Amazon Adventures Part 2!

If you are following along with my blogs, you will remember that I left off on a boat in the middle of the river with a captain who was asleep!!! Not ideal at all. Well…the ‘capitan’ woke up enough to get us to our destination, and things started to turn around in the jungle. We were on our way to Lake Sandoval, and we needed to hike through the jungle for an hour to find our canoes. We trekked along an elevated wooden platform that had slats at varying distances apart. You had to pay attention and skip over the rotten ones while avoiding the really big cracks. Every so often, our trek was complicated further by having to jockey around locals pulling carts weighted down with big sacks of Brazil nuts heading towards town. It was cool to see the source of these beloved nuts! We didn’t want to step off the path as there were huge tarantulas that Jorge coaxed out of their homes, termite nests, wolf spiders, tree frogs and poisonous centipedes. I’m confident there was a whole slew of other dangerous things lurking nearby that Jorge didn’t bother to show us, too!!! After this first adventure, we arrived at the canoes, which we found flooded from the previous night's torrential rain. Twenty minutes of bailing by the “canoe wrangler” left us with a reasonably dry, 20-foot-long jungle boat. Jorge navigated the longboats through the river's narrow swampland channel out onto Lake Sandoval, which was an oxbow lake (meaning it used to be part of the river).

Jorge was very experienced in the jungle. Before he became a guide, he was a ranger in Tambopata Park. He pointed out birds and animals by sound, and we felt assured that he would make up for any lack of confidence we had earlier on the boat. He pointed out Black Caiman, interesting birds and river otters munching on fish. (It was our lucky day as he had not seen the otters in a month). Jorge told us about the land, native peoples, politics and loads of facts and details about the animals, trees, plants and insects. He could pick out animals from far distances in camouflage both day and night. He was also a skilled photographer, capturing incredible shots and videos of our encounters on our phones (who knew our cameras had so many features). I had told him I was a teacher and that my students had helped plan our trip to South America. I shared the animals we had studied, and he let me know which ones he thought we would see. My kiddos were going to be excited to see all the photos and videos. OK, let’s be honest, I was pretty excited too! He even sent me a load of digital resources for school. My South American content focus was going to take on a whole new life after this trip, that was for sure!

Back at the lodge, Jorge would share meals with us, explaining how the traditional foods and sauces were prepared and what flavour of delicious tropical fruit juice we were being served. Before working as a ranger, Jorge trained as a chef. He was such an interesting fellow, and we all felt pretty fortunate to have him as our guide. He introduced us to Pepe, the green parrot that lived on the resort, the red McCaw who had been injured in a Harpy Eagle attack and to his family that owned the resort and surrounding lands. All of the staff were local, and Jorge referred to many of them as cousins. As other guests arrived at the lodge with different guides, we wondered if they were as lucky as we were.

Jorge knew this land well, as he had grown up here with his grandfather, learning how to survive. He talked about the way they lived, and some of the choices they had made that had some longer-term effects in the jungle. But that was just how the people had survived back then, and they didn't know any different. Now, they try to do things differently, but there is still much destruction happening along the river due to gold mining. He also told a story about his father making soup and how delicious it smelled. He sat down to eat and saw the hand of a monkey in his bowl, and ran away crying. He vowed he would never eat a monkey.

Our second day in the Amazon required us to get up even earlier than the first. We needed to leave early to get to the clay licks shortly after sunrise to see the parrots and the sloths. The power outages were a regular occurrence, and we just learned to roll with it and settled into the fact that we were going to be hot and sweaty for the duration. There was no use trying to fight it; it was humid and everything was damp! Thankfully, the Carnivale festivities were over, and despite no fan and the heat, we all got a little bit more sleep. Jorge had a good conversation with the ‘capitan’ and he was waiting at the boat for us - awake, looking polished in his resort uniform, with both socks and shoes on his feet, with apologies! We were on the water by 5:00 am. Day two was looking a lot better!

