Enter the Atacama

A final splash of green on a hillside bid us farewell as we peeled away from the ocean and entered the heart of the Atacama. A steady climb of 2000m over 50km landed us in a barren valley, surrounded on all sides by barren mountains of broken granite.

The Atacama, driest desert in the world. Deserts seem to attract creative minds. Or do they create them? One need look no further than the colourful adobe buildings that sprout out of the American southwest, or the artisans of Namibia to see evidence of this fact.

Perhaps it is the simple fact that there is little to distract the mind here; no foliage to draw from the view, no light to diminish a starry night, no sound save that of one´s feet as they crunch along the rock. It treats every individual differently; some find peace, some are bored to tears, some find inspiration, and others go a little bit crazy…..