In the darkness of the early morning, we were navigating the High Andes of Chile in a small German-made SUV with a tour guide and driver. Our destination was El Tatio. We had read that the geysers of El Tatio put on their best showing at sunrise, sending plumes of steam to heights in excess of 30 metres. The journey had begun in San Pedro de Atacama, at an altitude of 7,900 feet and was going to culminate at 14,000 feet. It had been difficult for us to get acclimatised to the altitude of Atacama. We wondered what would happen to us at El Tatio. The road was windy and steep. After one bend in the road, I spotted a bright object, about half way up in the dark sky. I mistook it for a plane but it turned out to be Venus. We had come to Atacamato see the Milky Way. It was the driest place on earth and was famous for its exceptionally clear night skies. To our disappointment, the hotel staff told us that stargazing would not be possible in the light of the full moon. The tempo brightened up as evening fell. The moon lit up Atacama brilliantly. Even the craters of the moon were visible. The next evening we went to the Valley of the Moon. The soil and the surrounding mountains were rendered red by the declining sun. Before sunset, we explored a cave. And then, half an hour before sunset, we drove to a site where the valley could be viewed in full. As the full moon rose, it painted the surrounding volcanoes. The hues and colours seemed to change by the minute. At one point the entire sky turned a surreal orange. And now we were headed the following morning to see the sun light up the geysers. As we emerged out of the vehicle, we were hit by the freezing air. Thankfully, there was no wind. The geysers were active. You could hear them hissing, as if in a symphony, and barely see them. Gradually the sun rose above the mountains and lit them all up. We wandered between the various geyser pools and witnessed the hissing and gurgling sounds up close. A Frenchman had died a few years ago when he felling into the boiling water while taking a picture. Further out, a few people were swimming in a pool. The guide said the real excitement begins when they come emerge from the pool and their wet skin touches the freezing air. The road was windy and steep. After one bend in the road, I spotted a bright object about half way up in the dark sky. I mistook it for a plane but it turned out to be Venus On the way back to Atacama, we spotted several guanacos (wild llamas) on the hills. Because of the thin air, “a teaspoon of guanaco blood contains about 68 billion red blood cells – four times that of a human”. Along the way, we saw a lake whose waters had captured the reflections of the volcanoes and a saltwater pond in which the flamingos were feeding. VALLE NEVADO On our first trip to Chile, we had taken a tour bus up to Valle Nevado, a famed ski resort. The view at the ski resort was stark. There was no snow. The glaciers had receded. Even the air was still. Chile was in a drought. Our journey had begun in Santiago and we had reached the ski resort in just an hour. To get there, we had traversed a road with more than thirty switchbacks. On the way back, I saw from my window seat two police motorcyclists that were almost hit by a car travelling in the other direction. A few minutes later we saw that the car had been pulled over by the police. Presumably the car driver was issued a citation. But why was he smiling as he drove off? SANTIAGO We had flown into Santiago just as the rising sun was lighting up the surrounding mountains of the High Andes. That was the most spectacular approach and landing that I had ever experienced from the air. The city was spread out over a large area. As we approached the downtown area, one building stood out head and shoulders above the rest. It was the Costanera Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Latin America. On our second visit, we got to go up to the top of the tower and take in the sweeping view of the city that lay underneath. On the first visit, we had to settle for the view from the top of Cerro San Cristobal. To get there, you had to board a rickety and shaky funicular that dated back to 1925. The city views were sweeping in every direction. At the top was the gleaming white statue of the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción. A smaller statue of Pope John Paul II stood elsewhere, commemorating his visit. We had a chance to explore the city’s fine museums, markets and restaurants. Several of them were located within walking distance of our hotel, which was located in Las Condes. An Italian restaurant called Tiramisu offered exceptional dishes. It was not just the pizza that was phenomenal. So was its atmosphere. The vibe was very contemporary and the service was slow, letting the guests relax and enjoy the rhythm of Chile. The two-storied and multi-sectioned house of the writer and Nobel laureate, Pablo Neruda, could have come from a movie set. It was brimming with artefacts gathered from his postings as Chile’s ambassador to places around the globe including Burma, Ceylon and Singapore. According to a biography, the Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez called him “the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language” and Harold Bloom, the American literary critic, included him as one of the 26 writers who were central to the western literary tradition. The military academy lay within the city limits. The day we stopped by was one where a big outside party was being held in white tents that had been put up on the lawn. Alas, entry was limited to military personnel and their guests. Prussian influence runs deep and long in the Chilean army, as evidenced by the uniforms and marching style of the troops. A junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet from 1973 to 1990 ruled Chile. During that time numerous citizens were arrested, tortured and killed. Their sacrifices are aptly captured at the Museum of Memories. The Presidential Palace is grand and sweeping. A statue of President Salvador Allende, killed during Pinochet’s coup, stands on the side of the courtyard. The Plaza de Armas is not too far away. It is the site of parades and houses the main cathedral. VALPARAISO The beach town is a 90-minute drive from Santiago. Its port was the biggest in Latin America prior to the opening of the Panama Canal. There was some classic architecture in town. The headquarters of the Chilean navy were impressive. We did a harbour cruise and got up close to several warships of the Chilean navy. The frigates were of British, French, and Spanish origin. The submarines were home-ported in another located south of Valparaiso. Back home, we discovered that the grapes and swordfish we consumed often were from Chile. The writer has travelled to 30 countries on six continents. He can be reached at ahmadfaruqui@gmail.com Published in Daily Times, September 18th 2017.