2015-05-01: Valle de la Lune (1/2)

Most tourist go at least once to Valle de la Lune to enjoy the sun set. And so did I.  Though also desert, it looks quite different from the other places that I had seen around San Pedro so far. The mineral and salt deposits give it a white appearance that looks like snow from a distance.

The guide dropped us in several different places in the valley, before he took us up to the sun set view point overlooking the valley. First, we were walking through a valley and up a little hill.  Then, we would visit the Three Marias, a formation of salt crust that was named by Pater Le Paige (apparently, he was biased by his profession when choosing the name — I saw everything but Marias). We then stopped at a lookout point overlooking another valley before we were dropped at the sun set view point.

“We” is actually not limited to the 10 participants of the tour. All tours in the area made their way to this view point so the place became busy as a bee hive. The sun set here is not something one experiences by himself and quietly in harmony with nature 🙂

There was a rock projection on which everybody had is photograph taken — the chikas of the tour ensured that I queued up to the long line for the scenic view point as well and took some pictures of me.

Coming back to San Pedro, I met up with Nina and Maren, and the 3 of us went for dinner.

 

San Pedro de Atacama: Main Street (Caracoles) and Mountain
San Pedro de Atacama: Main Street (Caracoles) and Mountain

 

Valle de la Lune: Entrance to the Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune: Entrance to the Valle de la Lune

 

Short Hike through the Valley

 

Valle de la Lune: Mineral and Salt Deposits
Valle de la Lune: Mineral and Salt Deposits

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

Valle de la Lune: Short Hike Through the Desert
Valle de la Lune: Line of Tourists shepherded through the Desert

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

Valle de la Lune: Myself
Valle de la Lune: Myself

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

Valle de la Lune: Hill
Valle de la Lune: Hill

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune: Rock Formation

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune: Rock Formation

 

Valle de la Lune
Valle de la Lune

 

The Three Marias

Valle de la Lune: The Three Marias
Valle de la Lune: The Three Marias

 

Valle de la Lune: Salty Desert
Valle de la Lune: Salty Desert Across from the Three Marias

 

Valley de la Luna
Valley de la Luna: Selfie Convention in Front of the Three Marias

 

Valley de la Lune: Panorama Image of the Three Marias
Valley de la Lune: Panorama Image of the Three Marias