Adamskii's Photographic Trips - North East Travel Photographer

CHILE STRETCHES NEARLY THE FULL LENGTH OF SOUTH AMERICA AND WE TRAVELLED FROM THE VERY TOP TO THE VERY BOTTOM IN 17 DAYS. WE WERE MET AT SANTIAGO AIRPORT BY MARIO, OUR GUIDE - AN ARGENTINIAN NATURALIST WHO LECTURES AT HIS LOCAL UNIVERSITY - AND WHO PERSONALLY THINKS THE CHILIAN PEOPLE, AND I TEND TO AGREE WITH HIM, ARE AN UNPLEASANT BUNCH.

STRAIGHT FROM THE AIRPORT WE WENT TO A DUSTY TRAIL ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY THAT FOLLOWED A LITTLE CREEK. I SPOTTED THIS PEPSIS WASP - 2 INCHES LONG, IRRIDESCENT BLUE AND KNOWN AS THE TARRANTULA HAWK.

ALONG THE CREEK WANDERED THESE REAL CHILIAN COWBOYS WHO FORDED THE STREAM ON THEIR HORSES AND CARRIED ON WITHOUT EVEN A GLANCE TOWARDS US.

AFTER AN OVERNIGHT STAY AT A HOTEL IN THE CAPITAL, SANTIAGO, WE WERE UP AT DAWN TO CATCH AN INTERNAL FLIGHT UP TO THE NORTHERN TIP OF CHILE TO A TOWN CALLED ARICA. NICE VIEW OF THE ANDES HERE - TAKEN FROM THE WINDOW OF THE SHUTTLE BUS BEFORE WE BOARDED THE PLANE.

WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ARICA WE DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE COAST AND TO MY FIRST EVER VIEW OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. HERE WE SAW PERUVIAN PELICAN AMONGST THE SEABIRDS, WHICH WERE HUGE

AND STRANGELY THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF TURKEY VULTURES ON THE BEACH - WHAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR WE COULD ONLY GUESS.

AND RUNNING AROUND THE SAND WERE THESE RED CRABS. THEY WERE VERY CAUTIOUS AND HID AS SOON AS YOU GOT NEAR, BUT WITH PATIENCE, PERSEVERENCE AND A LONG LENS I GOT SOME GOOD SHOTS.

WE THEN MOTORED IN LAND TO A FARM IN THE AZAPA VALLEY WHERE WE SPOTTED HUMMINGBIRDS FLITTING AROUND THE FLOWERS. THIS WAS A PERUVIAN SHEARTAIL AND ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PHOTOS FROM THE TRIP.

THE NEXT DAY WE WERE TAKEN TO THE HARBOUR AREA OF ARICA WHERE WE SAW THESE HUGE SOUTHERN SEALIONS SWIMMING AROUND THE JETTY FOR THE FERRY.

AND MORE PERUVIAN PELICAN - SOME OF THEM HAD VIVIDLY COLOURED HEADS AND BILLS.

FROM THE HARBOUR WE DROVE NORTH INTO THE ATACAMA DESERT, PASSING THESE GEOGLYPHS - MADE BY THE INCAS. BUT ARE THEY SIGNIFYING ALIENS WITH SPACE HELMETS OR THE ANCIENT SPANISH INVADERS?

SO TO THE DRIEST PLACE ON EARTH - THE ATACAMA - AND WE PASSED THE TREACHEROUS STRETCH OF ROAD TO BOLIVIA, WHERE SOMEONE HAD MADE A CROSS OUT OF THE BURNT AND SINGED REMAINS OF CRASHED CARS.

WE THEN CLIMBED UP, UP AND UP A LITTLE BIT MORE TO 11,500 FEET WHERE WE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE ULTRA-RARE ANDEAN DEER.

THE NEXT MORNING IT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS 'BLOODY FREEZING' AND WE HEADED INTO LAUCA NATIONAL PARK WHERE OUR FIRST STOP BROUGHT US TO A STANGE FROZEN MARSHLAND COVERED IN 2 FEET THICK MOSS.

FURTHER INTO THE PARK WE FOUND A LITTLE GROUP OF THESE WEIRD ANIMALS CALLED VISCACHAS. HALF HARE HALF SQUIRREL BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS!

WE ARRIVED AT A SALT FLAT - 14,000 FEET UP IN THE ALTIPLANO.

HOME TO EWOKS...SORRY ALPACAS!

AND I FOUND THIS CUSHION MOSS. NOW THAT ROCK WAS ABOUT 20 FEET HIGH SO THAT GIVES A SENSE TO THE SCALE. IT WAS A BIG, ANCIENT PLANT BUBBLING OUT FROM THE STONE, CALLED LLARETA - THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.

AROUND THE NEXT BEND WE SAW THE VOLCANO - CALLED PARINACOTA IT LAST ERUPTED 8,000 YEARS AGO AND AS A RESULT CREATED CHUNGARA LAKE IN FRONT OF IT. I SNAPPED THE SCENE WITH WILD VICUNA EATING THE MOSS AT THE LAKE SHORES BEFORE NEEDING A SIT DOWN - SUFFERING WITH THE ALTITUDE.

TO MY ANNOYANCE WE WERE STILL TO REACH OUR HIGHEST POINT - THE VILLAGE OF PARINACOTA AT A HEAD-SPLITTING 15,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. WE ALL WERE SUFFERING FROM THE ALTITUDE AND THE LOCALS WELCOMED US WITH A CUP OF TEA - IN THE FORM OF HOT WATER AND SEVERAL FULL, DRIED LEAVES SLOWLY SOAKING. THEY LOOKED IDENTICAL TO BAY LEAVES, BUT I LATER LEARNED THAT THEY WERE COCA LEAVES - THE RAW INGREDIENT FOR COCAINE. IT DEFINATELY GOT RID OF OUR HEADACHES.

SO ON A DRUG-FUELLED HIGH WE DESCENDED BACK DOWN THE PARTICULAR ANDE WE WERE ON AND BACK TO SEA LEVEL, ONTO A PLANE AND BACK SOUTH TO A PLACE CALLED QUINTERO. UPON ARRIVAL WE WERE TAKEN TO CHACHAGURA BEACH WHERE WE SAW MORE PERUVIAN PELICANS.

WE THEN HEADED IN-LAND TO CAMPANA NATIONAL PARK WHERE THERE WERE LOTS OF WEIRD THINGS LIKE THESE MASSIVE TADPOLES - WE GUESSED THE TADPOLES OF THE BULL-FROG.