Photos from Chile.
The “valley of the moon” (that’s what “valle de la luna” means) is situated in the Atacama desert, not too far from San Pedro de Atacama.
Indeed, some parts of the valley look as though there was no life on Earth…
Oh, and - of course - there are more “valles de la luna” in other Spanish speaking parts of the world (Bolivia, Argentina…), but this is the most famous one.
Punta Arenas is the southernmost city in the world.
Seems that the brightly coloured roofs have to make up for the rough climate…
View of the sea in Patagonia (Southern Chile).
Although the waether is not exactly inviting, the atmosphere is something unforgettable…
There are many volcanoes in the Chilean altiplano, but it is only when you come to the thermal springs that you really get an impression of the volcanic activity that formed these mountains.
The “moon valley” in the Chielan Andes - one of the most spectacular lanscapes I’ve come across on my travels.
If you click on the image and look at the lower right, you may see that the small black dot there is in fact a human figure…
Not exactly the right place for a nice beach holiday: Patagonia (Southern Chile)
In the Peruvian and Chilean desert, there are numerous, gigantic drawings made by carefully moving aside the dark pebbles thereby exposing the brighter soil underneath.
The most famous examples of this technique are the so-called “geoglyphs” in Nazca Peru.
As the area is mostly flat, these can only be appreciated from a plane!
Did their builders already have the technology to take to air either with a balloon as some believe or even using alien technology as others imply? Or were the images only supposed to be seen by the gods or shamans who could “leave their body” in a state of trance to “fly” over them?
(Personally, I wonder why the drawings are often very crude - if they were produced by aliens capable of interstella travel, it must have been their pre-school children who drew them!).
A slightly less famous (and less enigmatic) specimen is the so-called “Atacama Giant” in the Chilean Atacama desert: this figure is 115 m tall, but can be viewed quite well without leaving the ground as it takes up the slope of a hill.
If the photos fom my Peru travel turn out well, I may be able to post pictures of the Nazca lines as well, - which actually are quite different in style.
Another picture from the Salar de Surire in Northern Chile.
Some of my visitors may have come across my image “Stone Cross
in the Altiplano“.
Here is a shot that shows the surroundings of that picture.
One of the nicest ways of crossing from Argentina into Chile is the “Paso Hua Hum” a combined bus and boat trip. You then come through the area of the “seven lakes”.
This picture was taken in Panguipulli, a small but pleasant town.
A fascinating short trek leads to the Torres del Paine, but unfortunately, the weather is unpredictable.
When we arrived there, the famous peaks were barely visible in the fog.
Still it surely was worth the effort: the Torres del Paine National Park has so much to offer, including crystal clear lakes and many wild animals.
High up in the Chilean Andes, at about 4000 meters, there is a famous geyser: El Tatio.
In the early morning, this is a truly magical place with ice, steam and many colours.
However, this spectacle only lasts for a short time, a few hours after sunrise there isn’t really much to see.
This is why many travelers leave San Pedro de Atacama at night and reach the place before sunrise.
It’s worth it. Take some hot beverages and warm clothes - it can be bitterly cold with temperatures well below 0.
Seems you have to wait for a while until someone takes your order. In any case, I’ve seen more inviting restaurants!
Well, actually I wanted to shoot the sunset, but then thought better of it when I looked at the magical glow of the sun on the mountain peaks.
This is a new scan of one of many shots on the occasion.
Another one: http://www.travelphoto.net/photos/english/chile/E7.HTM
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