More Salt but no Stars

San Pedro is a funny little place and I would highly recommend it to your itinerary.

One minute you are wandering down an old dirt street with adobe buildings, past the little stream that gives SP it's little bit of greenery and, I assume, it's reason for being here in the first place.

The next you are faced with a full size Astroturf Football pitch. Sunday mornings are clearly the same the world over. Whilst the UK was sorting out the podium positions in the Premiership (shame to see Newcastle just pipped for a Euro slot) 22 took to the Astro, slightly more than were in the stands.

For a moment it looked like Yeovil Town had started their overseas training a tad early but no, this was Norte Verde playing in Green & White taking on A N Other team who didn't have their names on their shirts. I wasn't sure if the fencing was to keep the fans off the pitch or the ball in roughly the right area. It very soon became apparent that it was for the latter reason as ball after ball flew high wide and handsome. I watched the first half during which you could hear comments such as "Roast him Terry" or "You're 'avin a laugh Ref" but in Spanish obviously.

Lunch turned out to be more football as the bar i chose to have my pint and empanadas in was showing the scenes of Man City winning the Premiership followed by a local Chilean Derby (Catholics v Protestants I think) The fans in the bar seemed to be split 50/50. A huge roar of laughter went up when one keeper threw the ball in to his own net from a corner!

You are getting two days in one here.

Next morning I decided to seek out the Salar de Atacama. It was about 50 kms each way, half of which was dirt or gravel roads.

On the way to the Salar you suddenly come across a signpost for an Observatory. I had not seen anything on the maps or in the tourist blurb in town but this is ALMA!

I am afraid I didn't get past the sentry on the gate by the road. Several reasons; you have to have an appointment. you have to have undergone an altitude medical (the dishes are at over 5,000 meters) and they were closed due to construction work!

If you look closely you can just make out the administration buildings in the distance & he wasn't even going to let me go up there! He actually referred me to the Web Site which I have just had a look at. I don't think you get in to ALMA unless you have a Phd in Dr Who or Star Trek.

So my attempts to see the stars would have been more successful if I had spent a week in Hollywood! Three attempts, 3 failures. Bugger!

 
 This is off the interweb!

I continued on my way wondering whether I should have tried to offer him a cash incentive to let me go up.

Not far along the road you come to the Salar de Atacama. The area you ride through, to get to the waters edge, is like a ploughed field except it is rock salt built up over 65 million years. The gravel roads have a tendency to become "rippio". Basically it gets churned in to ripples. It is like riding across corrugated iron sheets. There was a patch on this road that was worse than anything i had encountered so far. It vibrates the bike & your fillings to bits.

After about 9 kms you get to the waters edge and the Flamingos.

Now for some boring facts that were on a board there: The water comes from the ground (not rain or rivers) having drained down from the mountains it is forced to the surface laden with minerals. 96% of the water evaporates leaving crystal salt for miles around. There are a few paths you can walk along, it is soggy salt.

There are a few "puddles" of water with a very high salt content which tiny pink shrimps can live in until eaten by the Flamingos.

This pink mush is millions of such shrimps, would need an awful lot for a decent Prawn Cocktail.
And whilst I am on boring facts. did you know that Chile has 150 active Volcanoes which is 10% of the Worlds total! Another few Pub Quiz winners for you!

 It is very peaceful with not a sound apart from the odd burp from the Flamingos.