#eclipsetrip

After days one and two in Caldera, we got in quite late to our Airbnb in Punta Choros. Apparently, Punta de Choros is a smaller town than I anticipated, and our drive through in the dark was quite confusing. We kept missing our Airbnb and driving back and forth, eventually concluding that we would never find it or that we would and then would be locked in and murdered. When we finally found it, we honestly concluded the latter: it was one tiny cabin with nothing around it for miles in the sand dunes next to the pacific. However, as soon as we met the owners and saw the beautiful inside of the cabin our fears were assuaged. The owners were incredibly sweet and we couldn’t have asked for a better contrast to the last night’s kitchen and living space. We made a new kind of pasta (cooking again! adulting! yes!) and went to sleep early in anticipation of the next day’s adventures.

In the morning we woke up early to go visit Reserva Nacional Pinguinos de Humboldt. A well-known spot for dolphins, whales, and (obviously) penguins, this reserve consists of two islands just off the coast of the Punta Choros beach. We were somewhat taking our chances going at this time of the year, as there was a chance that the weather would make the ocean rough and that all of the penguins would be tucked away and that the whales and penguins would be elsewhere. On the contrary, we got the opposite! We instantly hopped on a boat when we got to the shore, heading first to Isla Choros and afterward to Isla Damas. As we approached Isla Choros, we found a pod of dolphins! They were so beautiful and graceful, some of the biggest dolphins I have ever seen. I was ecstatic. We then slowly crawled along the shore of Isla Choros, seeing penguins pop out here and there as well as some totally rad birds and sea lions!

We then zoomed over to Isla Damas, where we were allowed to disembark and hike around the island. We were dropped and told a time to meet back up at the pier, and set off to walk to the high point of the island. The terrain was absolutely unique: a perfect white sand beach with light blue waters juxtaposed with cacti, jagged rocks, and plants I have never before seen. This was such a gift to experience. Chile has so much diversity in its terrain, and this was the cherry on top of a lovely six months of travel.

We saw foxes on the way out!

Peaceful Waves

How is it possible that the next few days of the road trip were even better than the first few? This was such a special trip. We drove from Punta de Choros, windswept and with salty skin, all the way back to Valle de Elqui. The drive was stunning, with such a change of terrain as we moved from the coast into the valley.

We arrived around 5pm, and I instantly fell in love with the place. This was such a special witchy campground, and our site was right on the edge of the river that ran through the middle. 

We set up and then quickly rushed back to the entrance of the campground to meet our guide for a night hike in the mountains. He drove us (in the back of his pickup truck) up one of the mountains converging in the Elqui Valley and let us out just as sunset was at its most beautiful. We then hiked up to the peak of the mountain and sat in a lovely silence there until the whole world was dark except for the stars above us. It felt just like the Atacama – you could see so many stars, with the whole Milky Way, Jupiter, Venus, and el Cruz del Sur wonderfully visible.

The next day was the big finale of the trip: eclipse day. We decided we needed to get some work done, so we found a café in town to sit at for a few hours (I just read my book, as my classes luckily were all done, but the rest of the group pulled out their laptops to grind.) This café was my soul spot. I felt a wave of happy energy hit me the minute we walked in. There were dreamcatchers and beautifully made mobile-esque things hanging everywhere, and everything was focused on the energy of the sun and moon. This was the energy I needed going into the eclipse, and I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with joy at where we were in that moment.

We eventually made our way back to the campground for the thing we had been waiting for: a total solar eclipse that just happened to occur during our last week in Chile. With the rest of the people of the campground, we hiked up the side of the mountains again and found a very prickly spot right between a few cacti. We then put on our glasses and settled in to watch. I never could have even imagined what would come. I knew the solar eclipse would be spectacular, but it was beyond that.

If there’s anything Chile has given me, it’s the deepest love I have found in the sun and moon and stars. With the end of my trip being this solar eclipse, I have never felt so centered. I truly felt the reality of my existence: a tiny human sitting on the outside of a rotating celestial body as we fell in line with two others. My heart was so happy. Thank heavens for the moon.

I loved this vibrant pink.

Gentle yellow rose.