According to the guidebook, this is also a “must see” in San Pedro. The problem with guidebooks that they don’t distinguish between absolute and relative. In my view, it’s not a “must see” for anybody who saw the geysers/fumaroles in Iceland. There they are bigger, more accessible and a lot less touristy. The one I liked most was just outside the mountain hostel, for anybody to see who cared. There was no entrance fee.
The Tatio Geyser tour starts brutal. The bus picks you up at 4 am. Supposedly the fumaroles look better in the dark and cold. It’s a 3-hour drive on dirt roads, where everybody sleeps or passes out, as there is nothing to see or do in the dark. The geothermal field itself is quite big, but the fumaroles are a lot smaller than in Iceland. They aren’t really geysers; mostly just spit steam, although some of them add a bit of hot water too.
It was very cold, even colder than on the volcano; my hands turned blue while taking photos. We walked around for about 30 minutes, then at sunrise received breakfast, just bread (I skipped the ham, reached my quota for this year) and cookies. It was so cold that the tea instantly turned cold, without any warming effect. We then walked around the other half of the field, then the driver collected the entrance fee (5000 pesos, about 10 USD). This park discriminated, and charged less for Chileans. Not a wise policy; that’s what the communists did. But you instantly don’t feel welcome.
We started then back down, with the promise of seeing/photographing animals, then going to swim. I had the impression that the swimming would take place in some facility; but this wasn’t the case. It took place in a small river, just like in Iceland. With the exception that in Iceland you could change in the hut, and there were showers. Here we changed out in the open (the brave ones who wanted to give it a try) – I under the big scarf that another woman helped to hold in place. The water was very pleasant warm (according to the guide about 37 C, but coming out then into the 5 C air was very limited fun, especially when faced with the difficulties of open-air changing and drying.
We also saw some animals, little rabbit-like rodents and vicunas, but unfortunately I didn’t have the macro lens with me and they weren’t very close.
The landscape that we missed in the dark was beautiful, and the view of the geothermal fields too. Thus in the end I didn’t mind that I went. Although I enjoyed more the additional things than the geothermic field (the highest in the world) itself.
After the meager breakfast I was starving, but fortunately we stopped at a tiny village: a church, a folklore store, a restroom for 200 pesos, and a small kitchen where two women were frying empanadas. I bought a cheese-filled one for 1000 pesos, and it barely fit into my two palms. Quite a change as compared to Argentina. It tasted like a Hungarian lángos, except the cheese was inside and not on top. Back in the village I discovered that a small store sells similar-sized empanadas that were baked in the oven, not fried and are filled with tomato and basil.
In the village I couldn’t resist a cappuccino, it tasted like the real thing, about 4 USD a cup. I also ate an apple pie that turned out to be a pear pie, was quite sugar-drowned and cost 3 USD. Quite European rates.
I’m leaving San Pedro today. The hotel was extremely nice; they let me stay far beyond the checkout time. True, they aren’t full, but could’ve been rigid still, like elsewhere. I’m taking the night bus to Copiapo; stay there for one night, then another night bus to Valparaiso, one night there, then flight home from Santiago. I met a French boy on the bus who is an exchange student in Valparaiso and became quite excited when learned that I was going there and gave tons of advice.
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