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| The Tunnel Hike! |
When we woke up this morning and opened the shades we were greeted with a very pleasant surprise. The Licancabur Volcano we have enjoyed looking at had a fresh covering of snow. When we arrived there was a little snow near the 19,500 foot summit, but now the snow line comes down much further. A quick check of the weather channel app showed that it was supposed to snow all day at the higher elevations we visited just yesterday. Winter is on it's way down here in the Southern Hemisphere!
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| The Licancabur Volcano when we arrived Wednesday afternoon |
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| The Licancabur Volcano this morning (Saturday) |
After another delicious breakfast here at the lodge, and a quick planning session with Kate we were ready for the day. Our plan was to head east on Ruta 27 towards the Monjes de La Pacana (Pacana Monks). These are a group of natural stone pillars standing proudly in the high (above 14,000 feet) desert. They are the result of millions of years of erosion by wind, blowing sand and snow. Afterwards we would be heading to the Aquas Calientes de Salar, another salt flat and lagoon located nearby.
It sounded like a great day, however mother nature intervened. Ruta 27 was closed. Although we're not exactly sure why, our best guess is that it was closed because it was in the direction of the volcano and the fresh snowfall.
Not a problem, we had already looked ahead to a few activities for Sunday and Monday so we made a quick change of plans and headed in a different direction. Our new destination was Catarpe, an Indigenous community just 6 miles north of San Pedro de Atacama. The Incas conquered this area in the mid-1400's and quickly made it the government and military center for this region of Chile. Today it is known as the archaeological capital of Chile. We didn't plan to do any excavating but what we did have in mind were a couple of hikes that had been suggested, the Tunnel and the Chulakao Ravine (also known as the Devil's Throat) hikes.
First up was the Tunnel Hike. It was completed in 1930, and at the time was the only connecting route between San Pedro de Atacama and Calama. It was used from 1930-1950 when a new, more user friendly route was developed. This very scenic hike took us up a gradual incline for about 45 minutes until we reached the entrance of the tunnel. Along the way we could see the fertile valley below that had been farmed for hundreds of years, as well as rock formations that would make a geologist smile from ear to ear. The tunnel itself seemed a little over 100 yards long and once on the other side the views were equally impressive.
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| Along the tunnel hike trail. What looks like snow or frost is actually mineral deposits |
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| View from the Tunnel Trail looking down into the valley |
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| Entrance to the Tunnel Trail (San Pedro side) |
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| Go to the light! |
Our next hike, the Chulakao Ravine (Devil's Throat) hike was a little further into the reserve. To get there we had to drive across the San Pedro River. Actually it wasn't a drive across, it was a drive through the San Pedro River. It was about fifteen feet wide and several inches deep. In a 4 wheel drive it would have been nothing. In an economy size, Chevrolet Onix it was significant. We held our breaths as we crossed over. Once we were on the other side we saw there was a small foot bridge joining the two banks. We decided that since we had just crossed through successfully we'd move the car back to the other side and use the foot bridge. I'm pleased to say there were no problems. It probably wasn't the smartest move, but what the heck, it's a rental!
This hike was truly a ravine hike with walls on both sides of the narrow, but not claustrophobia inducing trail. We're not sure how long the trail was, but we turned around after about 25 minutes, feeling like with the combination of altitude and inclines between the two hikes we had gotten a good workout. Although quite different than the Tunnel hike, going deep into the Devil's Throat was equally enjoyable.
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| Entering the Devil's Throat! |
We went back to see if the road had reopened, but no luck there, it remained closed. Not to worry, we knew where we could find some really good empanadas in town! Once we parked and started walking toward the restaurant (Emporio Andino) we ran into a small but very festive parade. We're not sure what the occasion was, but we enjoyed the colorful costumes and rhythmic dancing of the men, women and children as they marched slowly through the narrow streets.
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| We're not sure what they were celebrating but it was fun watching it pass by |
The empanadas didn't disappoint and showed why Emporio Andino has earned the top spot of the 92 TripAdvisor rated restaurants in San Pedro Atacama. They were huge and delicious. Beth and I agreed that our favorite of the three we tried was the chicken empanada.
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| Emporio Andino! |
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| A triple play of empanada's. Chicken, Ham & Cheese and Vegetarian |
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| San Pedro de Atacama on a Saturday afternoon. I guess the parade wore the dog out! |
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| A unique tree in the town plaza |
It wasn't the day we had originally planned but it was a great Saturday in and around this very interesting town.
We were back at the hotel in time for a little rest and relaxation before sunset. The mix of sun, clouds, shadows and mountains made for some great pictures...…...enjoy!
