Part II of our adventure began with a 4:30 am wake up and flight from Santiago to Calama, a plane filled with mostly miners and a handful of people who looked like tourists. Mining is by far the largest industry here, and many of the miners commute from Santiago and environs – similar to oil rig workers with 9 days or so on and then heading home to see their families. Even the driver that met us at the airport in Calama, Jose, lives apart from his family. His wife visits him once a month from a village outside of Santiago.

So the good news – so far Atacama is what I’d hoped for. Stunning, surreal landscapes just on the 90-minute drive from the airport to the hotel. We saw two foxes, which is pretty rare here, as the harsh climate doesn’t encourage much plant or animal life.

We’re set for our first tour tonight, and it’s also a full moon, which should be beautiful in this open area. That said, the day isn’t as clear as usual due to pollution from the mines. The price of industry.

But we can see the volcano from our room, and it’s a beautiful day, so it’s off to explore the property.