Heading South


A Quick Summary
We spent a few more days in the Atacama desert before flying down to Santiago. For the rest of the week, we explored Santiago, including a day trip to Valparaíso on the west coast of Chile. 


Highs and Lows
Off-roading in the desert:
On our salt flats tour, we met this German guy named Simon, who was travelling with his nephew Ezra. After the tour, they rented a truck and offered to let us join them in exploring the desert. 

Our new friends

At one point, we were driving down the highway and passed a dirt road with a sign that said "mirador", or viewpoint. Simon turned the car around and we headed down the road which ended up being way longer than any of us expected. After a few dead ends and almost getting stuck on a hill, we loosely followed some tire tracks to a viewpoint overlooking this massive salt flat (that was actually in Argentina as we had driven almost all the way to the border).

Cam looking over the salt flats

Our trusty Toyota 

Other than those salt flats, we also stopped at a bunch of really neat viewpoints in the two days we were with Simon and Ezra. It was a lot of fun getting to explore the desert with them!

A very windy lake viewpoint 

David exploring some rocks 

Cam relaxing 

Green mountain

Resting in Santiago:
Santiago is a very developed city, to the point where it basically feels like a first-world country. There is a great metro system, clean parks, western fast food chains and reliable internet. Spending a few days here has felt like a "break" from travelling the less developed areas, which has been really nice to rest and recover some energy for the next bit of the trip!

Riding cable cars in Santiago

Colorful houses in Valparaíso 

Eating ice cream without worrying about getting sick!

One of many cool street murals in Valparaíso 

Food Review
Smoked salmon sandwich: 9.5/10
After being in Bolivia and Peru for about a month, I was really looking forward to eating something that wasn't deep fried or boiled. Simon recommended this French bakery in San Pedro de Atacama that served these huge sandwiches on their fresh baguettes. The sandwich itself was good, but it being the first fresh thing I've eaten in a long time made it even better.


Extra Photos
A whole row to myself on the plane!
 
Lookout point from a short hike in Santiago

Colorful streets in Valparaíso 

More cool street art in Valparaíso 




Comments

  1. DJune 17, 2023 at 9:53 PM

    Even your "break" sounds adventurous! Great pics! I bet we can only half imagine your relief at having food without worry

    ReplyDelete
  2. A. DebbieJune 18, 2023 at 2:32 AM

    So glad you and your friends are enjoying Santiago and Valparaiso (so colourful!). Exploring the less developed areas really gives a sense of appreciation for all the things we take for granted. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MomJune 18, 2023 at 6:21 AM

    Nice you are meeting and able to sightsee with other travellers. Also nice to have ‘safe’ yummy food! I continue to love all the pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJune 18, 2023 at 3:39 PM

    Enjoying all your photos and details of your trip. - Gma&
    Gpa

    ReplyDelete
  5. JarydJune 18, 2023 at 4:12 PM

    Thanks everyone for reading and leaving comments! I always enjoy reading them

    ReplyDelete
  6. Heather MatsonJune 18, 2023 at 11:36 PM

    Gotta say I've never thought of rock walls as being conducive to relaxing. Haha. Cool Valparaiso photos. Where did the cable cars go? Are they a touristy thing or part of the transportation system?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JarydJune 20, 2023 at 4:00 AM

      Thanks for following along! The cable cars are just a touristy thing in Santiago!

      Delete

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