A
knock on the door in the dead of night wakes us up. I mutter/growl
“gracias” to the night security guard. We both carry on snoozing but
do make it out of our pits on time. Ness has a piccie-hangover, I’m
just a zombie. Outside the stars are beautiful: the half-full moon
has now disappeared over the horizon and the milky way is easily
discernible, a bit lost on Ness who has other things on her head –
ouch, pun!
There is a small crowd of froggies –
oh non! A van for “Desert Adventures” turns up, but it is quite
clear (somehow, in the dark) that we are not part of this group. A
bit later our man turns up, also in a DA van. His name is Germán, a
nice touch since both Sarah Wheeler and Keenan/McCarthy met Germáns
on their trip, admittedly this was an aristocrat and not a mini-van
driver! Gives us a bit of a sob story about how little he sees his
girlfriend. I even tell him that he can bring her along if he is
happy to wake her up at this time but it is lost on him. Bit
further, sob story having been expanded on, he asks if it is ok if
he brings her along. “Of course” (what else can you say? But I do
genuinely mean it – a “foursome” might be more convivial anyway) [Aargh!
did I just say it would be nice to have a “foursome”?!!] We pick her
up from a house in the outskirts of SPdA, name is Gloria but can’t
make her out in the dark.
Ness and I drift off to semi-sleep
for the long lumpy drive, while Germán and Gloria talk
intermittently. It is still the middle of the night and when I open
my eyes I can see a starlit sky out of the van window. Ness is
dozing, probably semi-asleep too. Every now and again I take a peek,
the sky gradually starts getting lighter and the road lumpier. There
is another van behind us and we are probably part of a daily convoy
of vans “doing” the Tatio trip. The road climbs gradually, to
altiplano level, and even with the heater full on it feels cold. The
road disappears altogether in places and we have to cross frozen
streams at various points. I would have been hesitant doing this in
a bruiser-basher but Germán steers then van through slowly and
confidently.
Finally we get to the Tatio geysers.
Plumes of steam rising from earth. The tour vans converge at this
point but rather than detracting from the experience it actually
adds to it. We park ours and after a short lecture by Germán, which
amounts to “it’s cold out there” and “don’t fall in the geysers”, we
(Ness and I – Germán and Gloria stay in the van) wander around in a
daze. We’re still not entirely awake (+ added piccie-factor for
Ness), and the whole place is other-worldly. It is freezing, walking
through the steam warms us up. Everywhere there are small groups of
people wandering about, similarly dazed.
Back at the van Germán has breakfast
for us, so the packed breakfast provided by Altiplanico stays in its
plastic bag. Coffee, hot milk (heated in the geyser), salami and
queso baps, and a bit later we are treated to boiled eggs – yes,
geyser-boiled. Germán looks on incredulously as I heap 3-4 spoons of
coffee powder in my cup. “You like the tea, yes?” he says to Ness,
knowing that we’re from England.
The sun is out by now and we have
another wander through the geyser field, appreciating it more now.
It is spectacular, a trip well worth the early start. After a while
we troop back into the van and drive on to a few bigger geysers,
spread out more. Loose circles of rocks have been placed around the
largest one. These geysers are deeper. Germán tells us how not long
ago a Spanish guy fell in. He had walked into the centre of the
geyser, the steam enveloped him and he lost his bearings. They
pulled him out alive, minus most of his skin apparently, but he died
en route to the hospital. A piece of skin has been left by the
geyser as a warning – it even still has got hairs on. Euaargh!!
