Roadtrip Peru, Bolivia & Chili - Part 11
Atacama Desert – Monday 25-09-2023
On the road again! Today we travel from la Serena to Valparaiso a drive of about 430 km on the Pan-American Highway.
The Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway (also known as the Carretera Panamericana) is a network of roads connecting the ends of the American continent. This impressive road stretches from Fairbanks in Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
The Pan American Highway has a total length of about 30,000 kilometres. According to the Guinness World Records, it is the longest "drivable road" in the world.
The road crosses diverse climates and ecological zones, ranging from dense jungles to arid deserts and harsh tundra. Some sections are fully passable only during the dry season.
There is a break of about 100 kilometres at the border between Colombia and Panama. This area is known as the Darién Gap. There is no official road connection here, but there are informal routes and ferries to cross the gap.
The Pan American road continues to the southernmost tip of South America, at Tierra del Fuego National Park near Ushuaia, Argentina. Unfortunately, this last section has not yet been completed and it is uncertain whether it will ever be.
In short, the Pan American Road is an impressive feat of human connection and adventure, spanning the entire Americas!
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is located in the northern region of Chile up to the border with Peru. It is about 1000 km long and is considered the highest desert in the world. It is also the driest NON-polar desert in the world, as it rarely rains in the region, as sea currents from the Pacific Ocean cannot flow into the desert because of its altitude. So when they evaporate, moist clouds discharge their contents before reaching the desert, potentially leaving it in periods without rain.
You are wrong if you think the Atacama Desert is around San Pedro do Atacama! We are talking about 105,000 km2! It is in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The region's terrain is quite diverse, both in terms of altitude and formation, ranging from heights almost at sea level to 6885 metres, as in the case of the Ojos del Salado volcano. There are also areas characterised by erosion, dunes and mountains. The soil is diverse, but consists mainly of salt and sand.
The climate is hot during the day and cold at night and dry throughout the year, with temperature variations ranging from 0°C to 40°C. The lack of rain in this region is due to the Pacific Ocean's sea currents. The Humboldt sea current leaves the air very cold, which, when it collides with the warm Pacific currents, causes condensation and consequently rain. But until you reach the desert, the clouds dissolve if they arrive there at all empty, meaning it doesn't rain there at all.
It is already recorded as the lowest rainfall in the world. The Andes Mountains prevent the arrival of moist air from the Amazon, as it acts as a barrier to airflow. The Pacific Ocean would then be responsible for humidifying the Atacama Desert area, but because it is a cold sea current, no water evaporation takes place and the air heading towards the desert is dry.
In general, the desert has very dry rocky terrain that is not conducive to the growth of some plants. In some places near the Antofagasta region, there are large areas of absolute desert, where the soil is completely devoid of vegetation. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! But without a doubt a unique landscape.........
One thing that caught our attention was seeing the Cordillera mountains without snow in places where they are usually white. Most of the lagoons also have little water. Lara was in Uyuni and San Pedro a year ago, and she saw the big difference, in a negative sense. Nature and its appearance are changing in a rapid way. Yesterday, in Vicuña, the Puclaro reservoir was very low, and it was also strange to know that we were at the foot of the Cordillera again and saw no snow. Climate change is leaving its mark here too.
Valparaiso - Pontoval Bed & Breakfast
We arrived at 4 pm in Valparaiso and quickly found our new place Pontoval B&B. It is located fairly high up the hillside so we have a very nice view over Valparaiso. Our B&B is a beautiful country house, stylish, a beautiful garden and sitting areas. We also have a lovely room. All kinds of shops are just around the corner. We do the necessary shopping and have a beer on the balcony and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
