Solo Trip: Valle del Elqui
- Dec 12, 2018
- 9 min read
Day one - My backpack sat heavily on my shoulders as I arrived at the Santiago bus terminal at midnight. I had been restless waiting for my adventure to start, and now that I was on the bus I realized how exhausted I was from the previous week of final exams. It was good that I was tired because it made it easier to sleep during the 6 hour bus ride north to the Coquimbo region. I was quite disoriented upon arriving to La Serena, 6:30 on Sunday was too early for me and still too early for the sleepy city. Since it was far too early to check in at my hostel, I decided to start by walking down to the beach. The early morning taxi shifts had started and many honked and flashed their lights as they saw me walking alone along the park area which ran down the middle of the road from the center of town to the beach. I saw many stray dogs going about their business, and one friendly black mutt decided to follow me. Palm trees lined the walkway and at the end of road I saw “El Faro” the lighthouse monument of La Serena slowly emerge. Once I got closer, I realized it was under construction and I wasn’t able to go up and look around. A no swimming sign stood on the beach right behind the lighthouse. Between the trash that littered the grey sand and the chilly overcast morning, I had no desire to get in the ocean. I had hoped it would be nicer because a friend had told me that La Serena has good beach vibes. As a continued to walk along the shore I understood what she meant. A group of surfers were already swimming towards the waves. I sat in the sand, dog by my side, and ate a sandwich I had prepared the night before. I wasn’t surprised to see most cafes and restaurants closed as I walked back into town to find my hostel. I wasn’t surprised either that I got a lot of looks, especially from older men, but I was relieved that hardly anyone cat-called. Once I put down my heavier things at the hostel, I went back out on foot and explored two parks. One was a Japanese garden that had been created in the 70s as a sign of respect to Chilean and Japanese relations. A sweet Chilean man welcomed me in and, since he saw that I was foreign, he asked if he could practice his English a little. He was impressed by my Spanish pronunciation which made me feel very proud because I finally felt like all the work was paying off. Inside, there were many families and a group of cheerleaders getting their pictures taken. The next park was public and full of games for children. I was surprised to find a small zoo in the center with many birds and farm animals. On the outskirts of the park there were tents set up, and out of curiosity I checked out what I believe was the Sunday city flea market. Next I headed to “el mirador” a scenic view point in La Serena University on top of a hill. It was still overcast but I could see as far as the city of Coquimbo where a huge cross stands near the shore. I could see many churches as well, it’s clear that the area is quite catholic. The sun ended up peaking through the clouds in the late afternoon when I was back at the hostel, and I made a dinner of rice and tuna which I ate from the rooftop as I watched the sunset. Before heading to sleep, I talked to some Germans, Chileans, and a Lithuanian who were in the hostel. To help get into a festive mood, we decorated a little Christmas tree together. Day two - I woke up comfortably after getting a full night of sleep. I showered, had breakfast and packed up my backpack, ready to continue on to Vicuña. I spoke to a sweet grandma at the bus stop who was also headed the same way, and I laughed to myself when she asked how many children I have. She told me about her two sons and daughter. The bus ride wasn’t too long, and the deeper we got into the mountains the less clouds there were. A huge sparkling lake rested in the lush green valley which we passed, but the mountains on either side had only scrubby bushes and otherwise looked dry.
