After exploring a few options with a travel agent last night, it seems I can go to Atacama Desert after all. After breakfast this morning, I go back to the travel agent and have everything arrange. I will take a night bus to San Pedro de Atacama tonight at 10:00pm, sleep on the bus (will see how well that goes, at least the agent said the bus is safe). I will visit the Valle de la Luna tomorrow afternoon, hopefully find myself a star glazing tour at night (know there is a Spanish group, but the English group is not confirmed). The next day I will visit the Altiplano lakes and finally on the Nov 9, I will go to the El Tatio geysers at 4:00am to see sunrise. The same day, I will go to Calama at 2:00pm to catch my flight to Santiago at 6:00pm. It will be a big day. I am sure I will be tired as hell. But that's probably the best plan on hands. The agent is trying to help me to find a hotel in Santiago too, with airport pick up since I will be arriving late. The following day, I will head to Valparaiso anyway, so just a quick night in Santiago.
I am very happy with this travel agent. His name is Santiago Tamani H. of Ruta Andina, he and his colleagues have been extremely helpful, because my Spanish is bad, they speaks English to me, while the Sky Airlines agents just say No to me, no hablar ingles! I do realize that it is more expensive to book a tour to Atacama Desert from here instead of going to the San Pedro de Atacama first and find a tour there. For my case, however, I have a time constraint, I must go to Santiago to continue my trip to Easter Island next week. I am glad that this agent helps me to arrange everything. I may have paid US$100 more with an agent instead of DIY, but to me, I think their service is truly worth with the extra money. For anyone who is visiting Nacional Parque Lauca, Arica or Atacama Desert, I totally recommend this agent.
During the afternoon, since I have some spared time, I look around in Arica, my gosh, have I walked a lot today, pretty much from noon to 5:30pm, walk walk walk... I walk up a hill called El Morro de Arica, where is supposed to be the battlefield for the War of the Pacific some 100 years old. There is a Jesus statue on top as well, but it's such a quiet hilltop, I don't see many tourists in this town at all. I try to keep a very fast pace as I walk up and down the hill, a quiet trail on a hillside, probably not a good idea for solo traveler. After the hill, I walk around the center, see a few buildings designed by the Eiffel, the engineer who designed Eiffel Tower. Apparently, before he designed the Eiffel Tower, he had designed two buildings in this town: one Church, the other the old court house. Continues with my self-walking tour, I walk pass a market who sells like shits you can buy in a supermarket. I am not sure what the point of this market. Lastly, I walk to a beach by the Pacific Ocean. My legs are literally sore after walking so much.
Back to the travel agent to get my hotel arranged in Santiago and Valparaiso. In Valparaiso, I am staying in slightly more expensive hotel where I get a full ocean and port view. Well, it's expensive to me anyway, US$62 a night. Just want to have a few good relaxing nights in a town where life becomes poetry (as one of the hotels is selling the Valparaiso with this slogan, and I am totally buying it!) :P
Dinner tonight is suicidal: deep fried chicken, with rice, french fries, half avocado, 4 slices of super-sized tomato, lettuces, bread, butter, mayo, chili sauce and a coca cola. It's more than I can finish really, but I swallow the whole thing down. Food in Chile is clearly more expensive than Peru, a meal costs about US$6-10. Look like I will be a big spender for the next 2 weeks!
Photos here: Day 39
