Chile 2018

The post-trip extension of an Overseas Adventure Travel tour. For more info, see oattravel.com - and use my name if you book anything - we BOTH save $100!
Chilean Flag Left to Right: Pacific Ocean, Coastal Mountains, Another Mountain Range and then the Andes.  Also Bottom of Peru & Chile on left and Bolivia & Argentina on right. Atacama Landscapes atacamaLandscape05
atacamaLandscape06 atacamaLandscape08 Salar de Atacama, Chile's largest salt flats Walking on the Salar
WalkingOnChileanSaltFlats3 WalkingOnChileanSaltFlats6 Long view out to Laguna Chaxa 3 kinds of flamingos in Laguna Chaxa
flamingos13x10 flamingos13x10-2 flamingos13x10-4 One lone sandpiper
On the drive back, we saw lots of wild donkeys. TwoDonkeys ThreeDonkeys San Pedro - oasis in the desert - and where we stayed.
Original Spanish built church, restored Old prison Arts and Crafts quarter Local weaver
Nice Mural Quinoa gelato! Still-in-use cemetery Historic house. Valdivia, Prime Cardinal, sent by Pizarro to convert the indiginous.  He was felled by the Mapuche a few years later.
Outside of San Pedro, we lunched at a small farm in Toconau Dessert - made of quinoa of course A walk up to the top of some indiginous forts. Made it to the top
Afternoon hike in Moon Valley: I think the flat part here is 'Mars' (where the Mars Rover prototype was tested in 2013) Martians? Watched the sandboarders on the way down Another one
Next day - EARLY: Sun almost rising over El Tatio Geyser Field  Well below 0. Ground is getting warmer (but not the air) With  more light comes lighter bursts of steam Hard to work the camera with gloves on
An hour later - survived the cold Welcome dip into the (very) hot springs Saw a shepherd(ess) crossing the road Beginning of last day hike in the desert
Top of Rainbow Valley Looks a bit like Arizona German Church in Machuco - old community, still survives. One of many ancient rock arts - this is a dog
A Monkey Downtown Santiago - across from hotel in Provedencia Financial District La Moneda Palace
Mural reflecting what used to be there Pre-Columbian museum The concept of 'coffee with legs' was invented to promote coffee consumption in a tea or maté drinking society. Central Fish Market
fishmarket2 shellfish Love Locks Art installation at a former (evicted) law school.
Fun sculpture in park A more disturbing one. This one in the Plaza De Armes park. A walk up to a huge Madonna that overlooks the city
Ticket booth for funicular that goes further up the hill This one coming down as we go up View from the top. Then a cable car ride down.
Final night - Jazzzzz! Trumpeter is the band leader - playing trad with a Spanish touch trumpet drummer
And of course, my martini.  Thanks for watching! Atacama Landscapes atacamaLandscape07 atacamaLandscape09
atacamaLandscape13BW ElTatioGeyser2 flamingoesatdusk2 LateAfternoonOnTheSaltflats
WalkingOnChileanSaltFlats WalkingOnChileanSaltFlats4 WalkingOnChileanSaltFlats5 WalkingOnChileanSaltFlats7