I knew I was close when I began passing vineyards. Once in the town center, I had some time to kill before checking into the hostel, so I decided to walk around and see what was open. I went to a tiny museum which exhibited insects and birds from the Coquimbo region and then I sat in the sunny square while enjoying some white chocolate raspberry ice cream. The town had a feel of comfort and familiarity simply because the people interacted kindly. For the first time in five months when I walked by strangers they would greet me with a hello or a smile. It felt amazing. In Colorado, especially in the mountains, it’s the norm to say hi, and I always felt odd ignoring people who walk by me. The hostel was also incredibly comfortable, clean, and had good vibes all around. I shared a room of six beds with just one other, an Italian man who had been traveling and working at WorkAway opportunities for a couple years. His Spanish was not as good as mine, but it was better than his English so we communicated in our broken Spanish. The hostel owner was a jolly Lebanese man who spoke five languages fluently and we bonded because he had been in Hungary during part of the Iraq war. During the day, I hiked up Cerro de la Virgen and got a fantastic view of the lush green town surrounded by vineyards which contrasted with the dry brown hills full of cacti and shrubs that stretched in every direction. In the evening, I joined a group of tourists on a star gazing experience which was led by an older couple who has lived in the valley nearly all their lives. They had two large telescopes and many binoculares which we could use to find constellations. They taught us all sorts of things about the night sky and we were very fortunate that the moon was not visible so the stars appeared even brighter. We were even offered tea and homemade bread and jam to warm us up in the chilly night. The couple grew a large variety of their own fruits, vegetables, and even nuts. Their jam was made from homegrown apricots and I couldn’t resist buying a jar because it tasted so much like my grandma’s. I was surprised at how fertile the valley is, all times of vegetation grows well even palm trees despite the dry air. Day 3 - Today I joined an Austrian couple who I met at the hostel. Together, we took a collective taxi to the reservoir which I had passed the day before on my way to Vicuña. We started our hike in a tiny town that was a replica of the town that had been flooded during the creation of the reservoir. On our way up, we ran into an Argentinian women and together with summited the small mountain to get a breathtaking view of the lake and the valley on either side. The day was hot and breezy, and once we got back down we jumped in the lake to cool off. The wind is always quite strong in the valley and so it’s known for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Although I didn’t try it, we watched others zoom by in the waves. This area had more beach vibes than all of La Serena. We relaxed for some hours before hitch hiking back to Vicuña and eating at a Peruvian restaurant. We ended the day by baking Christmas cookies together, a kind that is very similar to a Hungarian cookie which I grew up eating with my family. I was pleasantly surprised at how much my travels were reminding me of Hungary. Day 4 - After checking out of the the hostel in Vicuña (where I stayed an extra night than what I had originally planned because it was so comfortable) I looked around the Gabriela Mistral museum. She was the only Latin American female to ever win the Nobel prize in literature, and she shaped a lot of Chilean international relations back in the first half of the 20th century. Next I caught a bus to Pisco Elqui, which is further in the Elqui valley. The scenery along the winding road was much the same, rocky and dry mountains with lush green valleys in between. It was nonetheless breathtaking. Once I checked in to my hostel, I walked about the steep streets of the town, looking at the artisanal vendors and taking pictures of the church in the main square. I passed many hostels and tourist shops on my quest to find a bike to rent. With a sandwich and lots of water in my backpack, I took off on a bike and headed deeper into the valley.
The river called Río Claro O Derecho provided an oasis all along the valley nestled in the desert mountains. I continued to pass vineyards and pisqueras (where they make Pisco). I passed two smaller villages on my 10 mile bike ride to the last town in the valley. The road was incredible steep at some parts and I was glad to find a path down to the river to rest in the cool shade for a late lunch. On my way back to Pisco Elqui, I stopped to take a tour at Pisquera Fundo los Nichos, the oldest pisquera in Chile. After, I saw a young man painting a beautiful mural, and since I was alone and in no rush, I paused to complement his work, which I had recognized from a mural I saw in Valparaiso earlier in the year. He told me that his work is also in parts of Santiago, Brasil, and Bolivia, but his hometown is Pisco Elqui.
After an exhausting day, I prepared a simple meal of quinoa and tomatoes back at the hostel. There were a few cats that I enjoyed hanging out with as the sunset in my final night in the valley. Day 5 - I woke up comfortably in the hostel room, the three beds around me were empty as it is still early in the season for many of the tourists. After a light breakfast of toast and yogurt, I caught a bus back towards Vicuña. I managed to get back to the reservoir I had been to with the Austrians who I had met two days before. This time I was alone, but I found a new trail along the edge of the reservoir and I hiked for an hour or so in between a forest of cacti.
I made my way back to the sandy beach where people were practicing kitesurfing, and it felt wonderful to cool off in the sparkling clear water. Before leaving, I ran into the Argentinian I had met from the last time I was in the town, and we had a great conversation about the differences between the two countries. By the time I was leaving it was late afternoon, and I still had to walk a long way around the reservoir to get to the bus stop. So I planned to hitch a ride from someone. It was my first time ever having to hitchhike alone, and I was quite nervous. But there was no need to be because it was a lot easier than I had thought. Within five minutes two trucks came up behind me and one had an extra seat so the man slowed when he saw me wave my hand and happily drove me to the bus stop. But once at the stop, the bus didn’t come. After a long while, I saw a collectivo (shared taxi) and hailed him down. He was going directly to the bus terminal in La Serena, I couldn’t believe my luck. There was a couple also in the collectivo, and one had a boogie board for surfing. We talked about surfing in Chile and he said if I ever get the chance I should go north up to Arica which is the best spot to surf in all of the country.
Once in La Serena, I ended up changing my bus ticket to an earlier time because there wasn’t much else to do in the city, and I was ready to sleep in my own bed again. I was glad I did because I got to see a lot more scenery or rolling hills, wind turbines, and the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. An incredibly tranquil ending to a fulfilling trip.
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