Later that evening we headed out on a night hike. The skies were clear and rain wasn’t going to interfere with our plans. Not too far from the lodge, we visited the land of Mr. Nimms. He was a bachelor living in the jungle on the 35 acres of land he farmed. He lived on a platform with a roof in the open air. No mosquito net, no bug spray, no running water, no door to pull off its hinges… he did have an extensive set of pots and pans, though, and I wondered how he kept his food safe from all the wildlife. There was a fire burning when we arrived, and he was sitting in a chair enjoying life. Kind of like Mark does with his feet up, except there was no La-Z-Boy recliner, no game on the big screen and definately not a cold drink around for miles. Mr. Nimms didn’t believe in any technology other than a radio. We all greeted him in disbelief as Jorge logged our visit into his book with a pencil. Wow, what a lifestyle!

We headed out on many excursions with Jorge during our stay and always came home with lots of videos, photos and stories of the shenanigans we had gotten into together as a group. We swatted away insects, trekked through water deep enough to flow into our rubber boots, skiied down muddy slopes in flipflops, kayaked down the river and back up against the current to see the black caiman we all paddled far too close to. We saw loads of animals… but still no moose in case you were wondering, and we ooh’d and awww’d and laughed a lot!!


Our final day was almost as interesting as our first. After ziplining in what should have been a condemned treetop course (more oohing and awwing!!!), we got packed up. We said our goodbyes, shared memories, exchanged contact information, and waited for our shuttle to pick us up and take us to the airport. We waited and waited. Then we got the ‘uno momento’ line again. Oh boy, we knew what that meant… Our driver was going to show up with one sock in about an hour, covered in mud. We took turns standing in front of the fan to cool down, chatting, more laughing, and continued to wait (thankfully, the power was on). Jorge had long gone, and Luis and Ylenia were not translating for us. Go Spain!! It turned out our original shuttle had broken down with transmission trouble, and the staff were looking for alternative options. Yeah right… I bet there was a carnivale and a bass somewhere last night for that driver!!! Maybe the ‘capitan’ moonlighted as a shuttle driver!! We continued to wait, and as time ticked by, the laughing decreased, and stress levels started to increase. We wondered if we might miss our flight. The staff were apologetic, and there was lots of conversation occurring around us in Spanish. We knew when they said ‘cinqo momento”, we were in trouble! Finally, with little time to spare, two taxis pulled up, and we piled in. We made it to the airport in time. Phewww. We even had time to purchase a couple of t-shirts when Jorge showed up on his motorcycle. His cousin, of course, had a souvenir shop!

Although our experience in the Amazon had some less-than-perfect moments, we had a great time! Things don’t always go as planned when travelling, but that means I usually have a story to tell. Every time we encountered a hiccup, the staff at the lodge were gracious and tried to make things right. They were all so kind and accommodating, and that made all the difference for us. They heard Mark liked ceviche, so we had ceviche the next day for lunch. We showed interest in the cocoa tree, and we got to try the inside of the fruit. I broke the door of our cabin, and they were there to fix it without judgment, even though they couldn’t believe how the heck I had pulled it off its track! Every time we headed out on an excursion, our bed was made, mosquito net tied up, bathroom cleaned, and garbage emptied when we returned. They even left us dry towels. Well, to be absolutely honest, they were a little damp, but they really tried! It wasn’t a five-star luxurious resort by any means, but we were well taken care of, and our bellies were filled up to the brim. As were our memory banks; grateful for the company, experiences and the luxuries we so often take for granted.

Photos Jorge had taken that he sent me for school, so beautiful!!

Not what we signed up for in the Amazon!

We landed in Puerto Maldonado at the smallest airport we have seen on this trip. As we walked down the stairs from the plane, Mark took a deep breath, feeling thankful he could breathe easily again, and the rest of us were hit with a wall of heat and humidity. We were definitely in a different climate! We piled into a van, sweaty, with six other people and crossed our fingers that our luggage, thrown on top of the van, would make it to the jungle resort. How it made it is beyond me, as I’m pretty sure they didn’t strap it down, and some of the potholes and construction zones we passed through could have swallowed us whole!

