So the other day we left the one llama town of Susques heading for the Argentinian/Chilean Border at the Paso de Jama which was about 130km away. And at an elevation of 4,200m. We were still chewing on our coca leaves. Plan was to spend the last of our Argentinian pesos on petrol at a petrol station just before the border. The logistics of getting petrol to the petrol station 250km off the main road baffled us. But they had run out of petrol anyway, just diesel left.
Next stop was the Immigration and Customs post where we filled in all the forms etc with our right cheeks puffed out, hamster like. Not too much of an issue as the officials were displaying the same facial disfigurement. You have to sign papers and have luggage and vehicles inspected to enter Chile. No meat, fresh fruit or vegetables or plants. Of course we signed our lives away knowing full well that we had hidden the stash at the bottom of the shoe bag such that any sniffer dogs would be put off by the smell of shoes. But there were no sniffer dogs and the official didn't ask to open the shoe bag. So now add smuggling to possession of illegal substances. We just chew on drugs that smell of old shoes now.
Then there were more salt flats. Not the really big ones but more very salty water with salt round the edges where the water had evaporated.
And volcanoes.
And llamas.
And vicunas and flamingos.
And some quite amazing scenery but it got quite chilly again in Chile at just over 4,800m altitude. The descent into San Pedro de Atacama, where we are staying for New Year, was amazing with lorries in first gear in case things got out of hand. It would have been great for the cyclists; but then again, they would have had to get up there in the first place in order to be able to come down.
So we are now staying in the driest place in the world, the Atacama desert. San Pedro itself has some rain but there are areas of the Atacama that have no rain whatsoever. As we have mentioned before, Chile is expensive so our modest hostel accommodation doesn't come with a swimming pool this time. We just have to remember the views.
