May 4 I frankly don’t understand why the buses in this country travel on schedules that will get you to your destination in the middle of the night. To my great surprise, when a bus is supposed to arrive at a certain hour, it will mostly arrive even earlier. Which means that I find myself … More 96 – Dinos!
April 25 Night bus to Sucre. There is only one company that goes directly without changing at Potosi. All long distance buses seem to travel overnight in Bolivia, which is probably for the best, at least I don’t see the road. April 26 Happy birthday to me! My plan to be somewhere nice for my … More 95 – This is Bolivia!
April 22 – 24 Day 1 They say that one should avoid alcohol in the high altitude. I am sure they have good reasons to say so. Thanks to a lama/guanaco/wine dinner with Pete on the night prior to my departure, I am nursing a spectacular hangover on the way to Bolivian border. Light-headed already … More 94 – Crossing to Uyuni
Chile – conclusion Minuses It’s not a cheap destination. Almost as expensive as Europe. Do not talk politics, unless the Chileans start about it, and even then, tact and common sense applies. After the military coup the country was split in two, while one part of the population feared persecution and disappearance, the other celebrated … More 93 – Chile (Conclusion)
…Atacama adventure continues. Day 4 – Valle Arcoiris, the Rainbow Valley We stop on the way in Yerbas Buenas, which – contrary to its name – is not a marijuana dispatching joint, but a site of ancient petroglyphs. It used to be a crossing on the trade route from the Amazons, where people would rest … More 92 – San Pedro de Atacama (Chapter 2)
April 14 – 21 Overnight bus to San Pedro de Atacama. The driest desert on Earth. The Atacama plateau is a huge triangle closed off by three mountain ranges, which block most of the rain clouds on the Bolivian side and prevent any river from leaving the plateau. Meaning all water circulation is owed exclusively … More 91 – San Pedro de Atacama (Chapter 1)
April 9 – 13 Afternoon bus from La Serena to Caldera, where I arrive amid a breathtaking sunset. Everything is covered in pink haze. Caldera is a small mining town and port, home to Chile’s first railway and laic cemetery (because the miners had many religions and the Catholics would not accommodate infidel corpses on … More 90 – Chile off-the-beaten-path (Chapter 2)
March 28 – 31 I arrived to Chile without any plan whatsoever. When I asked Maribel what was nice between Valparaiso and San Pedro de Atacama, pointing out that I had all the time in the world, she suggested a few places. Which is how I ended up in La Serena. I have a lovely … More 89 – Chile off-the-beaten-path (Chapter 1)
March 18 – 21 Arrival to Santiago lateish in the evening, but hassle-free as I am flying domestic. I decided to continue to stay in airbnbs, as (I know I will sound snob and unpleasant) by now I really cannot stand backpacker hostels where everyone is 10 years younger, on a gap year (most likely … More 88 – ¿Cachai?
March 13 Night flight to Hanga Roa / Easter Island. LATAM and their film selection rocks. I managed to see all the latest Oscar films and satisfy my cultural craving. Arrival to the island is very relaxed. Rapa Nui is served by a daily internal flight from Santiago and weekly (and only) international flight from … More 87 – Rapa Nui
Kacenka on the road 