We arrived at the Tranco Tambopata resort, after bouncing around on the dirt roads, all a little sweatier. We started to call our taxi rides ‘South American Massages’ due to the amount of vibrating and deep tissue work we would receive en route. Our guide, Jorge, and the staff greeted us warmly with fresh-squeezed starfruit juice, and we sat down to a full-course lunch. There were only nine of us in the resort when we arrived, and we were all excited for the adventures Jorge had planned for us. We learned we would be going out on a sunset cruise, and had about an hour to check into our rooms and get ready for our first excursion.

It was hot and steamy, and as we expected, the air conditioner was a floor fan. We couldn’t fathom dressing in long pants and long sleeves for our boat ride and night walk, but none of us knew what we were in for as far as the bugs went. We were prepared for anything. I didn’t think to ask if Little Mark had packed an extra set of underwear or not, but I knew Sharon had her purse full of a travelling pharmacy! We had all started to take our Malaria medication, and my tummy was feeling off. Thankfully, a couple of Pepto Bismol and I was as good as gold.

We trekked through the jungle, startled by the thunder in the distance, to the river where Jorge whistled for the boat. As we waited, we could see lightning in the distance. We all wondered if heading out on a boat in the thunder and lightning was a good idea, but we needn’t worry because the boat never showed up. Jorge gave us the "one momento" line and disappeared. He returned shortly after with apologies, as the weather wasn’t safe enough for us to travel. We turned back toward the eco lodge, disappointed and even more sweaty than before, just as the sky opened and it started to pour down rain! We were in the rainforest, baby! We regrouped, had happy hour and settled into a night of games and cards. We decided to tuck into bed early as Jorge had informed us that we needed to meet back at 5:00 am to catch the boat for tomorrow’s excursion. We were supplied with umbrellas to make the short trek to our cabins, and within minutes we were all tucked into our mosquito nets, ready for a good night’s sleep.

Well…. as you have probably guessed… There is going to be more to this story. We had managed to catch every celebration there was on this trip, from opening Carnivale celebrations, parades, birthday parties for lakes…you name it, so why would the Amazon be any different? We were lucky enough to land in during the closing ceremonies for Carnivale. The rain was still pouring, the cracks of lightning and thunder were deafening, and the music was pumping with a repeating, steady bass beat that travelled all the way from town. You would think we would be safe more than 20 km away, but they were “all about the base, ‘bout the base, ‘bout the base, no trouble!!! Meagan Trainor would have been proud. We tossed and turned and had just started to doze off when the power went out. No trouble… the lack of power wouldn’t bother us; we were tucked into bed… until the generator started up. I’d like you all to imagine how peaceful the jungle sounds are, accompanied by lightning, thunder, Johnny Base, the generator… oh and NO FAN, did I mention we were hot?

Four-fifteen arrived very early, and there was no need for an alarm clock for any of us, as we had barely slept. The power was still out, and the nine of us, sleepy and still sweaty, met for our first Rainforest excursion. Our group consisted of the five of us, quickly known as the Canadians, a young couple from the Canary Islands and another couple from the UK. We trekked back through the forest in the dark to the riverbank, making bets as to whether the boat would be there waiting for us.

Again, Jorge whistled, no response… ”one memento” and off he went. When he returned, he told us that the ‘capitan’ had been sleeping as he was up throughout the night bailing out the boat because of the storm. Oh, great, that didn’t sound good! We waited, and waited, mourning the sleep we had lost. Jorge “one momento’d” us again and off he went. Shortly after, we saw a movement upriver. The ‘capitan’ had awakened and was in the boat, then out of the boat, then he was gone. We figured he had crawled back into bed. Finally, he appeared again… in the boat, out of the boat, and then he fell… he was covered in mud. Sharon was giving us the running commentary. It was close to 6:00 am now, and the boat finally pulled up to our dock. We had two flights of stairs down to the riverbed to board the boat. The water was lower than usual, and Jorge had laid a 2x6 across the mud for us to walk on. None of us were pushing to go first; we knew what lurked in that water!!! The young couple from Spain, Luis and Ylenia, offered to lead the way - Go Spain!!

Definitely looking sleepy!!!

This crew looks a little perkier!