Now we go for a long drive across the
altiplano, spotting many vicuñas along the way (seen it before!) The
drive is cross-country in many places – superb! After a stop for
Germán (“this is the rocks of pee-pee”), we come to a stunning view
of the salar. By this time I have managed to get Alex’s tape changed
– same syndrome as with Juan in Arica. The view of the salar is wide,
stunningly beautiful and very special. It all gets a bit much for me
and I have to choke back tears that are welling up. No-one has
noticed thanks to my dark shades. We stop and get out. I ask Germán
to switch off the engine and leave the music playing. Bottom lip now
beginning to quiver so walk forward out of sight. This is very, very
special, this moment – don’t think I’ll forget it in a hurry. Try to
take a picture with the big lens but decide against it – how can you
capture it? The picture would just show a distant flat plain. It’s
100 kilometres long Germán says, and we can see most of it. I tell
him that’s equivalent to half of Belgium!
The drive continues, towards Puritama.
It’s still a long way. The Puritama thermal baths are down a gorge,
quebrada, along a very bad and narrow stretch of road – even Germán
admits this and says he’s worried about the effect on his tyres –
reassuring!
A small shack with attendants is
erected below. There are a few more vans parked. A walkway leads
down the quebrada along the pools. There are changing rooms.
Fortunately one of the big groups, Explora, will be in one large
pool at the top so we have the pick of which pool we’ll go for. Ness
hops into ladies & changing room, I walk on down with Germán and we
find a idyllic pool. I start to change while he acts as lookout to
stop others from jumping in the same pool. Quite unnecessary since
there seem to be plenty of pools for all of us. Pretty quickly I’m
in the pool – lovely warm water, with pampa grass and rocks around.
A low wall and underwater benches have been built out of rock to
provide a small pool from which the water cascades calmly down to
the next pool. A wooden platform has been built by each pool. It is
impossible to see the other bathers, either above or below us.
Soon Ness joins me and we both
declare “happeee!” Germán and Gloria have carried on to a pool
further down. The whole setting is idyllic and we spend ½-1 hour
relaxing in the pool. Some older people walk up and down the
walkway, clearly not intending to jump in. Just not their age’s
thing to be so “free” I guess – don’t know what they’re missing!
Feeling refreshed we climb back in the van, so chilled now that I
hardly notice the hairy drive up, even though I’m sat on the
outside. Ness looking more human now, but dozing most of the way
back. We stop at a group of large cacti which Germán claimed were
his secret. Two vans are already there. “Not my secret anymore!” He
takes a picture of me stood next to the largest cactus, 6-7m in
height. The drive back is still long but we’re so chilled now it
doesn’t really matter. Germán tells me about “Come on Chile way!” –
not sure about the explanation but it’s meaning is clear – “adelante!”
he drops us back at our hotel, around 1-2pm.
Ness has a snooze to sleep off that
last piccie and I have a quiet half hour on our terrace. Then it is
time to get going. Final bits settled at reception, we start the
drive back to Calama. Ness has now fully rejoined the land of the
living and is driving. On the way we take a picture at the something
of patience, an area of cracked earth. It’s a long monotonous drive
back. Over the final hill we get a good long-distance view of Chuqui
– it’s massive. If you didn’t know what to look for you would easily
mistake it for a mountain.
At Calama we end up driving through
outlying bits of town, having missed the turning for the aeropuerto,
but soon find our way. We both feel absolutely knackered and
conversation is limited. On the plane we both sleep, me more than
Ness who is still awake. We’re looking forward to getting away from
all this dust, sand, desert, etc. Our hair, ears, noses, everything
seems to feel sandy and dusty. Santiago will hopefully rejuvenate us
and we’re looking forward to heading to the fresh green south.
At Santiago we’re met by an ADSMundo
rep + driver, and have a comfortable car. The ride takes us through
some less than scenic parts of Santiago, the auto-route was blocked
because of an accident. Bosque Norte is a recommended street, in Las
Condes, for good dining – we’ll see. Hotel is smack bang in the
centre, on a large square with La Moneda along one side. We trudge
in our dusty scruffy gear, feeling under-dressed. Dump bags and
quick splash of water, followed by welcome piccie in the
wood-panelled bar. The nibbles are giant green bogies! Now waiting
for room service to arrive... Ness is already asleep!
