San Pedro surprise. Desert chronicles. Day 1.

This started with the wrong foot from day minus 1. As I told in the previous post, less than 24 hours before the take off, I got an email from a tour agent I had written to, discouraging any attempt of going to San Pedro at the time. So far, the crazy thing was how much had been raining in the driest desert on Earth (yeah, that's how lucky I am).

What will happen in San Pedro? Who knows!

Uncertain about being able to see somethig beyond the hostel bar, I got on the plane. Last seat. We were flying over the Andes, with turbulence of course and the back end of that tiny plane was shaking hard. I don't know if because I'm from Uruguay or what the idea of crushing there and freeze to death or end up commiting cannibalism is more present than it would be for other people. Those are the moments when I doubt a bit about being an agnostic person.

An endless sea of mountains

But I had the biggest surprise only when I landed in Calama, in that airport in the middle of nowhere at 5pm of a thursday in June. Only there I found out that it had been snowing hard as well, because for some mysterious reason I didn't google what was going on the day before when I got the discouraging email. My luck levels rose when I heard that the roads were reopened just on that day.

As soon as the shuffle left the airport, I was hit with another surprise, the Moon, rising above the horizon 99% loaded. I swear I had never seen it so big. And, let's face it, the ball-sized Moon rising over a snowed desert, it's quite spectacular, right? The other girls on the van and me got to the conclusion that at least nothing would keep us to see one of the best skies in the World. Shortly after I fell asleep and woke up right before arriving to San Pedro.

The Moon, bigger than I ever saw it.

At the hostel, I was received by Rachel, a girl from the US that was exchanging work for accomodation. She showed me my room and as soon as I got lighter, she and I started to make a new plan for my days in San Pedro and it seems that I'll be seeing a lot more than the hostel bar after all. Right there I had another surprise, while I was talking to Rachel a poster on the reception board caught my eye. It turns out that there are air balloon rides over the desert! That would be my auto birthday present. I won't bee seeing the sunrise at Machu Picchu, but I definetely can't complain. I'll can cross one thing of my bucket list in a couple of days.

After receiving the good news. I went out to take a walk around town, besides, I needed to exchange money adnd have dinner, what a mess to convert to between my currency and the Chilean money!

Rachel recommended me some places to eat, for tonight I chose the one that was closest to the hostel (well, nothing here is actually far) and one of the chosen one by the locals. Now, it's the one that I recommend to anyone I know that goes to San Pedro.

This is the main street of San Pedro <3

The hostess of the restaurant looked at me condescendingly like "poor thing, eating by herself" and

I put one of my finest b*tch faces. In an attempt of being sociable, I told her she could put me in one of those shared tables. The first group of table mates I had were obnoxious, but luckily they left soon enough and someone asked me at distance if he could come and sit with me. I said yes with my head and two brand new table mates came. I thought they were a couple, but it turned out they weren't and I think I should wear a sign saying that I'm sorto of Sheldon- alike and you have to be very especific with me because I miss out on a lot of things, oops.

Now, let's get to the food. I was in a good mood so I followed the recommendation of the waiter and the bad table mates and tried the corn-pie and thanks life for it.

With my stomach full of food and beer and even a bit hurting from all the laughter, I went to sleep because tomorow morning I have my first ride. But, since that night and for ever, each time I hear "El humahuaqueño" I go back to San Pedro at least for a few minutes.

You can read the original version of this post in Spanish here.