The ‘capitan’ covered in mud with one sock on handed us our life jackets, and we set off downriver. We were enjoying the scenery when we noticed the ‘capitan’ was dozing off. He was perched up on the wooden side of the boat with his hand on the throttle… with his EYES CLOSED!! This didn’t just happen once; it happened several times. If he kept that up, he was going overboard. I politely called for Jorge to let him know the ‘capitan’ was asleep, and Sharon was not so subtle. She started clapping to get his attention. Wake up!! Sharon didn’t think this was the time to be polite. One time, we were headed straight for the bank! Jorge was not impressed. We were an hour late getting on the river, and now we were weaving back and forth across the river as our ‘capitan’ was passing out at the ‘wheel’. I’m pretty sure he must have been rocking on with the bass and Megan Trainor at the Carnivale celebrations in town last night. That would explain a lot of things. This Amazonian experience was not what we had signed up for. The ‘capitan’ certainly wasn’t falling asleep in ANY of the videos we had watched to help us choose our Amazon trip. YIKES! Stay tuned for more of our experiences in the Amazon; they do get better. I promise!

The evidence!

Cusco, Peru

Fireworks at 7:00 am to wake the city, spontaneous parades in the streets, endless markets of all kinds and elevation challenges sum up our time in Cusco. The city itself is sprawling, yet it is tucked into a valley surrounded by mountains. It also boasts a white statue of Christ and ruins called Saqsaywaman, which doesn't mean what it sounds like at all!

Returning to elevation brought some challenges for most of us, which we found surprising. Mark had trouble breathing at night and, therefore, trouble sleeping too. After a few hours of sleep, he would wake, not being able to get a deep breath. The first night, he got 2 hours of sleep, and the second night, he was able to get 4, but that was it. By the third night, he slept through once his elevation medication kicked in. We took advantage of some downtime in our apartment, reading books, napping, getting caught up on the blog and watching the news. Although we did some hiking, we all had to take things slowly. As soon as I started hiking uphill, I would start yawning, which was quickly referred to as my oxygen snack. 

Game time!!!

Cusco tucked in amongst the mountains.

Our first night in Cusco, we went out for dinner to an Irish Pub. I was dying for French fries and was certainly not disappointed by the huge bowl that was delivered! Little Mark and Sharon treated us to a delectable steak dinner, and we bought fresh fruit and vegetables at the market for our breakfast and lunches. Sherry Lee introduced us to custard apples and Lucuma yogurt, which was to die for. 

Delicious steak dinner in!!

Just what I was craving!!!

There were markets of all kinds in Cusco, regardless of what you needed... a drain for the sink, new running shoes, tapestries, ceramic bulls, or stuffed llamas, you were sure to find it down a cobblestone street or tucked into a market stall. Vendors sold items in the streets too; juice, fruit, veggies, corn and quail eggs were at your disposal. One vendor was even selling snail slime for your skin that other travellers said was amazing and ten times the price in the US. I wasn't convinced and decided to pass. 

Mark and I LOVE checking out the markets.

We hiked up to see the Christ statue that overlooked the city and were treated to a stunning view. We stopped to watch a parade whose significance we are still unsure of. It seems celebrations and fireworks are going off at any given time of day! Sharon looked it up and learned that fireworks are constant in Cusco due to the deep-rooted cultural and religious traditions of celebrating saints, festivals, and new beginnings with noise and light. The fireworks set off in the mornings (often mistaken for gunshots) are noise celebrations to wake the city and start the day with celebration. We could have done without those!

It was quite the hike up to Christo Blako and Saqsaywaman, especially when you can't get a deep breath!!!

Although Cusco is a rather large city, we all enjoyed our time here. The centre square was beautiful, surrounded by churches and ornate buildings. We all supported the locals by buying gifts to take home as our trip was quickly coming to an end. Rest and quiet time were enjoyed by all as we geared up to head to the Amazon Jungle.  All of us are looking forward to those adventures, and I'm sure there will be more stories to share with you soon... stay tuned!

No horns, yet fireworks can be set off at any time of day, lol!

Machu Picchu, Peru

Such a magical place to explore with the dearest of friends. 

