My main principle while travelling is to follow other people's advice and recommendations. So far that has got me to the flat, the best steaks and a great night out in Buenos Aires. To all the best hostels and my hiking in Torres del Paine. To Valparaíso and pisco sour. To the emotionally strongest museum visit - in Santiago. And now to Pisco Elqui.
Several people had recommended Valle Elqui and at the hostel in cold and humid La Serena, Konstantin in the reception recommended a hostel in the village Pisco Elqui. He even called them to check for available rooms. I booked for 2 nights and went to the bus terminal to get tickets for Pisco Elqui and the Atacama desert.
I'd got a cold and was confused. Therefore, I managed to buy a ticket to Atacama on the 29. instead of the 22., which I realised a couple of hours later in the bus on my way to Pisco Elqui. Luckily. Because I wasn't far into the Elqui valley till I realised why it's so highly recommended. Here, you breathe slowly. It's beautiful and sunny. Covered with wine fields making the grapes for the local pisco production. And when a man gets on the bus carrying a horse saddle, you just know you're going in the right direction.
I got off when the driver yelled "Pisco Centro", which probably is necessary to yell if anybody is to notice. The centre contists of the church, the square in front of it and the pisco distillery. On the spot, I decided that I wouldn't catch the bus on the 22., which I didn't have a ticket for anyways.
My decision was supported when arriving at the hostel. Small cabins on terrasses surrounded by fruit trees with lemon, lime, avocado. Blooming lavender and rose bushes attracting lots of colibris, a pool with a view to the mountains. And not least a roof-top window in my cabin making me able to look at the stars in my bed. My cold was hastily disappearing.
At the penguin trip, I'd met a french-chilean couple living in Barcelona, who had just been working for a month in Copenhagen. They had also gone to Pisco Elqui - and as you might have guessed, Pisco isn't really a difficult city to run into each other in. It's actually more difficult to avoid. And as Lisa and Pancho are really nice, it seemed silly not to drink some pisco sour together. And some wine. And some amaretto. Finding out they had been in Copenhagen to make a show in my favourite theatre, and that I'd seen one of their previous shows there in 2009. Talking about Danish flea markets, restaurants in Barcelona, experiences and travelling that makes you happy. Agreeing that the world is really small. Exchanging email-id's, hugs and goodbyes and stumble back to your cabin having forgot everything about the cold.
Unfortunately, my cold hadn't forgotten me, so once in a while it needs some attention and care. It didn't prevent me from renting a mountain bike yesterday and drive almost 20 km further into the valley. Which basically meant up and that I was dragging the bike instead of driving it. Riding back was a lot faster. The drive was highly uneventful. The river floated by continuosly. I said hola to everybody I passed. Sometimes they said hola first. A group of men were harvesting grapes. All was good. Tomorrow I'll be cheating a bit. I've arranged with a tour agent to drive me and a mountainbike into another valley, so I only have to do the easy drive back...
Oh, and I've been glacing at stars. Chile is apparently one of the best places to study space. Lots of mountains with thinner atmosphere and less light polution, and only about 30 cloudy nights a year makes the place perfect. Hence, 30 % of all large telescopes are in Chile. And the day before yesterday, it was new moon and I visited an observatory. So now I've seen planets, other galaxies and constellations with and without stars. And through a telescope, I've seen Saturn (it has rings!) and Mars and stars that actually consists of 2, 25, 2000 and 10 million stars. I've learned how to use the Southern Cross to find South. And why it is much easier to find North with Polaris (the North Star).
Did I remember to tell Im doing just fine?
Location:Pisco Elqui, Equi Valley, Chile
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