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I would rate my time in the Atacama desert among the most enjoyable experiences in my life. It was amazing.

There were ten of us, eleven with the tours manager, William. We left the ship at Ponta Arenas in Patagonia on Friday and, after two flights, we reached Santiago in time to check in to our hotel and enjoy a late afternoon tour of the city.

Then on Saturday a third flight and a road journey took us to San Pedro de Atacama, a small town in the desert, in time for lunch.

The hotel was very comfortable. My apartment had the luxury of two showers, one inside and one outside, and a very pleasant sitting area outside with cushioned benches.

Rainbow Valley

San Pedro sits at approximately 2,400 meters above sea level, a height that can sometimes induce altitude sickness.

After lunch, we traveled to Rainbow Valley, a delightful area at an even higher altitude. Taking our time to fully appreciate the beautiful and fascinating valley, with its uniquely colourful rock formations, we were barely conscious of the thinner air as we walked along the marked pathways.

To protect the environment, visitors are not permitted to tread outside the walkways marked with small stones.

We were accompanied by two very knowledgeable guides. The photo above shows Sebastian with three of our group members, Mike, Richard and Harry.

William captured the journey highlights which he would later use to provide us with a video record of our experiences.

Astronomical Experience

Later, after dinner and after dark, Sebastian returned and, armed with his laser pointer, 12-inch reflector telescope, and some fine Chilean wine, he provided a fascinating astronomical experience in the total darkness of a far corner of the hotel grounds.

After that we were all ready for bed. It had been a long fully active day and we needed to rest and prepare for the adventures to follow.