Our South American group of four picked up Sherry Lee in Cusco, and the five of us made our way to Ollantaytambo, Peru. Ollantaytambo is the cutest little Incan village, and it would be our home base while we travelled to Machu Picchu. The town was alive with tourists and locals, and we saw the first day of school ceremonies, where students and teachers paraded through the streets. I think we should have a big parade at HSC on the first day of school next year! The roads were made of cobblestones and decorated with pom pom archways. There was even a human traffic light to direct traffic through a very narrow passage. Beautiful aqueducts ran through the town, supplying water to the businesses and locals.

Ollayantambo

First day of school celebrations.

 We were excited to be visiting another one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. My students, Chloe and Ayla, had researched Peru and highly recommended a visit to Machu Picchu. It was on my bucket list for sure! We took the Peru Rail train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (hot water). We visited the natural hot springs in Aguas Calientes, which the town was named after, and we even dined on alpaca. The food has been spectacular in Peru. The train trip was beautiful, passing through mountains, over rivers and through small towns and valleys. We were served quinoa snacks, which is a staple ingredient here and enjoyed the mountain view through the vistadome overhead. The bus trip up to Machu Picchu, on the other hand, was crazy! We climbed switchbacks where the front of the bus overhung cliffs, going around the corners, and the road had no guardrails. Sherry Lee sat up front with the driver on one trip and couldn’t believe her eyes. She had a whole new appreciation for the drivers by the time we reached our destination.

Avocado trees, schools and the hike up to the hot springs.

The train, Aguas Calientes and some of our meals, yum yum!

The bus ride up...there was a guard rail on the bridge, thank goodness!

Machu Picchu was incredible. It is a once-in-a-lifetime destination for some, and we were lucky enough to visit it two days in a row. Since it was the rainy season, we booked two days to increase our chances of clear views. We got lucky, and both days were spectacular. The views from above were stunning. On our first day, we hired a guide to share facts and history about the ruins, and on the second day, we were on our own to explore. We walked through the fortified town and took pictures with the llamas, who appeared to be posing for photos. They didn’t look real. The stone construction was unbelievable; it was hard to imagine how the Incas carved and moved the stone over miles to build walls where the smooth rocks fit together like puzzles.

Stunning...

Just three Chatsworth gals getting rad with the llamas!

After two spectacular days in Machu Picchu, we ran to catch the train back to Ollantaytambo. We had been enjoying another spectacular dinner and barely made it; I think we were the last ones to board the train. Once back in Ollyantaytambo, we travelled around the Sacred Valley learning about textiles and shopping. We hiked through more ruins where royalty and researchers had once lived. We visited the salt mines and Little Mark, and Sherry Lee even went zip-lining! We hiked through the countryside with spectacular views of the town. We saw so many cacti and even tried the prickly pears, the fruit that grows on the top of the cactus.

Exploring the Sacred Valley

It is hard to put a visit to Machu Picchu into words. The site itself is spectacular, but to visit it with dear friends made the experience even more special. Who would have thought that three childhood friends from Chatsworth would end up in South America together? Ayla and Chloe, thank you for sharing your research on Machu Picchu and for helping us prepare for our trip. Sharon, Little Mark and Sherry Lee, thank you for being a special part of these magical memories with us.

Lake Titicaca

We are always grateful when we get to learn about the culture and people of the places we visit while travelling. On Lake Titicaca, we got to do just that. We boarded our boat early in the morning in Puno city. We were lucky to have great weather, and the women were waiting to greet us when we arrived at the Uros Islands. We were welcomed onto the small floating island by the president. Five families lived on this small section of the floating village. Only the mothers and children are on the islands during the day, as the men are working, harvesting more totora reeds to keep the islands afloat. We learned how the islands were built and required monthly maintenance to prevent them from sinking into the lake. I think our island was ready for a refurb as we all had soakers! The houses are lifted, and new layers of totora reeds are added to the foundation, which is 6 inches higher than the island’s surface every month or so. We were welcomed into the modest one-room home where the family of five lived. They had solar energy, generators and cooked over the fire in the kitchen hut. They had cell phones, radios and even a small TV. The Uros people rely on fish and birds for their meals, and they also eat the tender stalks of the reeds on which their livelihood sits. The totora reeds are peeled like a banana and are a source of calcium, magnesium and other macro nutrients. At different times of the year, the taste varies from sweet to salty. We thought it tasted like celery. While we were enjoying a little snack, a little wet, white, furry dog snuggled up against Sharon and me. Just like the people, he too was very affectionate. Now, not only did we have wet feet, but our pant legs were also damp!

