Day 63: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Thursday morning, Dan and I rented bikes from our hostel and rode to an attraction called Laguna Cejar. We rode over 25km on very bumpy, unpaved "roads" to get there, all the while questioning if we were going in the right direction; there were no road signs and very few people or cars along the route. We were in the absolute middle of nowhere, which was seeming like a common theme for this region. 

Finally, we made it to our destination. A couple of little buildings and two small lagoons were all that was to be found, and we began to wonder if the arduous ride was worth it. Then, we disrobed and got into the first lagoon. Just as had been advertised, the water was dense with salt, and as soon as we relaxed our bodies, we were able to float! We had both thought the Dead Sea was the only place where such a feat was possible. But here in the middle of a South American desert, we remained buoyant in the clear, natural pool.

We tested out both lagoons, enjoying the mushy, muddy floor as we waded in the water. After we had our fill, we ate our pre-made lunches under a hut that provided the only visible shade. As the water on our bodies dried, it left numerous white streaks of salt behind. 

We spent a little more time in the water before rinsing off in freezing showers and then taking off on our bikes back for San Pedro. By that time, the sun was at its peak, and the rough roads only made the ride more taxing. At one point, we even had to stop riding to let a massive herd of goats and sheep pass. Needless to say, I was exhausted when we finally made it to our hostel two hours later.

That night, after having a little time to unwind, Dan and I went with one of our Valparaíso friends on an organized stargazing trip. Being someone who absolutely loves the night sky and literally cried after seeing her first shooting star, I was ecstatic. We met at 9pm, and then took off in vans for an open field in---you guessed it--the middle of nowhere. The location was absolutely perfect though; the combination of our altitude, the open area, a cloudless night, and the total absence of light pollution made for the most beautiful night sky I have ever seen. The unobstructed view gave the sky a planetarium-like feel, and though the guide had two telescopes present, we preferred to look around with our naked eyes.

The guide was a great resource, as he shared dozens of fascinating tidbits about the stars and planets in view. For example, we learned that in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see at-most 2,500 stars at a time, but here we were able to view a breathtaking 6,000 stars at once. Every few minutes we would become overwhelmed by some new piece of information he shared, that left us feeling equal parts happily intrigued and discouragingly insignificant. The guide also pointed out a number of constellations to us; some were quite easy to identify while for others, he encouraged us to drink more of the provided pisco sour in order to properly spot them. On top of all of this, we were treated to several shooting stars.

After a couple of hours, we went back to the center of the small town. It was our last night in San Pedro, a place that had left me with mixed impressions. On the one hand, I disliked the feeling that the town solely existed as a tourist destination; everything was overpriced and no one was local. On the other hand, the town had a quaint charm, good food, and incredible attractions. So overall, I was happy that we made San Pedro a stop on our journey.