mercilessly all day. As a result the natural
features of this place are truly unique.
The Valle de Lune or Valley of the Moon
sure lives up to its name. Located 15km
outside of San Pedro, it's a dried out
landscape of sand and rock towers. We
couldn't help but try it out.
We carried our bikes up several slopes to
follow the backs and ridges of the rock and
sand formations back down to the valley
floor. Surely some of the most impressive
downhills we've ever ridden. A visit to the
surrounding salt lakes is on almost every
tourist itinerary.
The ride to the huge lakes that lie in the
middle of the desert was also part of our
acclimatisation program since the Salar
de Loyoques sits at 4300m. It was ideal to
get used to the altitude. We saw herds of
Vicunjas, more commonly known as llamas.
We couldn't comprehend how these large
mammals can survive here in the desert.
Pink flamingos stood on the green mats
that grow at the edges of the salt lakes,
like specks of colour on a canvas in
shallow water.
We spent a night at the Banos de Puritama.
These are springs that lie a little above the
city and have their beginnings in a hot river
located between the walls of rocks. The water
flows down and collects in small pools, forming
an oasis at 3500m surrounded by palm trees
and reeds.
Taking advantage of the fact the hotel
we stayed in owns these springs, we spent
over an hour drifting in the pleasantly warm
water. With our eyes set to the endless starry
sky and accompanied by the gently gurgling
water it seemed like we had become part of
our surroundings.
We left San Pedro and headed towards
Salar de Atacama on the third day. 3500
years ago there was a lake that stood here
but all that remains is a 3000 square km sheet
of white salt, soiled by desert sand. Lithium-
containing brine lies beneath it while hot air
flickers above.
This valuable raw material is an important
component of batteries but harvesting the
resources has several negative effects on the
environment and people here.
Extracting the brine leads to a decline
in groundwater levels which dries out the
rivers, grasslands and wetland. Pristine
pastures are lost and rare bird species that
nest in the areas are threatened. Numerous
lagoons that mark this ecosystem are
drastically changed.BIKING IN CHILE“With the Bolivian border only a few kilometres
away it makes for an ideal place for drug trafficking.
Safe to say we were here for the former.”
Left: The volcano
loomed above us for
miles around.Below: "Ride into the
dangerzone."