The families on the island share resources with those on neighbouring islands, particularly when it comes to tourism funds. Tourism, along with fishing and bird hunting, are the main source of income for the Uros people. There are small island hotels where guests can stay overnight, and visitors are encouraged to take a ride in the traditional reed boats called balsas. Life is not easy on the floating islands for this Indigenous group, yet the people are steadfast in their traditions, happy and welcoming. The older children help to care for their younger siblings and are taught that they must work and contribute to the family home. We enjoyed watching the little rolly polly youngest child on our island, and Sharon couldn’t help herself but snatched her up for a cuddle. She was so happy, and you could see the joy in her interactions with her older brother and sister, who entertained us by singing during our boat ride. We were starting to see a real theme in the Uros Islands, as when the mom took back the little baby, Sharon was left with a wet lap. Sadly, we also learned that many young children drown in the cool waters, as they don’t learn to swim until the age of 5.

We left a little bit of hearts behind in Uros and boarded the boat with souvenirs in hand to head to the island of Taquile. Two Indigenous groups in Peru inhabit the mainland and coastlines, the Aymara and Quechua. On Taquile, we learned about the Aymara people who have a history from before the Incan Empire. The Aymara people rely on textiles and agriculture for their livelihood. We learned about the family makeup and the customs and traditions surrounding marriage, which was so interesting. The women are the weavers, and the men are the knitters. When a man is ready to choose a wife, he must first knit a hat. The hat is presented to the female prospect and is tested to see if it holds water. If the weave is tight enough to hold water, it suggests that the man is a diligent, meticulous, hard worker and will be a good choice for a spouse. Little Mark was grateful that he had attracted Sharon with his strapping good looks and charismatic personality, as he figured his hat would resemble something more in line with Swiss cheese! The hats are worn in different ways to suggest whether they are children, seeking a spouse, or married. By flipping the Pom-Pom and the top of the toque-like hat to the left, they indicate they are actively seeking a partner. If signals were only that easy in Canada. Children are also presented with knitted hats which indicate their gender by colour. There are also different hats to represent the social class of the Aymara people.

A couple of versions of the hats.

When the women are ready to choose marriage, they must weave a belt to present to their future husband. The belt consists of two components. One is woven from their own hair (yes, you read that right, their own human hair), and the hair of an alpaca, which they use to create a black and white striped pattern. The other portion is a woven textile that is colourful with intricate patterns. When the young women are looking for a spouse, they dress in bold, bright colours, and instead of hats, it is their blouses or shawls that indicate their marital status. The size and number of the pom-poms on their shawls all have different meanings. Neither party may enter into marriage until they have knitted their hat or woven their belt, which often takes months and months of meticulous work.

The black and white is the matrimonial belt made of human hair, and the beautiful textile weaving.

Agriculture flourishes on the steep slopes with terraces, which are hand-built. There are no cars on the island, nor are there working animals; everything has been built by hand. We trekked up the steep slopes, taking in the scenery while managing the altitude gains. It took us an hour to reach our lunch location. Sweaty, thirsty and out of breath, we were all ready for a break! During lunch, we learned how rainbow trout had been introduced and had taken over the smaller fish that inhabited the lake. Quinoa is also a staple ingredient in the Aymara people's diet. We had a delicious quinoa soup that was loaded with vegetables grown on the island. We also saw many sheep on the island whose fur was turned into yarn. We watched a demonstration where a plant is ground and used as a detergent to clean the wool. It is also known to increase hair growth for women when used as a shampoo, so that they may harvest enough of their own hair to weave their matrimonial belt. Sharon and I were thankful that this tradition did not exist in our cultures, as our fine, thin hair would never be able to attract a husband! We tried a sample, and all laughed as Mark rubbed it on the top of his head after our guide promised us that we would all have long, luxurious hair within a month… So stay tuned!

