April 6 - Ocean and Desert - 450km

The Atacama is the driest desert in the world.

Ok, but what does that mean?  It´s like saying Chuck Norris is the greatest man who ever lived.  Without some context it´s not helpful.

So here are a few facts to get your imagination jogging:

The Atacama is so dry that in some places it hasn´t rained in at least 500 years.

The Atacama is so dry the soil resembles the soil of Mars.  Nothing, not even bacteria, can survive.

The Atacama is so dry Hollywood studios use it as a stage for filming mars scenes.

The Atacama is so dry, there´s only one river that reaches the sea (think Boston to Richmond with no water).

The Atacama is so dry that NASA tested its mars landers there.

But, sunny and dry also means excellent biking.  The roads were great, the scenery spectacular, and as long as you don´t get lost it is a great trip.  It´s like a drier version of the Pac Highway in California, with bigger mountains.

Without the mines there wouldn´t be roads.  All those power lines run from stations on the coast to the copper mines in the interior.

The mountains run right to the sea... and if you drive just 100 miles inland they reach 15,000 feet.

Ironically, while the Atacama is lifeless, the waters off the coast are some of the most productive fisheries on the planet.  These ships are anchored offshore, probably waiting to unload their cargo..

Getting checked out and outfitted for Peru.  All the mining in the region means there are some great mechanics in the area.