Chile: Time to Rest!

On July 6, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 6/Part 4–

After Pierre managed to get us down the mountain, I felt happy that we had made past the gate (and that we weren’t locked in), but I was still worried. Pierre was extremely sick and suffering from elevation sickness. His symptoms included: nausea, severe headache, chills, feeling feverish, and he also was having difficulty breathing normally. For lack of a better way to describe it…he was almost panting.

I thought he was going to pull over when we passed through the gate, but he kept driving toward town, which was still a few miles away. He told me later, that he knew that if he stopped, he probably wouldn’t be able to start again. He was able to stay focused until he pulled into the parking lot in San Pedro de Atacama.

As he parked the camper, I felt a wave of relief roll over me. Not because our problem was solved, but because I knew that I would able to get medical attention for him if he needed it. I’m certainly not a doctor, but I wondered if in addition to the symptoms that I already described, if he was also dehydrated. He had vomited multiple times, and putting it simply–he looked like hell! He was pale and lethargic by this point.

I asked him what he wanted me to do for him, and he replied, “I want to sleep.”

He crawled into the back of the camper and instantly fell asleep. The camper was dark and I stayed with him for a few minutes. I really didn’t know if he was okay. I watched him for a few more minutes, and then I decided to venture out and find food. We hadn’t eaten since lunch, and I knew that he had to eat and drink something.

I found a little restaurant close by, and the waitress spoke English. Again, I felt relieved…because now I had a solid plan. I would bring food back to Pierre, and if I discovered that had gotten any worse, I would ask the waitress to help me. When we were driving back into town, I had seen a big red cross (indicating a medical facility) on an informational sign, but I didn’t know where it was located. I don’t speak Spanish, but I had found someone who spoke English!

I ordered my meal and I kept the menu, so I could figure out what to order for Pierre. Everything seemed too spicy, or too heavy. The waitress brought out a bowl of chicken noodle soup. I didn’t order it, but she told me that it was included with my meal. It was delicious, and I knew exactly what I was going to bring back to Pierre–chicken noodle soup! I know, I know–how cliche–chicken soup for someone who is sick!

I explained to the waitress that my husband was sick, and I ordered soup to take back to him. I was afraid of being gone too long, so I ate quickly and headed out as soon as I was finished. He was still asleep when I got back, but he woke up when he heard me moving about. He said that he was feeling a bit better, and he was very happy to hear that I had brought back soup for him.

He sat up and I handed him the soup. He took a few bites, and asked, “Where are the noodles?”

I guess something had gotten lost in the translation, when I ordered his soup. It appeared to be same chicken stock, but his was filled with vegetables, and mine had been filled with noodles.

He said it was delicious, and in that moment, I was pretty sure that he was starting to feel better! Anyone who has the strength to wonder about missing noodles is probably going to be okay! In case you’re wondering, I never took a picture of the soup–mine or his!

Chile: Paso de Jama—Going Down!

On July 6, 2019December 25, 2019 By CandeeIn Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 6/Part 3–

When we were at the border control getting our passports stamped and processed, Pierre casually mentioned that his headache had gotten worse.

When I asked if he had any other symptoms, he replied. “My head feels huge—like it’s going to explode.”

I started to watch him carefully. He was in good spirits, and to the casual observer, he probably would have appeared to be acting normally. However, him complaining about a headache, or any ailment isn’t normal behavior for him…he NEVER complains about not feeling well. That should have been clue number one for me.

The longer we waited in line, the quieter he became. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah—but my head really hurts.”

By the time we got back into the camper, I could tell that Pierre was really sick, and that it was coming on fast. He was complaining about being freezing cold and feeling nauseous.

Pierre is an excellent driver, and I would describe his style as alert and assertive. In other words, he’s a very, very focused driver. I began to watch him intently, because he was driving much slower than he normally does. He wasn’t doing anything alarming at this point, but I kept an eye on him anyway.

