Previous country: Bolivia
Saturday 3rd October 2026 – San Pedro de Atacama
Easy border crossing, 30 minutes on each side. Chile only sells 15 ppm ultra low sulphur diesel. A great relief after the rubbish 5,000 ppm filthy diesel in Bolivia. We went straight to the fuel station and only 40 litres of decent fuel in the tank makes a huge difference to dilute the bad diesel. We plan to change the Oil, fuel filter and air filter after Bolivia. Half the usual interval is recommended.
We are now at 2,400 metres so descended 2,500 metres today. Our first crossing of the Andes!
Sunday 4th October 2026 – San Pedro de Atacama
Having an admin day! Buying food, backing up/uploading photos, doing washing, trying to find out best way to get Shock absorbers tomorrow. Can get them shipped from UK. Shipping and taxes £78 on top of parts but 4 to 7 days. Contacted someone by WhatsApp in Santiago who will come back tomorrow with a price. Lets see if its reasonable!
Monday 5th October 2026 – San PedrodeAtacama
Got a quote for 2 Terrafirma shock absorbers from a Land Rover spares place in Santiago. He says he can send them. The cost is more than we would like but shorter time than getting from the UK (hopefully, still trying to find out!).
We have paid for the shock absorbers and they have been despatched by Starken, a Chilean courier to their office local to us. It isn’t clear when they will arrive but hopefully Wednesday. It is 1,300 kilometres from Santiago though!
Tonight’s sunset:
Tuesday 6th October 2026 – San Pedro de Atacama
Today we visited the thermal waters at Puri Libre. The river here is warm (20 to 22 Celsius). We found a pool and took a dip, it was lovely and the water is crystal clear. Here we saw a fire rainbow or rainbow cloud. It occurs when sunlight passes through thin, high-altitude clouds (such as cirrus or lenticular clouds) consisting of uniformly sized ice crystals or microscopic water droplets.
We visited Cactus canyon but there were some along the river too:
Atacama sunsets are amazing. Due to Rayleigh Scattering and Low Sun Angle, exceptionally clean, dry air with very low humidity and minimal pollution allows light to pass with incredible clarity and the clouds captured in the image act like a massive projection screen.
Wednesday 7th October 2026 – San Pedro de Atacama
Today went to Valle de la Luna (Valley of the moon), one of the most iconic landscapes in the Atacama Desert. It features massive sand dunes, rugged salt-encrusted rock formations, and deep canyons like the Great Dune (Gran Duna) and the Tres Marías rock statues.
Good news received that our replacement shock absorbers have arrived! It only took around 48 hours to travel the 1,300 kilometres from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama, thats amazing. Well done Starken. We will go to the mechanic tomorrow to get them fitted. I could do it myself but in the Atacama desert heat I frankly don’t fancy it!!
Thursday 8th October 2026 – San Pedro de Atacama
At the mechanic. One shock is done and he is working on the second. The front shock absorbers are a bit of a pain to change on a Land Rover Defender, the turrets have to come off. Fortunately it had new galvanised turrets two years ago so the nuts aren’t badly rusted. The old shocks are completely knackered.
Visitors to the garage are very friendly. One has gone to get us some Colombian coffee he imports, so kind! Another asked with a glint in his eye whether the Falkland Islands belongs to Argentina or the UK!! Thankfully friendly banter. In Argentina they are certainly more sensitive on that subject for sure.
Shocks finished. Took two and a half houts bill £44 not complaining! Good work. Checked everything and all nuts and screws back in the right places. A huge relief to not be driving a bucking bronco anymore!
Went to visit the Iglesia San Pedro church in San Pedro de Atacama town. It dates from the Spanish colonial period but used the Adobe mud walls of a previous building. It is painted white and utilized local algarrobo (mesquite) and cardón (cactus wood) for the structural beams and roof. True to traditional Andean architecture, these wooden elements were bound together using leather strips (such as llama hide) rather than iron nails. The altar is 20th Century and is described as distinctively ornate, colorful, and sometimes eclectic in appearance (or Kitsch depending on your sensibilities).
Another stunning Atacama sunset:
Went to a lubricant shop to buy some diesel anti gel for the cold if we need it. When we came out a Chilean man was saying “Blue, blue!”. I realise he then meant that I had blue eyes. He then decided to stroke my stomach. Weird encounter! Given the influx of Spanish and other Europeans over 2 centuries blue eyes aren’t so unusual.
Friday 9th October 2026 – San Pedro de Atacama
Today we visited the Laguna de Chaxa where there are 3 kinds of the world’s 6 flamingo species. Phoenicopterus chilensis, commonly known as the Chilean flamingo with yellowish-gray legs contrasted with bright pink joints (ankles) and webbed toes. Phoenicoparrus andinus) is the rare Andean flamingo native to the high-altitude Andes and is the only flamingo species with yellow legs and three-toed feet. Phoenicoparrus jamesi, commonly known as James’s flamingo or the puna flamingo with legs are brick-red. Notably, like the Andean flamingo, they completely lack a hind toe,
On the way in we spotted a juvenile Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus), known locally in Spanish as the águila mora or águila chilena.
Flamingos:
We also saw Fabian’s lizard (Liolaemus fabiani), locally known in Spanish as the lagartija de Fabián. It is endemic to the Salar de Atacama (Atacama Salt Flat) in northern Chile, living around wetlands and salt lagoons like Laguna de Chaxa.
There were also Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii), known locally in Spanish as the playero de Baird. One with tiny chicks.
Also visited the oasis at Quebrada de Jerez (Jerez Gorge or Valley), located right next to the village of Toconao.
Saturday 10th October 2026 – Chug Chug Geoglyphs
There were 22 kilometres of road works around Calama, a rather blighted mining town that is best avoided and not very safe. We got some fuel there (nice Shell fuel again). We are going to camp at the Geoglyph site, they even have a Starlink satellite connection and a friendly cat!
