After 24 hours on bus, finally arrived at San Pedro de Atacama, a dusty little oasis in the barren desert. Brown adobe houses, dirt streets, baking hot sun, snowy Ande mountains over 5000m. Small yet cute. 
I was getting a bit sicker after coughing for 2 days: fever now, and in the afternoon, my head was burning. Funny, many people here were sneezing just like me. Bought water, food, and tours. More importantly, Acetazolamida, to prevent high altitude sickness. Was told to take every 8 hours at least a day before ascent.
4pm tour to Moon Valley. CLP10000 + 2000 park entrance. A modern minivan, sealed window, but AC didn't work. Death Valley (or Mars valley) and Moon valley remind me of Nevada and Arizona. Smaller scale, no sight of life, still beautiful. We also stopped at Quebrada de Kari (salt river bed) for the jagged white salt ridge. Last, we climbed a short distance to the top of a dune for sunset. Nice, but nothing spectacular. Gets slightly cold after sunset. I started taking my pills this evening.3/10. Saturday. Sunny.
4am pickup to the Tatio Geysers. CLP20000 + 5000 park fee. Many small geysers up to 3m at 4300m altitude next to snowy peaks. Thermal pools are not colorful. Frost on grass. Freezing. Saw some sparrow like birds. Very bumpy roads. Wandered around the geysers until the sun rose high. 
Then swam in a big warm pool of shower temperature. Quite nice. Muddy bottom, brown water. Cold to change clothes in the open (no toilet, no place to hide). 3 flamingos. I was told that it's the 3rd largest geyser field in the world (after Yellowstone and Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka). However, it's tiny compared to Yellowstone. If you have been to Yellowstone, you shouldn't come here for the geysers. It's the setting of green grass and tall volcanoes in the surrounding area that makes it pretty.
Saw some Tagua (Giant Coot) in river Putana, a type of black goose nests on the shallow riverbed. This area is very scenic. Also saw Guayata (Andean Goose). They mate for life. 
Stopped at Machuca, a village of only ~5 residents. ~2 dozen houses all nailed shut. Those who live here raise sheep and sell to tourists wool products and expensive empanadas and heavily seasoned meat on a stick. They have solar panels!Last stop is a cactus valley near Guatin. Cardón de la puna is a tall endemic cactus grow in the altiplanic Andes. Back in town ~3pm. Prepared for tomorrow's Uyuni tour in Bolivia (pack, bought water, took the pill). San Pedro is at 2450m high. Even though most tours go above 4000m, as long as it's a day tour, you'll be fine without any danger of high altitude sickness.
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