Page 14 - Across the Andes: Chile’s Atacama Desert & Argentina’s Northwest

T^ U`^_ ZaP] " XTWP^ Q]ZX >LY_TLRZ LYO Day 5 Fly to Calama • Overland
during our hour-and-a-half long bus ride to San Pedro
_Z RP_ _SP]P bPɪWW RP_ Z`] ʭ]^_ _L^_P ZQ _SP ?ST^ XZ]YTYR bP _LVP L \`TNV SZ`] ʮTRS_
PYNSLY_TYR .STWPLY NZ`Y_]d^TOP [L^^TYR Md north, following the ridge of the Andes to
rolling vineyards, charming villages, and .LWLXL ?SPY L SZ`] M`^ ]TOP bTWW _LVP
cloud-topped mountains. `^ _S]Z`RS ^_L]V ]PO WLYO^NL[P^ LYO [L^_

^YZbNL[[PO [PLV^ _Z ]PLNS >LY ;PO]Z OP
Once a booming port, Valparaiso’s economy
,_LNLXL LY ZL^T^ _ZbY TY .STWPɪ^ Norte
bL^ ST_ SL]O bSPY _SP _S NPY_`]d Z[PYTYR
Grande region—home to the driest (and
ZQ _SP ;LYLXL .LYLW WPO _Z L ^PaP]P OPN]PL^P
highest) desert on Earth. San Pedro may be
TY _SP NT_dɪ^ ^ST[ _]LʯN -`_ _ZOLd _SP NT_d
]PXZ_P M`_ T_^ QL] ʮ`YR WZNL_TZY OZP^Yɪ_
SL^ MZ`YNPO MLNV L^ _SP YL_TZYɪ^ N`W_`]LW
OP_P] _SZ^P WZZVTYR _Z QPL^_ _SPT] PdP^ ZY _SP
capital. Gritty yet romantic, it has long been
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a haven for artists and writers. We’ll see its
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unusual charms at play as we wander past old
small town is a popular stop, and you may
mansions and modern street art on a city tour
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WPO Md L VYZbWPORPLMWP WZNLW R`TOP ?SPY bPɪWW
from all over South America and, indeed, the
Pc[WZ]P _SP NT_dɪ^ NSLZ_TN XLeP ZQ YL]]Zb
world during our time here.
alleys, steep staircases, and colorful funiculars
that ramble up 17 surrounding cerros (hills). Upon our arrival in San Pedro this afternoon,
We’ll ride one of these ascensores to catch a bPɪWW NSPNV TY_Z Z`] SZ_PW LYO dZ`ɪWW SLaP L
spectacular view. QPb SZ`]^ _Z ]PWLc Z] Pc[WZ]P ZY dZ`] ZbY
?SPY bPɪWW RL_SP] _ST^ PaPYTYR QZ] Z`] ʭ]^_
And to really catch the rhythm of life in
dinner in the desert at a local restaurant.
Valparaiso, we’ll hop into colectivos—the
Breakfast, Dinner
[`MWTN ]TOP ^SL]P _LcT^ _SL_ Z[P]L_P ZY ʭcPO
routes and are a popular way for locals to get
around their city. Our colectivos bTWW _LVP `^ _Z
the home of a local family, where we’ll share Day 6 San Pedro • Visit Toconao • Sunset
a Home-Hosted Lunch and learn about life at Laguna Chaxa
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_Z SLaP _SP^P TY_TXL_P Pc[P]TPYNP^ LYO QZ]RP tour of San Pedro, where—with insights
connections with locals, which greatly aid our from our Trip Leader—we’ll begin to learn
`YOP]^_LYOTYR ZQ _SP .STWPLY N`W_`]P LMZ`_ WZNLW .STWPLY ST^_Z]d LYO N`W_`]P ?ST^
compact, terra cotta-hued village serves as a
We’ll bid our gracious hosts a fond farewell
ML^P QZ] YZ]_SP]Y .STWPɪ^ YPL]Md bZYOP]^ M`_
and return to Santiago, where dinner will be
it contains a few fascinating sites of its own.
on your own this evening. You may consider
,^ bP bLWV _SP O`^_d ^_]PP_^ bPɪWW ZM^P]aP
dining in the Patronato neighborhood. Home
the adobe architecture typical of desert towns
_Z _SP NT_dɪ^ NZXX`YT_d ZQ Pc[L_^ ;L_]ZYL_Z
LYO ^[Z_ _]LOT_TZYLW L]_bZ]V LOZ]YTYR XLYd
T^ VYZbY QZ] T_^ TY_P]YL_TZYLWWd TYʮ`PYNPO
WZNLW SZXP^ BPɪWW _SPY aT^T_ _SP .S`]NS ZQ
restaurant scene.
San Pedro de Atacama, perhaps the town’s
Breakfast, Lunch XZ^_ QLXZ`^ WLYOXL]V& M`TW_ ZQ LOZMP TY _SP
Spanish colonial style, this church is said to
MP _SP ^PNZYO ZWOP^_ TY .STWP

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