11 Feb - Valley of the Moon & Canyon Hike
We were up before sunrise again today although not as early because the drive was 15 min to a spot above the valley of the moon. We hadn't seen it yet and this would be our last full day here. Jill suggested to our guide that we see the sunrise here instead of the popular sunset. The weather here in the desert often clouds up and rains in the afternoon/evening.
We watched the sunrise from a cliff above the valley and it worked. There were perhaps a dozen folks watching with us. Apparently at sunset, this area can be packed and party central so I definitely liked our version of the cliff.
We then went to drive into the valley only to find it no longer opens at 8am - now 9:30. Lack of visitors in the morning or "laziness"... So we took a side hike up a canyon for just under an hour which was great.
We then got into the valley of the moon and it was remarkable. Stunningly beautiful! We stopped at a viewpoint that requires under 10 min walk and we were there by ourselves! This had views of two sides of a huge gray dune with salt flats on one side and interesting rock formations on both sides.
After this we did several more short walks in the valley before returning to the hotel to pack for the afternoon and bus into town from the hotel to eat lunch. Lunch was so good that we booked dinner for the evening @ the same place.
For the afternoon we got a new guide, Sandra, to walk with us. She loves this hike up through a canyon that generally has a trickle of water. Recent rains have washed the trail away in spots and ruined lots of plants. There was still plenty left to see and it was beautiful but we often had to improvise our own path. We climbed up and around several impassable spots as well as jumped or crossed the " river" by wading across. It should take at most 2 hours but it took us about 2:20 and we were going fast most of the time. I had fun but we both struggled on a few loose rocks along the way.
We were beat after this. Lots of hiking at altitude along with lack of sleep since we departed took a toll. We rested, packed a bit, and prepared to go into town to eat dinner. Dinner was excellent although we both got too much food. The salad itself was a meal but also very fresh and tasty. We hung for a while and nibbled at the mains.
A two person band came and played maybe 3 songs and then asked if we wanted to buy music on disc or donate. We passed. It was tempting because I kept hearing the word "Zaya" in their lyrics.
On the shuttle back to the hotel, we encountered the first Americans in San Pedro de Atacama. It's clearly not on most people's radar in the states. They just arrived so we gave suggestions on what we enjoyed.
We then got into the valley of the moon and it was remarkable. Stunningly beautiful! We stopped at a viewpoint that requires under 10 min walk and we were there by ourselves! This had views of two sides of a huge gray dune with salt flats on one side and interesting rock formations on both sides.
After this we did several more short walks in the valley before returning to the hotel to pack for the afternoon and bus into town from the hotel to eat lunch. Lunch was so good that we booked dinner for the evening @ the same place.
For the afternoon we got a new guide, Sandra, to walk with us. She loves this hike up through a canyon that generally has a trickle of water. Recent rains have washed the trail away in spots and ruined lots of plants. There was still plenty left to see and it was beautiful but we often had to improvise our own path. We climbed up and around several impassable spots as well as jumped or crossed the " river" by wading across. It should take at most 2 hours but it took us about 2:20 and we were going fast most of the time. I had fun but we both struggled on a few loose rocks along the way.
We were beat after this. Lots of hiking at altitude along with lack of sleep since we departed took a toll. We rested, packed a bit, and prepared to go into town to eat dinner. Dinner was excellent although we both got too much food. The salad itself was a meal but also very fresh and tasty. We hung for a while and nibbled at the mains.
A two person band came and played maybe 3 songs and then asked if we wanted to buy music on disc or donate. We passed. It was tempting because I kept hearing the word "Zaya" in their lyrics.
On the shuttle back to the hotel, we encountered the first Americans in San Pedro de Atacama. It's clearly not on most people's radar in the states. They just arrived so we gave suggestions on what we enjoyed.