We reached San Pedro on Friday the 13th of March after an 11-hour long bus ride. Even if we were exhausted, once we got there, we knew we were up to a great start to a new adventure.
We walked for about 10 minutes from the bus terminal and to the hostel. It was at sunset and we were in the middle of the desert where the views were spectacular. The walk was through the main road that was full of small shops and travel agencies. The people were so friendly and all shops were full of colors. It was beautiful.
The first night in San Pedro de Atacama
We were starving so after we checked in we went with three of the girls in our group to find some dinner. Our choice was a restaurant that had a very cozy and cute terrace. We chose a table in a corner and ordered some wine and food. The prices were higher than we expected but then again, we were in the middle of the desert.
We were accompanied by a Swiss, an English and a German girl and we shared our travel adventures while we waited for our food. And we had to wait for more than one hour for our order, even though they consisted mostly of salads. However, the food was delicious.
Afterward, we decided to call it a night and get some good rest before the new day. It was also very cold outside and we had to wear our coats.
Our second day in San Pedro de Atacama
On the second day, we woke up hungry – again. So together with the group, we went to La Franchuteria, one of the best places for breakfast in town.
They had amazing coffee and delicious, gigantic pastries.
We used the rest of the day to explore this little town and catch up on work.
In the evening we reunited with the group and went to a Karaoke bar to eat, sing, and party. When we got there the place was empty so we were quite reluctant that people will join later on. I shared a traditional Chilean dish with Chris, Chorillana.
The dish consists of french fries topped with onions, meat, sausages, eggs, and cheese. It was heavy but great!
The bar started to fill with more and more people, the majority Latinos, and the karaoke night started. Some of us sang and I really enjoyed that everybody was so supportive and cheering. We kept on drinking and dancing and had a lot of fun. However, I was still tired so the two of us went back to the hostel. Bad idea! After the club closed, the rest of the group went to another party – one of the famous desert parties. Everybody said how much fun it was so we were quite bummed we missed it.
The third day in San Pedro de Atacama
The bad news kept coming during our time in San Pedro Borders were closing due to the coronavirus and in the end, our tour was canceled. We spent a good part of the day finding a town in Chile where to settle until the pandemic was over.
A lot of people from the group were searching for flights back home and you could feel the negative energy surrounding us. However, we tried to stay positive and decided to make the best out of this little town before we left. Therefore we booked a tour for the next day to see more of the desert and Lagunas and in the evening we joined a Stargazing tour.
Did you know that the best sky for stargazing is in Chile? It was indeed mesmerizing.
The fourth day in San Pedro de Atacama
This was the last day with most of the group still intact. We all went to see the Baltinache and Cejar Lagunas and it was great. We bathed in the Cejar Laguna and then enjoyed some fruit and pisco sours during the sunset.
In the evening we went out and played cards and other drinking games and in the end, we started looking for another dessert party – as we missed the last one. So we befriended some locals and they said they’d take us to the desert in their pickup truck. It was a bit scary as it was late in the night and very dark outside and we were in the truck with some other people we didn’t know.
But once we got to the desert we found out there was no party that night. Bummer! However, the driver told us he’ll have a party at his place and we can all join. So we went there but we never imagined the party would take place in a supermarket. It was so much fun. These guys were creative!
We danced and spoke to the locals before we called it a night. It was a very fun experience.
The end of our stay in San Pedro de Atacama
In the following two days, the town would get emptier and emptier. There were no tours available and most shops and bars were closed. It was such a difference compared to the first day when the streets were packed with people.
It was a bit sad to see all the vividness of the town fading away. However, we were up for a new adventure in Iquique, Chile.
Did you enjoy this article? Check out our story about how the pandemic affected our travels or the best excursions to make in San Pedro de Atacama.
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