Llama with rice and potatoes?!

Welcome to a world where dry is dry and only 35mm of rain nourishes the land all year round. San Pedro de Atacama: said to be the driest place in the world. The town is a fantastic adobe village that is, unfortunately, smothered in touristic trinkets and memorabelia. However, the town and its surrounds offer a stark, but pleasant, difference to our time in La Serena and the Pisco Valley, where we spent a few days enjoying one of Chile's larger cities and its neighbouring valley that produces the pisco grape, the essential ingredient for Pisco spirit, which gives the Pisco sour its sharp and winsing taste!

In San Pedro, we enjoyed sunset in the Valle de la Luna, where we observed the misty red Andes sunset. We took a  tour of the Salar de Atacama (famous salt flats), where we saw flamingoes in their natural habitat, a couple of Antiplano Lakes, climbed to about 4200 metres, and enjoyed a thoroughly local lunch with llama, rice and potatoes (we chose the chicken option!). We also took to the bikes to see a bit of the local history in the old Inca Pukara (forification ruin) as well as a valley with eerie giant Inca-like faces built into the rock faces.

Just as we enter the Pisco valley, Valle del Elqui, they are already trying to sell us liqour!

Gabriela Mistral, the valley's famous poet.

Muchos Grapos

Why wouldn't you herd a cow in any other way?

Enjoying the cellar where the 'lads' used to drink and play cards.

The wine fermentation in Los Nichos vineyard. This is their sweet dessert wine awaiting its next step.

It took less than 5 minutes before these three bottles were empty after Susan saw them...
(Gordon is telling porkies again!)

Transporting this evening's herbs for dinner.

Susan enjoying our outdoor hostel kitchen.

Pink and yellow. (as opposed to Purple and Brown, you tube it!)

Gordon telling the dog to stay away...

Dog ignores Gordon and invites one of his friends along...

Gordon reiterating his demands to shooo...

Dog completely ignores Gordon and seeks a rub. Dog 1, Godon 0.

Valle del Elqui

The copper man in Calama, a town famed for its nearby copper mines that is a major element of Chile's economy.

Gordon 'Escalopa' Kaiser

Valle de la Luna

Sunset in the valley

The Three Marys, representing the mood of the past salt miners

Susan enjoying her tasty tapas.

Gordon and his 'manly' man-purse.

San Pedro de Atacama's church. Very pretty.

The misty red Andes at sunset.

The Andes pre -sunset

Susan above Valle del Luna.

Stop!

Susan and her new friends. Crazy eyes and smiley.

Tasty cactus. Hungry Gordon.

Smiley.

Crazy eyes.

Local in Tocorno.

One of the many flamingoes.

 Salar de Atacama.

 Antiplano lake. Reasonably high, 4200m.

 Posing in the Salar de Atacama.

Well spotted by Susan, flamingo in flight.

Traditional adobe village church

Grazing Guaconos

 Oswald, our enthusiastic, very sarcastic guide.

 Which way?

 The local lunch. Crazy eyes and Smiley were enjoyed by most!

 Now make sure you use the correct gear, Susan (she only went over the bar once!)

 You may need glasses.

Again, glasses.

And, again. 

 Pukara fort.

Susan took the fort in from above and Gordon from below with a nice cold drink!

 While Gordon was getting directions in order for us not to die of thirst and dehydration, Susan took some time out to grab this stylish pic of her new purchase. A pink bag! (No, only on loan from the bike rental shop).

 Cool heads carved into the mountains.

 Reach for the ..... nah, too easy.

 Post ride beer, always the tastiest.

 Gordon is in trouble! 

 Pushkin & Co. (guess who took another animal picture?!)

We were so close. Our trip to Easter Island prevented us from popping into Bolivia due to time constraints. Oh well, guess we'll just have to come back!