not so great, spilled-beer-and-other-unnamable-liquids-wise. Just have to occasionally plug your nose…
Seven months today
Day 213 – Santiago, Chile Seven months since I left! I’ll admit to start feeling some travel fatigue -or is it the just the heat? It is Summer here! This morning I innocently asked the staff at the hostel to help me find a bus ticket to go to Valparaiso tomorrow, the 31st. I say…
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
Day 212 – Santiago, Chile I was resolved to visit the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art this morning. It is roughly 200m from my hostel, so since I left 10 min before opening time, I decided to detour through the post office to buy a stamp. It so happens that the post office opens at…
Santiago
Day 210 – Santiago, Chile It’s hot out there. I arrived last night without any major fuss. I’m two hours behind Easter Island, so I only have a four-hour difference with France now. Signs at the airport advise to buy transportation before leaving the building to avoid any scam… if it’s officially signalled, I guess…
Christmas at Easter (Island)
Day 208 – Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile After having finally identified a shuttle that would take me from the town to the beach (by chance, I was passing at one of the pick-up point at the right time), I packed a swimsuit, a lunch, and my phone-camera for an afternoon at the beach. Of…
The full day tour
Day 205 – Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile For once, I was happy to be carted around in a bus all day. I was still tired, and I may have nodded off at some point or other in the bus. That said, they took us tramping down the coast and up volcanoes -even if individually…