Day 5 - Pan de Azucar National Park

Today is the longest day of driving of the whole trip. And unfortunately one of the crazy Danes just had to pick this day to get sick. She threw up on the bus the poor thing, so we had an emergency stop for her, and for us to get some fresh air, while our tour guide got to clean up the mess. There were a few more emergency stops along the way - although thankfully, no more throwup on the bus. So pretty much, you drive for many hours and eventually arrive to the Pan de Azucar National Park where your meant to stay the night. The park is formed by 4 different beaches and one island. This is a national park on the beach where they have 15 different types of cactus. There is a small shanty fishing town that existed before the park was made and still exists there today. The village was originally built over the debris of an old mineral port that was bombarded by Peruvian battle ships during the Pacific War in the XIX century. Since they still fish there today, they have a variety of seafood empanadas - crab, mixture, fish, etc... of course you don't try any because you don't like seafood. :) You arrive there explore the town consisting of 5 shacks, watch the birds for a bit, then look through millions of seashells always amazed at how every one that you pick up is unique. Since you've lived inland all your life, you haven't been around the ocean much, and your completely mesmerized with looking through seashells for quite some time as well as just sitting, watching, and listening to the ocean waves crash in.

One of the many types of cactus thriving here

The town - in its entirety

Those are all shells

You don't stay the night here, because your meant to camp on the beach and the rest of your group thinks it is too cold. So you get back into the van and keep driving and end up back at Bahia Inglesa for the night. You have another amazing Chilean barbecue, and this time you stay in the A-cabin with the two Brazilians.

Random tree with ridiculously huge flowers on it at one of the gas stations along the way