Quinoa soup, and no picture of the trout meal... I had an omelette instead!

After lunch, we were treated to a show, and I learned one of the traditional dances! We got so busy chatting with the people and looking at all the different textiles that we didn’t realize our group had left. We started running down the steep slopes of the island. About ½ way down, Mark thought we were going the wrong way. All of us panicked as there was no way we were going to climb back up to find an alternate route. Trailing at the end, I called out to the others to save themselves! I would just have to resign myself to living amongst the Aymara people. Oh boy, I don’t really like fish, and I certainly don’t have long, luscious locks of hair. I guess I would be relying on that shampoo to work its miracles and fast.

No pictures of the route down! We were too busy running. 

Thankfully, we all made it to the boat on time, and nobody was left behind. It was an incredible day on Lake Titicaca learning about the people, their lives and unique cultures, but we were also grateful to return to our warm showers and DRY, cozy beds.

Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert in Northern Chile is one of the driest places on earth, yet life not only survives but thrives. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting when Mark said we were heading to the desert for more hiking, mountains and volcanoes, but I was pleasantly surprised by what we discovered. In and around San Pedro de Atacama, we saw everything from moon-like landscapes, starry galaxies, stunning sunsets, saltwater lagoons, salt flats, flamingos, volcanoes, slot canyons, green valleys, houses built from straw and mud and the coolest little bustling town. 

Mark was in awe of the landscapes, and I was thrilled to see fresh fruits and vegetables. Definitely not what I was expecting to find in the desert! It was looking like Chile was going to have something for both of us.

San Pedro de Atacama sits at about 2400 m above sea level, which was a good introduction to the elevation we would experience on this leg of the trip. It was recommended that we acclimate in town before we ventured off to any higher destinations. We relaxed a bit and packed our water bottles to head out to the Valley of the Moon. It really did look like the moon! We did a little hiking while keeping an eye on our heart rates, and thankfully, we felt good and adjusted well.  We saw a beautiful sunset and soaked in the spectacular views. 

The next day, we headed to the saltwater lagoon for a float. The water was cool and refreshing. Mark was amazed at his buoyancy. He had never really experienced floating before, but with 30% salt content, he felt like he was walking on water! The highlight of my day was Lake Chaxa, where we got to see flamingos in their natural environment! 

While acclimating, it was recommended that we take things slowly, drink as much water as our bodies could possibly handle, eat smaller meals and drink no alcohol. No problem. I really didn’t want altitude sickness, so I was prepared to excel at these recommendations… unfortunately, my head and bladder had other plans! I drank a lot and peed even more… yet still I got a headache. I figured I just needed more water, so I continued to drink, which, if you know me at all, is challenging unless the beverage comes in a red can! I drank so much water that I got up five times in the night to pee. It was so dry that when I got up, I had to drink even more water - my mouth was like sandpaper. I drank a litre of water in the night alone between bathroom trips! I was worried; this level of water consumption was not sustainable. 

With Advil and Tylenol on board and, of course, a truckload of water, we continued to push our bodies with more elevation gain throughout the week. The drugs had helped with the headache the first couple of days, and soon I was trekking at 4200 meters above sea level, drug-free, without too many complaints. 

Our daily outings took us to some amazing locations, which surprised us both. We hiked through dry dusty slot canyons and lush green valleys. We saw lots of animals, desert plants, and red rock that reminded us of Utah.

There were such vast contrasts in the land and its geography that Mark was in heaven. At least he felt pretty close to it with the crystal clear night skies. We went stargazing after sunsets, and on our last night in the desert, we visited an observatory. We learned all about space and got to see galaxies,  stars, moons and planets through some incredible telescopes.

Honestly, our five days in the desert were out of this world, and the food and people were too! Life is not only surviving here, but it is also thriving, and we were too! Next stop Peru.   Machu Picchu, here we come…, but first, I need to stop for a bathroom break!