North of Chile and Bolivia

I arrived in San Pedro coming from Santiago de Chile. I was beginning my trip and had in mind to go after that to Uyuni Bolivia crossing the border.

 There's a lot to see in San Pedro. I began by doing a free walking tour to discover more about the city's history and traditions. The guide told us a lot about the creation of the city and how the conquistador's arrival changed everything for the indigenous. Somehow they managed to keep on with some of their traditions despite the Catholicism imposed by the invaders: from the cemetery, you'll have a beautiful view of the Licancabur volcano, which was one of their most powerful god.

From San Pedro de Atacama, you can go to many excursions such as the El Tatio geysers which are located in a Valley at approximately 3 hours by bus and at an altitude of 5000 meters. You'll also have the opportunity to go to El Valle de la Luna, a beautiful valley outside San Pedro that looks a lot like the moon landscapes.

After having spent 3 days in San Pedro, we booked a 3 days tour crossing the border to Bolivia through the Eduardo Avaroa National Park to go to the Salar and eventually to Uyuni. We were a group of seven in a pickup with the guide who was also the driver (almost impossible to go there without a guide and driver).

The first day we crossed the border, passing near the Licancabur Volcano and the Laguna Colorada, a beautiful red lake on the way to the desert. We slept in a hostel booked by the travel agency.

On the second day, we hit the road to see some geysers and the "Italian City" which are rocks on the deserts that look like an ancient Italian City. At the end of the day, we stopped by a Salt Hotel (walls, mattresses... everything made with salt) where we slept, near the salted lake.

On the last day, we woke up very early to cross the salted lake, and most of all see the sunrise on it. As you can see in the pictures, the sun's reflection on the thin layer of water is incredible. 

We had a great time in La Paz. Even if it's not the most beautiful city in Bolivia, there's a lot to do there!

We did first a free walking tour to learn more about the city's history and culture. We walked in the city center where we saw the typical bars and restaurants, the "plaza" and the town hall where you can see the reverse clock promoted by late president Evo Morales.

Furthermore, we also went to the teleferico, the city's cable car, to see La Paz from above. It's the highest capital in the world, so it was definitely worth it.

On our last day in La Paz, we booked a tour with a travel agency (Extreme Downhill) to ride a bicycle through the death road, a now-closed to vehicles road very famous for the landscape and its dangerous curbs. It was once dangerous for cars, but it's very safe on a bicycle, don't worry!