Patience Pass San Pedro (7/15)

After a very casual morning, Deb and I took a company truck to San Pedro de Atacama. This 3 and a half hour drive through the Atacama Desert cannot be adequately conveyed in the pictures we took. The amazing expanse of empty, dry desert surrounded by mountains that seemingly don't move gives this drive the name "Patience Pass" because it feels like you aren't getting anywhere despite the movement of the gas gauge needle. In a stoic and solemn way, this barrenness was quite beautiful. Curiosity created by dust and activity in the middle of nowhere kept me scanning the terrain. Ocassionally we saw mining operations attempting to harvest minerals. But, after about 3 and a half hours, we finally arrived in San Pedro.
This isolated pueblo is the epitome of adobe extremism. Streets, fences, houses, our hotel - everything was made out of brown, mud bricks. Fortunately, our hotel was a bit more inviting then the town, but these looks were mostly deceiving. After checking in Deb and I went for some lunch. A short walk away we found the "Etnico" resturaunt. We were given a delicious, four-course meal made by a french man and his wife. Not too surprising when you learn that San Pedro has almost as many "gringos" as native Chieans.

We explored the Museo Arqueologico because we heard there were mummies there. And there were! These ancient bodies buried in the desert were preserved because of the salt and the dry conditions. Besides the cool mummies, we learned about tools, crops, dress, and culture of the pre-Spaniard Atacama. The most bizarre effort though was the shaping babies' heads by tying pillows around them to show status and improve their looks. I think it's attractive!

After walking around San Pedro's square and shops we signed up for an Astronomy tour. We were directed to dress very warmly because though hot during the day the nights were very cold. And, while stargazing, we might get cold. Deb and I bought some llama lana socks and put on so many layers of clothing we began to look like onions. On the tour we became keenly aware of how the Chilean night sky is different than that of Ohio. First, we realized it was amazingly starry, about 100 times more than you can see in Ohio. Out in the empty expanse there is much less light pollution, so the stars are much easier to see. During astronomy lecture in the dark (to let our eyes adjust) by a multilingual guide we learned that the night sky changes and the closer you are to the equator the more the night skies overlap. Then we observed through telescopes. Nebulas, star clusters, gas clouds, and dying stars, all found with amazing speed. Finally, hot chocolate and slides. The perfect ending to an impressive tour!