I could see that a big problem was beginning to develop. He was exhibiting clear signs of elevation sickness. Under normal circumstance, I would have offered to drive, but I hadn’t driven a manual transmission since I had gotten out of college over thirty years ago, and I knew that driving down a mountain in a camper wasn’t the optimal time for re-entry into that particular skill set.

I was getting worried.

He pulled the camper over to the side of the road, and instantly flung the door open and hopped out. He didn’t even make it two steps before he bent over and violently threw up. I opened the passenger door, and headed to the back of the camper to get tissues and a wet rag for him. He was already back in the driver’s seat by the time I had returned.

“I’m burning up,” he explained.

I held the wet rag to his forehead and then ran it over his head, and down the back of his neck. Never, not once, in our 12-years of marriage had I seen him like this. His facial expression showed no affect, and his mouth was slack. He started the engine, and I asked if he was okay to drive.

I don’t remember if he answered me, but he began to drive anyway. The pattern continued—he drove, pulled over, and threw up. He drove, pulled over, and threw up. It happened over and over again. I knew that he was probably already dehydrated, or getting there, so I kept offering him little sips of water every time that he climbed back into the camper. To make make matters worse, the hot sun was streaming through the windows, making the interior of the cab feel like an oven (in the middle of winter), even though we had the AC blasting.

Around this point, the seriousness of the situation began to create havoc in my mind—we were heading down a mountain with an elevation of over 14,000 ft., Pierre was suffering from elevation sickness, and every few minutes he had to pull over and throw up. I’m was fine and not showing any symptoms, but I couldn’t drive.

I felt helpless and then I remembered something else. “Pierre,” I blurted out, trying to contain my fear. “You need to get to the gate at the bottom of the mountain by six o’clock, or we’ll be locked in.”

I wasn’t sure if he had heard me, because he had pulled over again, but this time it was to go to the bathroom. He was out there for what seemed like forever, and I watched him from the side mirror, every few moments. I suppose I thought he was going to pass out, but he didn’t. He looked sick and vulnerable.

He slowly got back into the car and said, “I don’t feel so cold anymore.”

“Good–now, focus on getting to the gate,” I instructed, once again.

I was on high alert. I watched him, I watched the road, I watched the clock, and I watched the mileage signs on the side of road. Silently, I kept recalculating the time and distance remaining, and I pretty much figured out that if he didn’t stop again, we would probably make it to the gate.

I inwardly prayed that he wouldn’t have to throw up again, but I could tell that he was pulling from his last reserve. I really wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to do it. I began to dwell on what would happen if the gate was locked by the time we got there?

“Focus on getting to that gate,” I stated calmly, but I was worried. How would I be able to get medical help for him if he needed it?

He got us to the bottom of the mountain safely, and we drove through the gate at 5:45 p.m. on the nose. I had always heard about elevation sickness, and that it was serious, but it was shocking to see how hard and fast it had affected Pierre. I suppose, as equally shocking, was that I hadn’t suffered any ill effects, other than my ears popping when we drove up the mountain.

We made it…AND we got our passports stamped in Argentina! The scenery was breathtaking on the way up, and the trip was scary on the way down!

P.S. It seems so strange that the only picture that we took after leaving the border is the picture (above) of me smiling broadly. The sun was so hot coming through the window, that it felt like it was burning my skin, so I pulled my sweatshirt over my head. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I laughed. It was right after taking this picture, that I realized how sick Pierre was.

Chile: Paso de Jama–Going Up!

On July 6, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Animals & Birds, Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 6/Part 2–

This was the day that Pierre had been waiting for…driving through the Andes Mountains and crossing from Chile into Argentina using the Paso de Jama crossing point at the border between the two countries. The highest elevation along the route is a whooping 15,780 ft. The elevation at the border is 13,800ft. I was excited too, because of the adventure aspect, but mostly because I saw how happy and excited Pierre was. He was determined to get his passport stamped in Argentina!

A gate is closed and locked every day at the bottom of the mountain, and during the summer months, it opens at 8:00 a.m. and it closes at 6:00 p.m. If you don’t make it to the gate before it closes, you have to park on the side of the road, and either wait or camp there until morning.

