Of all the thrilling excursions and spectacular places we had heard about in the Atacama Desert, the Valle de Arcoiris wasn’t a hotspot that immediately captured my imagination. It was only by chance, on the flight from Santiago to Antofagasta, that the Llama read about a hike into the valley from the Sky Airline magazine. We tore out the page, folded it up and stuffed it between the pages of the guidebook I often carried but rarely consulted.
The hardwood floorboards are stained with playful shades of green, pink, yellow, and purple. The colored glass window in the kitchen glows cheerfully with daylight. Though the apartment came mostly unfurnished, an ancient armoire in the bedroom isn’t going anywhere and probably had to be built in the apartment itself. Eight foot tall double doors in the bedroom lead out onto a streetside balcony and sunlight floods the room, reflecting off the hardwood floors to reach the ten foot high ceiling. Continue reading
What do you do when you’ve got to cross the border to refresh your 90 day Tourist Visa in Chile? Why, you plan a magical trip to Mendoza, Argentina of course! I foresaw wine tasting, mountain views galore, and the best Italian food found on this side of the Atlantic. Continue reading
Wizard Island – Crater Lake
This is not the story of how a lady and a llama fell in love. That is a great story for another time. This is the tale of how the llama first helped the lady discover an appetite for outdoor adventure. Continue reading
The Highway is Green 