Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

I took 5 hours bus to Puerto Montt and then 2 hours flight to Punta Arenas. The scenary on the flight is excellent that I can see snowy mountains and glaciars!

In Punta Arenas, I joined boat trip to Isla Magdalena, Penguin Colonies. I was so happy and

crazy as the penguins are all around. They are so many! I took 170+ photos in one hour!

They are so cute!

And right now I still have 6 hours before mid night, so Happy New Year 2007!

Pucon

Pucon, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Pucon is located in the lake distinct of Chile. I planned to go there because there is Villarrica Volcano. Tour can lead you up to the top of this active volcano and see the melting magma. I got up at 6:00am in the morning and the weather seem good. However, the guide told us that the weather is too hot that the snow turned into ice and it might be dangerous. It is only 50/50 chance that we can go to the top. Even though I can choose to go tomorrow, but who know weather of tomorrow. The guide told me that last time he reach the top with the group is 15 days before.

We trekked up the snowy path for two hours and then we stopped. It is very difficult to walk on the snow as it is very slippy even I have full set of equipment. But it is my first time and it is fun.

Mission failed! The guide asked us to return and no more melting magma.

Valparaiso

Valparaiso, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

It is a small seaside city two hours bus ride from Santiago. It has some interesting hillside elevators, called ascensores, which were built between 1883 and 1916.

I had excellent seafood soup for lunch and bought strawberry with red wine for my Christmas Eve.

Easter Island

Easter Island, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui called by local people, is one of the most isolated places on earth. It is 3700km from the nearest continental, South America. I took 5 hour flight from Santiago and all the way the flight map showing is only blue ocean. The island is not very big, much smaller than our Lantau Island.

The moai, enormous stone sculptures are made for honoring their ancestors. The big one can be 10M height. All the moai is made in same place, Rano Raraku volcano but they are all around the island, around one thousand in total. How can they move them to the coast during that time?

Santiago

Santiago, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Merry Christmas from Santiago, Chile. This is a big city that I missed for 2 months. I joined a wine tour, played street flighter, go to central market, make dinner for myself, do shopping before X'mas!

I changed my flight so I am heading to Easter Island tomorrow. So, wish you all have a good holiday in Hong Kong and cool X'mas!!

Calama

DSCN0438, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Calama is a town which I take my flight to Santiago. Bought cherry at the roadside stall at US$2 for half kilo.

Horse Riding

DSCN0430, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Today, I have nothing to do but to wait for another day for the flight from Calama to Santiago on 16 Dec 2006.

So, I went to try horse riding around the town. And it feel quite good!

And I took the sky observation tour at night for watching the star. The area has no cloud so it is one of the clearest sky on Earth.

San Pedro de Atacama

IMG_7162, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Chile is much more expensive than Bolivia. Everything cost twice here!

This city is a desert area so it is very dry and hot during the daytime and cool at night.

The dead valley has no any live due to little rainfall, no plant, no animal and even insect.

The moon vally is named due to its landscape like the surface of moon. See if you think so.

The tour guide said that the moon valley will change color during sunset. It sounds good, but I didn´t found any great color change during my visit. :(

Uyuni

IMG_7129, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

This is an amazing tour from Uyuni of Bolivia to Chile. I really need to say that my photos cannot capture the beauty of the scenary.

Salar de Uyuni, the world´s largest salt plain at 3653m above sea level covering 12,000 sq. km; lakes with different colors with hundreds of flamingos in it; Geyster basin with stream coming out from the earth; enjoying the hot spring at 4200m; colourful mountains in the derest which you hardly find any cloud in the sky.

Potosi

Mine, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

Potosi is the highest city in the world, 4070m above sea level. And this height is same as the highest mountain of South East Asia, Mt. Kinabalu, in Sabah.

The town is famous for the silver mine in Cerro Rico hill found in 15 century.

I joined the Cooperative Mine Tour visiting the metal extraction factory, the miner street market to buy the Coca leaves adn alcohol (96%) for the miners. Then, we went into the mine. The mine inside has very little space, so we need to crawl sometime! The miners work there 6 day a week adn 8 hour a day. But, the environment is terrible!

Zip-line Canopy Tour

Zip-line Canopy Tour, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

As I cannot book the flight the day after my pampas tour, I need to stay for one more day in Rurrenabaque.

This half day program let you zip through the treetop. It is quite exciting, not bad.

Pampas Tour - Rurrenabaque

Pampas Tour, originally uploaded by Tak from HK.

After the Jungle Tour, I joined another 3D2N Pampas Tour which go in the south instead of north. The pampas are swampy lowlands, with less dense vegetation. A boat trip along the river and there are many animals around.

The next day, we went to the swamp to find the anaconda, a big snake. The water is up to my waist and there are thousands of mosquitos around you all the time. But, no snake found. Sorry!

The last day, I swan with the pink river dolphins which are unique to the freshwater rivers of Amazon Basin.