Yes, Chile has all these things and more! We'd thought we'd seen a lot in this country, from glaciers and volcanoes to forests then beaches, but as we made our way north, we also found vineyards, planets and high altitude deserts.

Chile produces some of the best wine in the world. Even the boxed wine is delicious, and you'll often be offered a sip from a friendly passerby carrying a box. So we knew it would be worth it to travel out to Veramonte winery near the town of Casablanca in the pouring rain to learn about the process and sample the wines with assorted cheeses and chocolates. Heaven!

We then had to get to the source of Chile's other famous alcohol, pisco. And what better place than the town of Pisco Elqui, named after the potent brew. The jumping off point for the Elqui Valley is La Serena, which in itself was a great place. Walking around the historic town, we spotted several of La Serena's 29 beautiful churches, then laid on the wide beaches that seemed to stretch for miles. Our home in La Serena was Maria's Casa, with Andres and his sweet mother Maria, where we talked with many other backpackers in the sunny gardens and patios. Andres loaded us up with information and we set off with an all-day bus ticket down the one road that leads into the Elqui Valley. The valley was a natural wonder ... a place where papayas and pisco grapes grow abundantly in the middle of a desert. In Pisco Elqui, at the end of the road, we had a quick tour of the oldest pisco distillery in Chile. We couldn't understand a word of the guide's fast Spanish, but our Chile Rough Guide explained how pisco is made from wine into brandy. In Vicuna, the Elqui Valley's main town, we strolled around the lovely main square and church, had dinner in a local place full of soccer fans glued to the match on TV, then met up with Elqui Valley Tours for a late night trip to the Mamalluca Observatory. The observatory sat at the top of a hill where a million stars appeared within reach in the absolute darkness. The astronomers at the observatory were better scientists than tour guides, and the overcrowding of tourists kept us waiting our turn in the cold for a look in the telescope, so it was a long night. After our day in the hot desert, it was hard to stay alert at midnight, but it was cool to see Saturn, Jupiter, and countless star clusters through the giant telescopes. If astronomy is of interest to you, you'll certainly get a kick out of it.

Now getting into desert mode, we traveled even further north to Chile's famous Atacama Desert, a high altitude area of dramatic landscapes. The desert's main town, San Pedro de Atacama, looks like a barren desert outpost at first, with it's adobe buildings and dirt streets, but inside the simple buildings we found international restaurants, dozens of tour companies, cozy hotels, book exchanges, internet cafes and handicraft shops. The level of accommodation was fantastic, with housekeeping services and choice of shared or private bath for all budget levels. Don Raul Residencial, Hotel Tambillo and Chiloe Residencial all provided us with very comfortable beds, patio areas and friendly service. Simple and charming but full of amenities, it was easy to settle into San Pedro for a week, sitting in the plaza, strolling through the quiet streets, visiting the intriguing cemetery and trying the different restaurants. But the real attractions were a short drive out of town, so we spent three days exploring and learning about the area with Cosmo Andino Expediciones, one of the best tour companies we've experienced. Our fabulous multi-lingual guide took us to tiny villages, mystical lagoons, fertile canyons, spouting geysers, and a salt lake. We ran down towering sand dunes, sat in hot springs, pet llamas, ate local foods, watched flamingoes, listened to canyon walls settle, and marveled at the optical illusions you can experience at high altitudes. Bex also learned a lot about being a 'human geyser' when she suffered a mix of altitude sickness and upset stomach! We made frequent stops, did lots of walking and exploring and learned a lot about the legends, land, animals and people of the Atacama Desert. Our guide explained everything so clearly and kept us laughing and craving more knowledge of this fascinating place.

Traveling almost the entire 4000 km length of Chile has been an incredibly diverse and unforgettable experience for us. We stayed much longer than planned and still didn't get close to seeing everything. Our least favorite thing was the food, although empanadas, barbeques, European food and seafood in different regions kept us very happy. And traveling is sometimes difficult without Spanish language ability, so Brad has taken on the challenge with his phrase book always on hand. He would have been surely lost at times without Bex's Spanish skills! Far from a third world country, Chile is very clean, efficient, safe and relatively high tech...much more so than we expected. Public transportation is incredibly comfortable, affordable and timely and accommodation and tour companies are professional and well set-up in most parts of the country. Chileans are warm, affectionate and happy to share their culture, which they take great pride in. We'll miss Chile, but will be back for sure! Ciao!

Traveler's Tips:
**Throughout most of Chile, used toilet paper needs to be placed in the waste basket provided. Sometimes there are signs, but often not, so take care not to clog the pipes.

**There are often dozens of bus companies at each bus terminal. It pays to walk around and compare prices, schedules and services before setting off.

**Hot water for showers is provided by a gas contraption called a calefon which often needs to be lit before you have a shower, though some are automatic in nicer hotels. Ask at your hotel/hostel.

**There are lots of wine tours available in central Chile, or you can try to get to the individual wineries yourself. Contact the nearest tourist information office for information.

**Think you can't exercise when traveling, without your favorite gym or personal trainer? Look to the flashing photo on the right for Brad's traveling exercise tips!