Last night, we parked in the desert between San Pedro de Atacama and the closed gate. We could see that trucks were lined up through the night waiting for the gate to open in the morning. We decided at that point to let the truck traffic thin out a bit in the morning before we set out. Our goal was to get up to the pass, enter Argentina, get our passports stamped, and get back down the mountain before the gate closed. We weren’t keen on the idea of heading up a mountain surrounded by a convoy of big rigs.

When we crossed through the gate in the morning, there wasn’t a truck in site, so we liked the way our plan was shaping up. In fact, there was hardly any traffic at all. The road was paved and in excellent condition. Before we knew it, we could sense that we were quickly gaining elevation, and the view surrounding us was breathtaking.

A few days earlier, we had seen a volcano in the distance that we figured out was Lincancabur, a 19,409 ft tall volcano that straddled the border between Bolivia and Chile. Pierre was fascinated by it, so I started describing it as “his mountain,” or calling it, “Pierre’s Mountain.”

As we climbed, we could see Lincancabur rising majestically off to our left. Even though we were climbing fast, we were dwarfed by it. I felt my ears pop and I asked Pierre if his ears had popped as well. He said they had, and then we had a quick talk about altitude sickness. Apparently, it can strike hard and fast, and it’s not really clear why some people are more affected by it than others.

A short time later, Pierre said that he was getting a dull headache. I reminded him that we would have to pull over and turn around if he started to feel lightheaded, or if he developed any other symptoms. Other than my ears popping, I was feeling fine. A few times as we continued to drive, Pierre commented on his headache. I asked if he felt dizzy or sick, and he said that he was feeling okay…just a slight headache.

At think at this point, I think pictures will speak louder than words. This is what the scenery looked like as we climbed higher and higher into the Andes Mountains…

We saw so many alpacas and llamas, and I’ve kept a running tally since seeing the first one!

Finally at the Top! The actual border station was about 2 more miles down the road.

We made it to and past the 15,780 ft. mark! WOW! What an amazing adventure this is!

Chile: Pooping, Shaving, and Showering in the Desert…And Worrying if Anyone Would Drive By!

On July 6, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 6/Part 1–

I’m going to begin by stating that there are NO pictures to accompany the first part of this post! As you read in earlier entries, we rented a camper while we were in Chile, but we decided early on that we weren’t going to use the shower and the toilet in the back of our living space. Both needed to be emptied and cleaned before returning the camper, and we just didn’t want to deal with the hassle. Up until this point, we had been able to find restrooms for the more delicate matters, and we both felt comfortable using “nature’s toilet” when we had to pee. Simply put–everything was working out according to our plan.

When we woke up in the morning, I told Pierre that we needed to scrap our original plan. We were quite far away from town, and we weren’t near any sort of facility that had a bathroom. We were in the desert, and I had done it before, but this time, we parked beside two roads–one beside the camper, and the other in front. We hadn’t seen any cars go by since we were up, but I knew with my luck, exactly when one would go by–yes, you know what I mean. I told Pierre that I was going to have to use the toilet in the camper.

Pierre had another idea–

The passenger side of the camper was facing away from the roads, so he dug a hole right between the front passenger door, and the back door. Finally, he opened the doors to create a little visual block.

He made me an outdoor loo–Brilliant!

When I finished, I filled the hole up with sand, and put a rock on top as a marker. A marker for what, I’m not really sure, oh yeah–that’s what Pierre had insisted that I do the day before! LOL! Next I heated up water, so I could wash my hair and body. A few days ago, I came up with an extremely “high-tech solution”–standing behind the camper, I bent over at the waist and poured warm water over my head. I used a dollop of shampoo and I scrubbed my hair until it was squeaky clean. I used the remaining water to rinse out the soap. Pierre shaved his face for the first time on the trip, using the the driver’s side mirror, and of course, he also washed his hair and body. For some reason, it’s very satisfying to bathe and get dressed outdoors.

