The Atacama desert, located in Chile’s far north near the border with Peru and Bolivia, is the driest on earth.
The clear, dry air, high elevation and absence of light pollution make it ideal for astronomy. Around 40% of the world’s scientific telescopes are located here and that number is expected to increase to 60% by 2030.
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With the help of a tripod for stabilisation, even my iPhone 15 produced great results when pointed at the galactic centre and set at maximum exposure for 30 seconds.
The Atacama Desert landscape is alien and incredibly beautiful and its mineral rich surface glints like millions of jewels in the morning and afternoon light. Come to think of it, some of them are jewels.
After the political instability of Bolivia, an earthquake - arriving suddenly on an otherwise peaceful and uneventful afternoon in San Pedro de Atacama - completed the genuine Latin America experience. Tick and tick!
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Mish …
It seems like a good opportunity to use this Chilean expression. “Mish”, said with something akin to resting-bitch-face, maybe with a nod or two, can convey mild surprise or impression in response to unexpected good news, a kind of begrudging respect or playful irony.
Santiago, the capital and home to 40% of the Chilean population, is congested by traffic and choked by smog. EVs are going to make a hell of a difference to quality of life here.
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The food scene is OK but not great. Nor is there much in the built environment that captures my interest. The exception is the Iglesia de San Francisco originally built in 1586.
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Curious as to why this church withstood multiple major earthquakes - including the 1960 9.5 magnitude “big one” - excavations were authorised to find out how and why. In 2016, this revealed Incan foundations designed with a seismic-diffusing sand and river stone structure that allows buildings to shift rather than collapse. Every bit as effective as modern methods like dampening and base isolation it would seem.
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Valparaiso, Chile’s main port, took a while to grow on me. You need to take one of the funiculars up from the port to explore the vibrant street art and local crafts and restaurants. I love its punky chic.
An overnight bus journey further south brought me to Pucon in northern Patagonia. Pucon, and the Villarica and Huerquehue National Parks, are an unspoiled nature and adventure travel destination of mountains, temperate forests, wild rivers and live volcanoes. The Villarica volcano, which I hiked around the base of, is the most active in South America.
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Pucon also links by road across the Andes to the land border and into Argentinan Patagonia. My route took me this way.
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On reflection, I would have preferred to continue further south from here to Torres del Paine National Park. But there’s always next time.