red-eye to Santiago

[President Bush]

guess I ought to have a real camera instead of a couple phones because there's thrilling places everywhere in the higher altitudes here. Perfect
weather, animals everywhere, light tourism, 19000 foot high Putana volcano kicking up a bit, fucking amazing night sky.

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[stanky]

too cool!

i dig the lama-ish beasties.
are they vicuna?

[grayman]

The night sky alone would be worth the trip.

[sparks]

Second that.

[President Bush]

too cool!

i dig the lama-ish beasties.
are they vicuna?

yep, vicuñas.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicugna_vicugna

The night sky alone would be worth the trip.

Second that.

You can see ALMA in the near distance from the front of the little house we're renting.

https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/alma/

Lining up, hopefully, a night with these guys early-mid week. New moon, dark as can be.

https://www.spaceobs.com/es/Servicios/Tour-Astronomico

[stanky]

Amazing place, prez.
Did i read it right, that the observatory is above 15,000 feet elevation?
Man, i was huffing and puffing at 10,000 in Colorado.

[President Bush]

Amazing place, prez.
Did i read it right, that the observatory is above 15,000 feet elevation?
Man, i was huffing and puffing at 10,000 in Colorado.

yep, I think the antennas are at about 16,500. Operations center is below that, maybe just under 10,000. Pre COVID one could swing a tour of that on weekends but now it seems like you have to find a way for them to invite you. Think we're out of luck on that but the owner where we are here is slightly connected, who knows?

Hey, we are off the grid here, all solar:

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Had our little rental car way up over 15,000 foot on the north route to Argentina today to check hiking possibilities, barren, cold, beautiful. We leave Chile on a bus in a couple weeks that way.

https://www.dangerousroads.org/south-am ... -away.html

all that'll make you hungry.

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[President Bush]

busy roads around here...

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[President Bush]

Rental car company isn't going to like this.

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just kidding, not ours.

[Admin]

That must have taken some doing.