It's all about the colors

by TATIANA FERREIRA (Brazil)

A leap into the unknown Chile

Before arriving in San Pedro de Atacama, I was expecting a rocky-dusty city, everything light brown, clear blue sky. In the north of Chile, the city has moon locations and the almost absence of water makes everything limpid as a high-definition image. The region has one of the clearest skies in the world. It’s the Desert. Beautiful and unique as I had imagined. A dystopian vision of big telescopes planted in an electronic garden made obligatory the visit at night. It was an astronomic observatory. This was one of many great attractions in the site. Before using the lenses to see the sky, a lecture about the universe happened in an open ceiling room with hot chocolate and blankets. After that, constellations, Saturn’s rings, Mars, Venus and Mercury, foggy galaxies. When you travel alone, all your senses become more active and the experiences, powerful. A hostel roommate told me about Uyuni, a salt desert in Bolivia that I’ve never heard about before. He insisted I couldn’t miss seeing something so unusual – and we were in a great place already. I booked. It changed my life. It was a four-day jeep tour. I fixed a small backpack with a large water bottle, sunglasses and sunscreen. Clothes for the wind and cold nights, we – me and other travelers – were going to sleep in rustic hostels without heat. All meals included. Prepare to be amazed. We left San Pedro and after crossing the border, breakfast was waiting in Bolivia. We got back to the car; the driver guided us through the dreamworld. Coral-pink and cyan lakes, mountains on the horizon, blue skies, light brown soil, sand, and rocks. Bath in a natural hot water pool. There was no road, the driver knew every inch of this vast space. The sea level distance was increasing, and I felt a little sick, adapting to the altitude. Nothing to worry, after a night's sleep I felt new. Perhaps you won't feel the difference. Before bed, I went to see the sky. It was unbelievable. I didn’t get full moon, but it was bright, an infinitude of stars without artificial lights. Never forget to look at the sky when in the desert. There is nothing like it. Next morning, pink flamingos near colorful lakes appeared as if they were waiting to show their beauty. Stone-shaped trees, weird rock formations made by the wind erosion. I started to feel like I was in a screensaver image. Sometimes we left the car and walked around. I was travelling solo, making friends was easy, but I took time for myself and I advise everyone to do the same. Go on your own pace, feel the moment. Every minute led us into a surreal scenery. The imaginary road showed a snow-white flat land with nothing but salt. In a 360o view, it was white under and blue above us. Suddenly, a house – a hotel, walls and furniture made of salt. More ahead, a cactus island with llamas on the hills you could easily climb. It felt like in a dream, only It was true. When it comes to nature, there is no limits for creativity. We kept driving. No constructions, llamas or cactus. I enjoyed the silence and walked for a while. A transformation was happening inside me. I felt I was part of the universe in its essence, two parts of the same being living in co-dependence. I let the solitude in, I felt the singularity of the time. I was sure I would build something with this in the future. Then, I took pictures. The train cemetery was an interesting closing stop with old iron structures corroded by salt, framing us in a time-space setting of a science fiction world. Later, we arrived in the small town of Uyuni and had a goodbye beer. Some of us were staying in Bolivia, others, returning to Chile. The day after was less glamourous, but I was still in the experience; it was too much to absorb at once. I was avid to know and see more but feeling introspective. Something had changed. All I could think was this is the desert. Enjoy the ride.