Atacama - the driest desert planet

• Atacama - the driest desert of the world

Today we go to another extreme, that is, the most-most, the point of our planet. We're going in the Atacama - the driest desert of the world.

From the airport to the city can be reached by huckster taxi driver or some mythical public transport. Then you need to get out of this city. Center of the universe in the Atacama is a small oasis of San Pedro de Atacama. It is here that attracts all the tourists.

From Calama to San Pedro buses. In this case, a single bus station in town, and if there is, then it no one uses. Buses leave each with their makeshift bus station, which is not always notice it, just out of the yard was taxiing bus - and went. In general, you need to look and ask the natives. Better yet, find out in advance about the schedule and the opportunity to book a place, because you can not leave.

We were lucky in one of the buses were places (most likely the company has no website on the internet, and the tourists do not know about the existence of the bus, and uses them to the local population).

Dust on the chair, the dust on the glass, dust and heat everywhere, and the window windmills.

At sunset we were in San Pedro. The moon had risen and was our good old volcano in front of us, with whom we met a year ago, but on the other hand - for it is the border with Bolivia.

When asking who has been here before, we were trying to figure out what in the Atacama better deal. All advised to watch the sunrise in the valley of geysers El Tatio, and carry out the sun over the horizon in the Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna). They say that the geysers are most active at dawn, when the 15-20 degree weather gradually gives way to 30-40 degree heat. Therefore, it attracts hundreds of tourists. Here, I have them walk more than a dozen, and the right drives up the next caravan.

It's all very comfortable - a place where it is easy to fall into hell, neatly lined with pebbles, made paths. Near the most active geysers even shop there, sort of. Everything for the people.

The main thing - not to slip on the ice, and sit yourself, and around Pysch-Pysch.

Alpine swamp. At these often graze the marshes Flamingos and other birds and little animals.

Here is one more, just below here psevdolamy walk. They called vicuna - camels, too, such as llamas and alpacas, but more slender. Apparently, sometimes you have to get away from someone)

The road further.

Halfway met village on three houses, where there is a paid toilet, cheburechnaya and little church. The village exists due to the fact that the little church is very picturesque, and the toilet and pasties are very profitable.

The next stop in the driest desert planet - Moon Valley. For entry in the Valle de la Luna has to pay the money, tickets to the value of the excursion bus is usually not included.

In some places, the machine stops, people are allowed to go out and take pictures, but it is strictly forbidden to go beyond the boundaries of the road.

The valley is quite large, so different groups carry to different places.

It is not known whether the recalls his bizarre Moon Valley is really a relief surface of the moon, but they say that the astronaut Armstrong, seeing the maze of cliffs and canyons, craters and valleys argued just that. With its fleeting phrases, this area got its name and Valle de la Luna - Moon Valley.

The valley is almost deserted. Here live only sand rabbits and cactuses.

Formation of rocks and sand dunes were formed as a result of prolonged exposure to flooding and wind. The Moon Valley present dry salt lakes, covering a surface of salt crystals, glowing in different colors depending on the sun's position.

And this is Death Valley - Valle de la Muerte.

Death Valley is close to the Valley of the Moon - across the street. It is not that big and picturesque as the moon.

Rains is not the case for years. But when there are, it turns out funny natural phenomenon - natural ceramics. Rainwater covers the surface, and then it dries and sun burn, thereby producing the ceramic pieces. But the most entertaining in Death Valley - is its stunning sand dunes, a few hundred meters.

Moon Valley at sunset.

to stare at the spectacle brings together all those who met in the morning at dawn geysers and a few hundred more lazy tourists.

The Atacama Desert is considered the driest desert of the Earth. Atacama in South America in the north of Chile, and is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, in the north - with Peru and to the east - with Bolivia and Argentina. In some places, the desert rain falls every few decades ...