Valle de la luna

The most touristic spot in the Atacama desert. Had to elbow my way through the crowds.

It was a change from the previous few days of total (self imposed) loneliness. I talked to at least 5 persons that day.

I loved the experience. At the time I was working in an American Airlines call center and taking a minimum of 80 calls a day (most of them with a problem to be solved).
The not having to talk to anyone was most beneficial.
The temperature during the day was very pleasant. Very sunny but not that hot, due to the altitude. On the 3rd day, I decided to go naked during the day, as I was about 10k from the main road with 0.007% chance of bumping into anyone. I just mostly sat in the crusty dust and thought about nothing and everything. It was surprisingly not boring. Just extremely peaceful.
I can vividly remember getting pissed on some rather average red wine (Gatto Negro) because it was the only one with screw-on top (no cork screw on sale in that supermercado in Calama) and singing screaming way out of tune with the Joshua Tree playing on my CD player, with no risk of anyone getting alarmed concerned distressed seriously pissed off by the shrieks in the cold starry night (had my clothes on by then as the temperature really drops at night).

Enough reminiscing, Mrs Raheny is waiting for me to put on another episode of House MD