High Up in the Desert

I started off the morning by checking out of the hotel and walking over to the terminal. it was great to not have to factor in travelling time to the airport today. Another domestic flight today, this time to Calama which had a flying time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. My luggage showed up on the carousel in no time and I used the company TransVIP for my transfer from Calama to San Pedro de Atacama - my actual destination for the final leg of my Chilean adventure. I was riding shotgun (always a great thing) next to a guy from NYC and we had great conversation along the 90 minute drive to Atacama. I was dropped off at my hotel - Lodge Quelana - which is a great spot located outside of the main area of town. My room was ready and was shown around the hotel by amazing staff.

Since it was so bloody hot, I decided to take a dip in the pool - I had it all to myself. Great way to cool off before heading out for an afternoon tour with a sunset in the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). Such a cool landscape. Using a tour company was a good way to learn about the tourist destination and meet more fun people along the way.

We had opportunities to walk around to different viewpoints. We even had snacks and cocktails at one of these stops. The tour was capped off with an amazing sunset before heading back into town. Who needs sleep? Let's do another adventure tomorrow!