After three or four days on the slopes of the lagoon route, it was time to put air back in the tires and then drive down over 2000 m into the Atacama Desert. More precisely to San Pedro de Atacama, which is “only” 2450 m above sea level.
In the small tourist town, we rested a little and resupplied ourselves with fuel, water, food and, of course, beer.
The Atacama is the driest desert on earth. There are areas where it has not rained for decades. You can feel this as soon as you leave the oasis of San Pedro. For example, in the Valle de la Luna National Park, right next to San Pedro, a spectacular desert landscape.
We already knew from our “desert experience” in North Africa that deserts are usually not just endless dunes, but mostly rocky. In the Atacama, however, we were able to see just how varied a drive through the desert can be. Our destination was the coast and the artwork “Mano del Desierto”, created by Mario Irarrázabal, near Antofagasta.
We didn’t really feel like driving on the slopes at the moment, which is why we drove on the best roads along the coast. Incidentally, driving in Chile was very different to the first four countries we traveled to in South America. Driving here was much more relaxed. Nobody risked their life for a 5 meter advantage. Just like driving along the coast.
FRANK KLAUS
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