This is a big area with spectacular eroded landscapes. Originally a salt flat, the area was uplifted by seismic activity. Two weeks before we arrived, there was a record rainstorm and the dry brown hills were transformed into a fairyland of salt-encrusted landscape producing a never-before scene of white dusting, new watercourses and white river beds. We went to several lookouts, walked in a big sandstorm and watched the sunset over the desert.
I had crossed into Chile over a 4900m pass in a 4WD and transferred to a bus for the 30-minute drive to San Pedro de Atacama (pop 3200, elevation 2440), an oasis in the middle of the desert. 10 years ago there were 5 hotels here and now 100, with many restaurants and tour agencies. Every tour company offers the same tours – to the salt flats, geyser fields, sand boarding on the dunes, and lakes. It is a major stop on the gringo trail. Many skip the very northern part of Chili. San Pedro has narrow dirt streets lined with one-story buildings and adobe walls.
That night I went to an astronomy show with 10 telescopes run by a Canadian from Hamilton.
This was the first day of the Atacama section of the four desert ultramarathons (the others are in the Sahara in southern Morocco – hottest, Gobi desert in Mongolia – windiest, and the Antarctic – coldest), all about 260kms long involving about a marathon a day carrying 9 kg packs over 6 days. There were runners in town from all over the world.