Nightsky observer
Enjoying the beauty of the nightsky in the Salt Cordillera in the area of San Pedro de Atacama. The band of the Milky Way stretches from Alpha Centauri (left) to Orion (right), with the Large Magellanic Cloud featuring prominently close to the center (the fuzzy spot below the Milky Way).
Culinary walking tour
All the other wonderful tours and activities in San Pedro de Atacama notwithstanding, this was the absolute highlight for me. During a leisurely stroll you get to sample the distinct flavors of the region, and learn a lot about Andean history and food culture. Nora, the founder of this new venture, is not only a true foodie but also has a wonderful way of sharing her passion with her guests.If
Oficina Humberstone
Humberstone was the biggest "nitrate town" in northern Chile, producing salpeter that was used as fertilizer as well as for the production of explosives. Humberstone was deserted in 1960 and has been a ghost town since. In 2005 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today Humberstone is open for tourism and parts of it have been turned into an outdoor museum. Interestingly enough many of the deserted houses
Polloquere hot springs
The Polloquere hot springs are located at 4318 meters in the Salar de Surire in northern Chile (Parinacota region). This is a very remote area that can only be reached by offroad vehicles on rather precarious roads (don't forget to bring extra gas and lots of water). The thermal water is moderately to very hot, and thus perfect to warm up in cold temperatures. During our stay at the hot springs
ALMA
I was very lucky and could to join a daytime visit to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). ALMA is located at 5000 meters altitude on the Chajnantor plateau in the Atacama desert. It consists of 66 high-precision radio telescopes, that have a diameter of 12 and 7 meters, and that can be spread over distances of up to 16 kilometers. ALMA is used to study light from some of
Rolling hills
Inspired by the enchanting landscape of the "Norte Chico". Click to view larger picture.
Starlight trail
My all-time favorite: our starlight horseback ride. My friendly models this time are Denise and Chacay (one of our younger horses). Click to view larger picture.
Tololo revisited
Another delightful visit to Tololo. This time together with Eric, an astrophotographer from the US, and Jan Hattenbach, science writer and blogger from Germany. More pics
Morning Parade
For the first time since 2005 all five visible (naked-eye) planets could be seen at once in the morning sky. Since the mountain ridges around the Hacienda made it rather difficult to capture all five planets at once, I searched for a different spot, and finally got lucky in a high-mountain valley that provided the perfect view towards the east.Click on image to enlarge.A lovely pair: Venus and Mercury in
Local Rodeos
Rodeos are a vivid part of the Chilean culture, especially in the countryside. Here are some impressions from local rodeos. More pics