We woke up yesterday in the verdant green of the Chilean Lake District around Pucon. We woke up this morning to the arid country of the Atacama desert. We arrived last night at San Pedro de Atacama the main town in the centre of the Atacama, after it was dark. So it was quiet a shock to see the contrast this morning.

In truth San Pedro is an undistinguished town, of small adobe buildings, though it does have an interesting church and a very worthwhile museum. The town has been rather taken over by the tourist industry and it is a centre for tours of the Atacama sights, which is what we shall be doing starting tomorrow.