As you can see above, I named this post, “Pooping, Shaving, and Showering in the Desert…and Worrying if Anyone Would Drive By!” I’m not sure why I worried so much, because we didn’t see a single car the entire time!

Chile: Finding the Post Office…and Finally Dinner!

On July 5, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 5/Part 6–

Although we had driven down the tiny roads of San Pedro de Atacama several times already, we decided to park the camper and walk into town for dinner. We also needed to find the post office. I asked a few people as we walked along, both Anglo and Spanish, and I was told that it was near the police station and the directions were always finished with a finger pointing us in the right direction. We walked–asked clarification–walked– and asked for clarification until we found ourselves in a bustling town square. At the center of the action, a small band was playing and there appeared to be some dancers getting ready to perform.

Many stalls were set up in the middle of the square, and were occupied by vendors selling a wide assortment of merchandise to include: hand-crafted items, soaps, food, honey, etc. Small shops and restaurants lined the square on three sides, and a beautiful old adobe church occupied the remaining side. We finally found the police station that everyone had pointed us toward, but we still didn’t see the post office.

I’m a big fan of the Amazing Race, but one of the things that bothers me is that the contestants tend to run around like chickens and they never seem to think that it would be a good idea to stop and ask for directions. So–not wanting to be accused of being a frantic chicken, I asked one more time, and we were given a scant description that we really didn’t understand, BUT we got the all important finger (no, not that one!), which pointed us in the direction that we should go. Sure enough–we found the post office tucked away on a side street, just down from the church.

We stepped into a small courtyard and waited our turn to buy stamps. The building was so small, that only one customer could step into the lobby at a time. The bike pictured below is one one the mail bikes that the mailman/woman uses to deliver the mail locally, and a fancy mail scooter was there as well.

After finishing at the post office, we set off to find a restaurant for dinner. We weren’t craving anything in particular, so we just picked a place called, Restaurant la Manada that “looked nice” from the outside. Wow~we picked well! Our dinner was excellent and the presentation was beautiful!

Yummy rolls served with an even yummier sauce–

I didn’t write down the Spanish description, but it was pasta and shrimp–Pierre’s meal

Lomo de Res al vino tinto sobre polenta roquefort a las finas hierbas–my meal

Tarta de limón y Rica-rica en salsa de Maracuyá–Pierre’s dessert

Chile: Valle de la Luna

On July 5, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 5/Part 5–

After seeing the flamingos, we headed to the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), which is a short drive from the town of San Pedro de Atacama. The park is well named, because we definitely felt like we had been transported to the surface of the moon as we traveled among the rock formations, sand dunes, and salt deposits.

Although seemingly barren at first glance, the landscape showcased rich earth tones that ebbed and flowed from one moon-like formation to the next. Most intriguing however, were the huge sand dunes. Unfortunately, their scope and magnitude just can’t be captured by a cellphone camera. The scene was blanketed by a very blue sky, which was the “cherry” on the top of a very special cake.

Tres Marias: These formations are believed to be approximately 1 million years old.

Volcán Licancabur (Pierre’s Mountain) in the distance!

Chile: Llamas and Alpacas, and Goats…Oh My!

On July 5, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Animals & Birds, Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Chile: Day 5/Part 4–
We were driving back from seeing the flamingos, and were almost back to town when I yelled, “Stop! Stop! Pull over!” Pierre is used to me yelling things out like that, so with cat-like reflexes, he pulled the camper over to the side of the road in a flash. I was so glad that he had listened, because I really wanted him to see the animal menagerie that was walking by! A man on horseback was leading llamas, alpacas, goats, and sheep. Several dogs ran around the animals keeping them all in place and moving forward—it was quite a scene!

P.S. Pierre—do you remember the sunflower field in France? LOL! ?

Chile: Burrito Crossing!

On July 5, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Animals & Birds, Chile, Signs Along the Way, South AmericaLeave a comment

Chile: Day 5/Part 3–

Chile: Pink was the Color of the Day!

