Lewis goes to the moon…well almost!

From the town of San Pedro de Atacama, Lewis the Lion discovered that just 19 km away there was a very peculiar landscape: a landscape that resembled the surface of the moon. He just had to go and visit it as he didn’t imagine that he’d ever be able to visit the moon itself so why not do the next best thing?

Looking down on Death Valley

First of all, on the journey towards the Moon Valley, just 4 km away from San Pedro – Lewis the Lion discovered la Valle de la Muerte – Death Valley.

Death Valley – La Valle de la Muerte

This too is a geological phenomena due to wind and rain erosion.

Lewis poses at the top of Death Valley

Lewis the Lion simply loved standing at this vantage point and admiring the colours and the shapes of the scenery around him as you can see in these photos and video clip.

Lewis arrives at Moon Valley

La Valle de la Luna, or the Moon Valley as it is called in English looks like the surface of the moon owing to its different stratifications (layers) and salt formations which have been created over 22 million years. Lewis the Lion could see some of this layering straight away in the rocks around him.

The volcanic ash forms a layer in the sedimentary rock

He discovered that the grey band that you can see in this picture was actually a layer of volcanic ash: hardly surprising when he considered the Andean Mountain Range nearby with all of its chain of volcanoes.

Lewis the Lion and Helen wait at the entrance of Moon Valley

The thing that Lewis found peculiar about the landscape were the small but sharp crested hills of rock, set in a sandy, arid backdrop.

Lewis looks out across the barren plane

Strangely, there were no plants or animals here at all, the conditions were just too inhospitable. Lewis thought that this added to the magic of the place and could almost fancy himself as an astronaut clambering over the rocks on the moon’s surface!

Lewis in the rocky canyon of Los Castillos – The Castles

Their guide then took them to a rocky, salty, hilly maze called the Cuevas de Sal Canyon – the Curved Salt Canyon.

Lewis observes the salt on the rock-face

He then led the group very quickly through the tunnels, dips and climbs of the rock face. Click on this video to see. At times the group passed through pitch-black tunnels where you had to feel your way through tight spaces. Many of the tall people banged their heads on the rocks and for once, Lewis the Lion was glad that his friend Helen was of petite proportions! Phew…Lewis the Lion wad glad when he got back into the light and he could see where he was going.

The group were then hurried on quickly so they could get to a vantage point across the dunes before sunset.

Lewis sees the sign for the Three Marys

However, first of all they stopped at some strange natural statues called Las Tres Marias (or the Three Marys in English) which are one million years old. Lewis thought that they looked a bit like three women praying!

Las Tres Marias – natural rock formations

They are composed of gravel, clay, salt, gems and quartz and nearby to them, Lewis could see even more quartz beneath his little paws.

Lewis finds quartz underneath his feet!

From there, Lewis the Lion and his friends were led up a path that showed an enormous sand dune called the Great Sand Dune.

Lewis thinks like the sand dune looks like a smooth blanket

Lewis would have loved to run up and leave his paw-prints in the sand but his guide gave him strict instructions that it was forbidden as it was protected land.

The sun casts its rays over the sand dunes

Lewis understood why as he looked upon it. If all the tourists stepped on it then you wouldn’t see the beauty of this sweeping blanket of sand. It almost looked like a sheet of icing that had been smoothed with a cake knife!

A sign tells people not to walk on the sand dunes

The path led up to a ridge from where you had an amazing view of the whole valley and the Andes Mountain Range behind it. As you looked out towards the string of snow-capped volcanoes, you could see what looked like a natural Amphitheatre.

Lewis looks onto the valley shaped like a salted amphitheatre

It was a place called the Cordillera de la Sal – the Salt Mountain Chain. Lewis the Lion just loved the contrasting colours of the white salt lying on the yellowy-brown sand all whilst the sun was setting and was throwing magnificent colours over the mountain range in front of him,

The Andean Mountain Range

on the rocks and sand dunes around him.

Lewis looks at the layers of sedimentary rock near the dunes

Lewis looks on happily at the fading light across the valley

He particularly liked seeing the sun setting on his favourite cone-shaped volcano, Licancabur (5,916 metres above sea-level).

Lewis the Lion loves the cone-shaped Licanbur Volcano

As the night closed in, Lewis the Lion was again reminded of how cold it suddenly gets when you’re out in the desert at night.

Lewis sees the sun setting over the sand dunes

Twilight soon sets in as Lewis overlooks the dunes

The temperatures change so rapidly in the desert from being very hot to very cold.

Lewis looks up towards the Planet Venus

However, even though he was shivering, he still had time to notice that in the sky, apart from the moon a bright light was shining on the horizon: it was the planet Venus! Never before had he seen it with such clarity and that night he was in for a further treat as he would learn more about the night sky at a Space Observation Centre. (Read the next blog to find out more).

Lewis loves twilight

For now though, Lewis the Lion was grateful to get back to the warmth of the mini-bus and head for home.

From Lewis the Lion’s pictures would you agree that the Moon Valley looks like the surface of the moon? Would you like to visit the moon one day? Why or why not?

About Helen Molloy

Helen Molloy has been a Primary Learning and Teaching Consultant, leading on the introduction of Primary Languages in the City of Stoke-on-Trent for the past 5 and a half years. She is passionate about language learning and inspiring children into developing a curiosity and awareness of other people's languages and cultures.
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