Don Luis is in South America, for the very first time!
We are so proud and happy, that he took on the 18-hour journey all over the world to visit us! Velden and Santiago are not quite the same, after all. The first days, we let Ludwig adjust to time difference, hot climate, foreign language and the bustling city. But eventually we put him into the car and drove north, to our new find: Valle de Elqui. We would be in the midst of icy storms soon enough. Before Patagonia, we just had to show him the sunny side of Chile.
In the Elqui valley, I arranged for a guided tour at Cerro Tololo, a scientific astronomic observatory, operated by the American research association AURA. Their telescope diameter is 1,5 meters, only a fraction of what is currently being built at the ALMA site. Still, it is pretty impressive to watch these huge optical instruments move, as they are precisely positioned for observation. A Tololo researcher was even part of an (earlier!) Columbus space mission.
We are so proud and happy, that he took on the 18-hour journey all over the world to visit us! Velden and Santiago are not quite the same, after all. The first days, we let Ludwig adjust to time difference, hot climate, foreign language and the bustling city. But eventually we put him into the car and drove north, to our new find: Valle de Elqui. We would be in the midst of icy storms soon enough. Before Patagonia, we just had to show him the sunny side of Chile.
In the Elqui valley, I arranged for a guided tour at Cerro Tololo, a scientific astronomic observatory, operated by the American research association AURA. Their telescope diameter is 1,5 meters, only a fraction of what is currently being built at the ALMA site. Still, it is pretty impressive to watch these huge optical instruments move, as they are precisely positioned for observation. A Tololo researcher was even part of an (earlier!) Columbus space mission.
Another highlight: the spectacular views from Cerro Tololo (2200m):
Back in Vicuña we sat down in a restaurant and called Inge in Velden, to update her on our latest travel adventures: the observatories, the Pisco tasting, the desert landscape and so on. Chile reminds Ludwig a lot of South Africa!
