it's 40k kilometers around the world's circumference
The landscapes today are inspiring. The rains of yesterday deposited snowcaps to the Andes Mountains that surround us, and the crispness of the air compels my trigger finger to keep taking pictures. From the day’s start with the flamingos at Laguna Chaxa in the Salar de Atacama to the Lagunas Miniques and Miscanti, each site rivals the last.
I hear that our first full in San Pedro is going to be a rest day, and although I’m fully on board with the idea, I feel that if I go on a nice morning bicycle ride, I will feel great about resting afterwards. The owner of our lodge tells me of a ride to Laguna Cejar, a nearby salt lake that is both beautiful and swimmable, and sketches me a hand-drawn, not-to-scale map detailing the 17km route.
I’m excited by the ride, by the destination, and by the challenge of not getting lost. I get an early start, have a quick breakfast at the lodge again seated next to the Irish honeymooners, and then I continue on my journey to the Laguna. Arriving without issue and feeling particularly good because the weather is overcast and cool, I find a little oasis in the middle of the desert. I don’t end up jumping in the water because the weather isn’t exactly swimming worthy, but I still get my fair share of pictures before returning to the lodge.
As it turns out, we end up experiencing a rare summer rain in the afternoon and are happily located within a café in the middle of town playing cards.
On the same afternoon that we arrive in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile’s high desert adobe-Disneyland, we venture to Valle de la Luna along the way taking some photographic pit-stops at Valle de la Muerte and Tres Marias. In my effort to try to compare foreign landscapes to something more familiar, I try to match some of the landscapes around San Pedro to something that might be found in New Mexico, but there are few spots that I feel look much like the Valle de la Luna.
Chile is full of vineyards, and today we decide to explore the Casablanca Valley, which is nestled between Valparaiso and Santiago. The varietals that appear frequently throughout our tastings include Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay among the whites, and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Chilean specific Carmenere for the reds. Our first stop, which also includes a great lunch, is at Viña Casas del Bosque. We then make our way through three more wineries before the end of the afternoon, including Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Viña Indomita, and Viña Mar. We break up our tastings with card playing, joke telling, and a little Facetiming.
We later stop in Valparaiso for some afternoon tea and juice before heading to Oda Pacifico, a wonderful restaurant looking over much of the city. Getting to the restaurant is a bit of an adventure because of the layout of the city, its steep hills, and its narrow streets. I explain to many navigators in the car that I think we are approaching a dead end, and although in one occasion I am correct, on another occasion, the road continues at what seems like a 60-degree slope, which I had inaccurately thought was impassible.
As we head back to our hotel in Zapallar, we look back on our day filled with multiple types of terrain covered, many wines tasted, and a beautiful dinner shared together.
Today, we wake up at Cascada de Las Animas and hike to the base of the El Morado Glacier. The combination of the shadeless heat, the steep grade, and the length of the hike makes for a challenge and a sense of accomplishment.
On our first full day in Chile, we pack our things and head off to Cajon del Maipo, a stunning gorge that starts just 25 km southeast of Santiago. We head off early because we have a date with the Maipo River at 10am, and we are not confident that we won’t get lost along the way.
After experiencing the Maipo river at its highest level of the year and therefore at its fastest, we grab a quick bite to eat and continue on to horseback riding along side of the Maipo gorge.
We enter back into Israel between Aqaba and Eilat, right on this corner of the Red Sea that brings together Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Our car is not allowed to cross and thus we do it by foot. After several passport checks, a couple more security scans, and a lot of questioning, we are allowed to reenter Israel and make our way to Eilat beach front resort.
Along with being a busy port, Eilat happens to be a very popular resort town on the Gulf of Aqaba. With its attractions, giant IMAX pyramid, and enormous hotels, the only thing the city lacks to make it Israel’s Vegas is gambling. The view from our hotel room is incredible as we look over several countries just by looking across the Gulf.
While in Eilat, my Dad and I have a fun dinner at Eddie’s Hideaway, and then continue on to check out some of the night life at Paddy’s and later at the Three Monkeys. Eilat is a city that attracts lots of tourists, but mainly Israeli tourists; thus, although there was a tourist vibe as we walked around the city, the tourist vibe did not detract at all from the Israeli vibe. The following day, we visit the Aquarium, one of the better-known attractions, before having one last snack and heading to the airport to take us to Tel Aviv and eventually back to Los Angeles.
On Christmas day, we visit Wadi Rum, the Wadi made famous by the T. E. Lawrence of Arabia. In a country only 5% Christian, Christmas is not exactly a major holiday but it is nonetheless declared a national holiday. In addition, the hotel buffet for Christmas Eve was definitely a step up from the night before, and our Guide Audi wishes us a Merry Christmas all the while knowing that we are very Jewish.
While touring Wadi Rum on the back of a Toyota pickup, my dad and I try on our Jordanian scarves and explore this very picturesque dessert. We climb sand dunes, share tea with Bedouins, and feast on a traditional lunch before continuing onto Aqaba for a quick tour.
After seeing Petra yesterday, Little Petra, also known as Al Beidha, seems whelming (as my sister says, “if it is neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, it’s just whelming”). Had we seen it first, Little Petra would seem much more dramatic, but after seeing the masterpiece that is Petra, it is hard for much to compare to that. That all said, Little Petra was an important suburb of Petra and a stop for camel caravans passing through. Similar to Petra, Little Petra is also full of sandstone buildings.
As we stand in one of the second story homes carved directly into the sandstone, I imagine a bustling civilization below. I pretend there are people filling up buckets of water from the complicated water collection systems. I see people coming and going with their camels and their tradable goods. I imagine that the camels are overly decorated as a way for the traders to display their importance and wealth. I know that it’s probably inaccurate, but I picture the TV series “Rome” with its costumes, colors, and dialogue and I superimpose that on this ancient ghost town.
What exactly life would have been like if I had been living a couple millennia ago and arrived at Petra, I will never know. Archeology is all about trying to come up with our best guess of what happened, but I feel that using my imagination is more fun.
There is something about Petra that seems simultaneously both ancient and more advanced than today. This Nabataean settlement’s stunning rock-cut architecture is unimaginable and would be hard to create with today’s technology let alone over two thousand years ago. As we pass through the narrow Siq, we eventually arrive at the famous Treasury façade leading to soaring temples and elaborate royal tombs, a theater, and more burial chambers. After a quick lunch, we go to the Monastery, which is located atop 850 steps built into the sandstone.
Although the tourist economy has turned Petra into something more Disneyland-like with its camel and horseback rides, carriage trips, souvenir stands, and snack shops, the magic of this historic place remains untouched. This day is full of highlights, and these pictures only begin to tell the story.
