oropel thoughts

Friday, February 6, 2009

some photos from valle elqui, Chile

On the way to Pisco Elqui, Chile

View from my room, Pisco Elqui

Church, Pisco Elqui

Vineyards for Pisco

Everywhere around us were mountains like this

Thursday, February 5, 2009

whats been happening lately

so now i am living in Santiago, Chile. hired a little Peugeot and drove 3250kms in 6 days down to the south. not all the way, Chile is an incredibly long country. saw loads of volcanos, climbed one, sea lions, penguins and beautiful landscape.

also went up north into a valley called valle elqui. they have 340 days of bright, hot sun a year. the towns are wedged between huge mountains and there are vineyards everywhere. this is where they make the chilean drink, Pisco. Its like a dry whiskey or something, very strong and gives you the worst hangovers imaginable. also saw some beaches (the best in chile??) but they werent that exciting. the water was freezing. Chile also has 10% of the worlds observatories, the skies are said to be some of the clearest in the world... so we went to an observatory. saw Saturn through a huge telescope. that was cool. also loads of other cool stars and all that.

heres some photos...

This is the border crossing between Chile and Argentina. otherwise known as The Andes Mountain Range.