Our border crossing from Mendoza to Santiago thankfully passed quickly and we soon found ourselves back in a big city, ready to see what else Chile had to offer.
Arriving on the 17th October we were warned by our hostel upon check in to be careful tomorrow as there were protests and riots expected. After some googling we found that these were to commemorate the big riots of October 18th 2019, which protested against the government and for a new constitution. Unfazed, the next morning we set out to explore the Cerro Santa Lucia only to find out that it had closed due to the trouble expected today. Quickly changing plans we instead headed to the Cerro San Cristobal to ride the funicular and cable car with views over Santiago. Thankfully this was open, although due to close early at 1:45pm, again due to the day. The views from the top were amazing, and really showed how large Santiago was. Upon disembarking we quickly made our way across to the Central Market, heading straight to Zunino Emporio, a famed empanada shop open since the 1930’s. Here we sampled their Pino empanada, which is probably one of the best of the trip!
We’d booked on to a walking tour for the afternoon so quickly headed to the meeting point after our lunch. The tour was really informative giving us history of the City, background to the current political situation, and information on the impending riots. Due to the riots all of the churches were closed, and some of the important buildings heavily guarded, but thankfully this didn’t affect the tour too much. After having learnt that our hostel was in the centre of the main riot zone we headed back to assess the situation, and whether we’d be able to head out later for dinner. Upon arrival to the streets surrounding the hostel we were greeted by small crowds being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas in the air (that stuff really does burn!) so quickly ran inside. After being told that the situation was due to get even worse as it got later we decided it made sense to stay in for the evening so quickly ran to a local supermarket to grab some ingredients for dinner and an all important bottle of Chilean wine! Dinner was cooked with views out onto the street, with the regular appearance of the water cannon and tear gas - it was actually quite a nice vibe inside as it felt like a lock-in with everyone in it together! When the tear gas got too much we escaped to our room, with plans to wake early and head to Valparaiso tomorrow.
Waking up early the next day we were surprised to see that normal life had resumed, with street cleaners clearing up any leftover debris from last night. The bus to Valparaiso was nice and easy and we arrived with plenty of time ahead of our walking tour at 12pm. The walking tour took us around the Port area, and then up and down some of the surrounding hills to admire the amazing street art, and see the oldest part of Valparaiso and where the city was born. The tour ended with a choice of seeing the damage done by the regular earthquakes to one of the oldest hotels, or going to the oldest bar for their local drink. After opting for both we were told ‘you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’ and taken to the hotel followed by the bar. Making the most of our remaining time we went to see the Concepcion area, followed by the Cultural park, which used to be a prison.
With our time in Santiago coming to an end we spent our final morning before our flight up to Calama exploring Cerro Santa Lucia which was now open. Although rougher than some of the other cities we’ve been in we did actually enjoy our time in Santiago, and felt we’d learnt a lot about the current situation in Chile.
Next on the itinerary was four days in a camper van around the Atacama desert. After arriving in San Pedro de Atacama our hostel owner spent some time giving us hand drawn maps of areas that she recommended we visit, alongside top tips for where we should camp each night. These proved to be invaluable for the next four days, with the hand drawn maps proving to be one of our main sources of navigation! The next day we headed to Wicked Campers to collect the van, and were united with the Pride Mobile, our new home. It took a bit of time to complete the necessary paperwork, and then head to get gas and food but soon we were on the road and heading to our first stop, the Valle de Luna. Due to the bumpy roads it was slow going at times but once we were there the views across the landscape were incredible, really resembling a lunar landscape. After exploring all of the multiple stops we headed to the Coyote Stone for sunset. We’d planned to then camp on the way to the Tatio Geysers, at the Cactus Valley. Wanting to get there before it got completely dark we quickly sprinted off as soon as the sun had gone down but unfortunately didn’t quite make it before it got dark resulting in a few u-turns made on the main road before we found the hidden side road, and made it to the car park for camping.
After a disturbed night’s sleep we were up at 5 am and heading to the Tatio Geysers. The road here was probably one of the worst of the whole trip and we crawled along as the pots and pans in the back of the van crashed around! Thankfully we made it in one piece to admire the vast geysers which surrounded us. They were regularly erupting and we stayed out at long as we could until we could no longer feel our fingers or toes due to the cold! In need of warming up our next stop was the Puritana hot springs. These were located in a little green valley and offered a slice of luxury in camper van life. After heading back to San Pedro for some further supplies and an empanada lunch we were back on the road, this time heading south in the direction of Lake Chaxa in the salt flats. The laguna was beautiful, situated against the mountain backdrop and full of flamingoes, reminding us of our time in the Bolivian salt flats. With the day almost over it was time to find our second camping spot of the trip. After multiple failed attempts to find a spot off the road we lucked out and drove up a small hill next to the road which offered views across to the mountains and the desert below. Tonight we’d planned on expanding on our cooking skills with a veggie curry, however our gas ran out half way through resulting in a cold tomato, coconut and chickpea soup!
For our third day we planned on continuing south to the Piedras Rojas, and then visiting Laguna Miscanti and Monique on our way back. However, after driving all the way there we were informed that tickets could only be bought for all three at Socaire, the town close to where we had camped. Taking pictures we reluctantly started the drive back, deciding to only buy tickets for the two lakes due to the time it would take to drive back to the Piedras Rojas. Tickets secured we were soon driving the bumpy road to the lakes, and greeted by the bluest waters we’d seen all trip. Parking the van we took time to wander the various viewpoints before starting the drive back to San Pedro. Our main aim was to find more cooking gas for dinner tonight. However, with it being a Sunday this proved to be impossible, so we instead opted to buy a cold dinner of meats, cheeses (who knew there was camembert in the desert) and even a duck terrine! As time was getting on we decided to head to our intended camping spot at the Magic Bus in Vallecito. Again, the road here was terrible, but the setting when we got there made it all worth it. After exploring the area and settling in for dinner we were treated to one of our best sunsets of the trip. It also seemed warmer than previous nights so we spent some time sitting outside the van and admiring the stars surrounding us.
Keen to make the most of our final day in the van we immediately headed in the direction of the Rainbow Valley. En route we passed the Petroglyphs so stopped in to admire the markings from thousands of years ago - it appears Llamas were a common theme. We then pressed on, driving across a small river numerous times to meet our destination. The valley was beautiful with the mountains changing from blue, to green and then red around us. We spent some time wandering round here before making our return to San Pedro and our parting with the Pride Mobile.
Tired but happy after an incredible four nights, disconnected in our camper van, it was straight onto a night bus heading to the Valle del Elqui. We’d chosen to base ourselves in Vicuna for two nights, to sample their local Pisco and see the stars. To make the most of it we caught a collectivo to Alba Pisqueria for a tour and tasting. The vineyards were beautiful and it turns out the Pisco they export is actually the one that we have at home! Our afternoon was spent exploring the town, and hiking up to the mirador to admire the surrounding vineyards, before we spent the evening at Alfa Aldea for a tour of the stars. This was really incredible and we were able to see different Galaxies, clusters of stars, and even Jupiter and Saturn with it’s rings. It was the perfect end to our two and a half weeks in Chile.
With realisation that our four months was now coming to an end we returned to Santiago with mixed emotions, but keen to make the most of our final night. We’d booked a table at Chipe Libre, a Pisco bar. Treating ourselves we enjoyed our final Ceviche alongside a flight of Pisco and some Pisco sours. We can’t believe how quickly the past four months have gone but are heading home with so many memories of all of the incredible, once in a lifetime experiences we’ve had.