On July 5, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Animals & Birds, Chile, South America1 Comment

Chile: Day 5/Part 2–

After getting ready for the day, we headed back down the road toward Laguna de Chaxa: Reserva Nacional “Los Flamencos’–we wanted to see some flamingos!

We weren’t sure if the park was going to be open to private vehicles, because last night we had learned that the 10 km. long dirt road leading to the lake was under construction. When we got to the turn, we saw that the road was clogged with construction vehicles. We pulled to the side of the road unsure of what to do. I was SURE that I had understood that the park would be open during the day, but keep in mind that the man last night was speaking in Spanish, and I don’t speak or understand Spanish. Okay, I know a small handful of words, but that’s about it.

We had just decided to turn around, when a van pulled up next to us and beeped. The driver rolled down the passenger window, and was trying to tell us something. I was too far away to hear or understand, so I got out of the camper and approached his van.

He smiled while pointing to the turn, “Laguna?”

“Sí, Laguna,” I replied. I told you my Spanish was limited!

He spoke for what felt like a minute, but it was probably more like ten seconds. I heard a definite, “Sí,” as he motioned down the road. “Sí…flemencos.”

I took a shot, “It’s okay to drive down the road to see the flamingos?”

He answered in another long string of Spanish words, but once again I heard, “Sí.”

I thanked him and got back into the car. I turned to Pierre and said something like, “It’s okay for us to drive down the road. The park is open and we can see the flamingos.”

Pierre gave me a look that said—Yeah, right

Visibility was low because every vehicle was kicking up a lot of sand and dirt. We already knew from last night, that the road was going to be narrow and tight, but it was even worse during the day because of the construction vehicles moving about.

It was slow going, but we finally got past the construction as we entered the Nature Reserve. We saw a visitor center in the foreground, two lakes surrounded by salt flats, and the whole scene was framed by snow-covered mountains in the distance. Three types of flamingos makes their home on the lakes here–Chilean, Andean, & James. The area was beautiful. It almost had a mystical feel to it, except for the presence of the tourists who were dotted along the walking trail in the distance.

We barely squeezed past the construction vehicles–how in the world did this bus do it? Tune in to Unsolved Mysteries of the Atacama Desert at 7:00 p.m. tognight!

After paying a very small entrance fee, Pierre and I walked down a trail that was carved through the salt flats. It lead out to a viewing area by the lake. Pink was certainly the color of the day–we saw lots of flamingos!

Salt! This was our 2nd salt flat in a year–the 1st was Death Valley in January!

Chile: Digging Holes in the Desert

On July 5, 2019August 17, 2019 By CandeeIn Chile, South AmericaLeave a comment

Day 5/Part 1–

We found the perfect spot to park last night after we had been turned away from the Flamingo Lagoon and the construction area. Pierre had backed into the desert, on a flat spot, so that the front of the camper was facing the road. Before we went to bed, we stood behind the camper and looked up at the pitch dark sky sparkling with stars. We couldn’t see a single artificial light anywhere. The night sky was breathtaking!

When we woke up this morning, the first thing I said to Pierre was, “I’m going to have use the toilet.” We had decided earlier in the trip not use the toilet or shower in the camper. It had to be emptied and cleaned before we returned the vehicle, and we were hoping to avoid that dirty chore at all costs. Neither of us have issues using the outside facilities, but pooping in the desert has it’s drawbacks–there’s nothing to hid behind!

“I have to go, too,” so I already dug a hole behind the camper while you were sleeping. You can use that one, and I’ll dig another hole when you’re finished,” Pierre explained.

Nothing to hide behind? Nothing but a big camper!

I thanked him and headed outside. I looked to the left, and then to the right, and saw that I could probably see two miles down the road on either side of the camper. Perfect! Just as I had finished, Pierre opened the back door of the camper and yelled, “After you fill the hole back in, put a rock on it to mark it!”

“Mark it? Mark it for what?” I yelled back.

“Just do it!”

I burst out laughing. I realized that he probably didn’t want to re-dig the next hole in the same place. THAT would be awful!

I was still laughing, as I climbed back up into the camper, “Your turn!”