Machuca village and Laguna Chaxa - interactive 360-degree video
If you are viewing this on a mobile device, please turn to LANDSCAPE position. Drag the view on the screen with your finger (or move the device around) and you will see everything all around you – even what’s behind or on the ground. Viewing on a PC? Use the mouse to drag the view anywhere you want to see. If you have a VR viewer (goggles) you will be fully immersed. Better than IMAX! SUGGESTION: see the video again, change the viewing angles. You will discover new things!
IMPORTANT! Please click on the "Watch on YouTube" link for best viewing. The embedded small screen is inadequate for interactive 360 degree videos.
To see the same video in conventional screen format (non 360-degree video)
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360 preference survey
- If you’d like to research or purchase a 360-degree camera, here’s a link to a 360-degree camera like the one I used to produce my videos. I have nothing but good things to say about my camera (which I purchased from the same website as the link above).
Getting To Machuca from the El Tatio Geysers
- The drive from the El Tatio Geysers to Machuca Village is about 30-40 kilometers (18-25 miles). It is a bumpy and winding road with beautiful mountainous desert scenery.
- An isolated hamlet comes into view…
- …and a small church behind a village.
Machuca Village: A Long History and a Charming Church
- Machuca Village. Population: 20. Founded: 16th century. The video is a walk-through of the entire village, on both its two streets and up to the historical adobe Church of San Santiago, with a stop at the church to look around. The village is not super-interesting, unless you enjoy looking around. Look at the surrounding landscape (including the houses and their small yards) and “hunt” for small details.
- This small, historic community in the Atacama Desert, was founded by the indigenous Atacameños. Its name reflects deep cultural roots. The residents, a blend of Atacameños and mestizos, practice traditional farming and sheep herding, while maintaining a vibrant cultural tapestry through customs and folkloric expressions.
- The most interesting building in the village is the historic adobe Church of San Santiago, built in the early 17th century. It is a significant landmark and symbolizes the village’s enduring faith. At the church, a very firm sentry standing guard at the door was giving the same speech to every single person attempting to cross the threshold: making a video is forbidden inside the church, it is OK to take photos without a flash. I followed the clearly stated rules.
- The Machuca Village offers a glimpse into the blend of ancient traditions and contemporary life. Contemporary life, as you see in the video, includes a good amount of new construction work. A “booming town”!
Laguna Chaxa: An Ecological Oasis and a Vibrant Ecosystem
- We made a quick stop at Laguna Chaxa, a remarkable salt flat near Machuca. The promotional materials promise that we will see flamingos. In my ignorance, and being from Florida, I thought the promise was somehow stretching the truth. I expected to see plastic flamingos or maybe a few captive birds barely alive in an environment about as far as you can imagine from the climate in Florida. I was completely wrong. There were flamingos in the water, a couple that can be seen in the video as two dots.
- In the distance, too far to be seen in the video, there is an entire flock.
- It turns out Laguna Chaxa is an ecological oasis, shaped by unique geological and climatic processes. It is a crucial sanctuary for many bird species, including the Chilean, Andean, and James’s flamingos. Yes, there are three species of flamingos in the area. These elegant birds are drawn to the lagoon for feeding and nesting, utilizing the high salinity and nutrient-rich waters that harbor brine shrimp and other invertebrates, their primary food source. The reason we only saw few birds is that we were there in the winter, when most of the birds migrate to other areas. The few birds we saw were the ones that decided to winter at Laguna Chaxa. In the summer, the lake is populated with hundreds of flamingos.
- Laguna Chaxa‘s dynamic, hypersaline ecosystem also supports a range of salt-tolerant plants like the iconic tamarugo tree and various halophytes, which stabilize the shoreline and provide essential habitat. Seasonal fluctuations significantly impact the ecosystem. The influx of freshwater during the rainy season temporarily shifts salinity, enhancing biodiversity. Conversely, drought raises saline levels, altering the habitat. Maintaining the health and unique biodiversity of Laguna Chaxa’s ecosystem is crucial for the broader ecological balance of the Atacama Desert.
Visiting Machuca and Laguna Chaxa
- Located approximately 90 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, the best time to visit is during the cooler months from May to September. Transportation options include guided tours or renting a vehicle (a 4×4 may be necessary). In Machuca, visitors can find local eateries offering traditional Andean cuisine. Just a short drive and you arrive at Laguna Chaxa, for wildlife observation, including the (non-plastic) flamingos. It is important to follow responsible tourism practices, for preserving the environment and in support of the local community.
- Here’s an interesting shot from the area. Desert flora and fauna in the same shot! Do you see the white goat below the cactus?
- The cactus is Leucostele atacamensis, also known as the Cardón Grande, and is native to northern Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.
- The goat is scientifically known as Capra aegagrus hircus. It is possibly a domesticated goat that has gone wild and adapted to the harsh and arid conditions of the Atacama desert.
- The tiny bushes is what the goat sururvives on. It is llareta, a plant that thrives on rocky terrain. This is really a “miracle plant”. Llareta (Azorella compacta) is a woody plant that grows in a dense, moss-like cluster, and can be found at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 meters in the Atacama Desert. The plant concentrates and retains heat to survive the low evening temperatures. It is very slow-growing, with a rate of about 1.5 centimeters per year (when not eaten by the goat), and can live for thousands of years. Yes, you read correctly, this plant lives for thousands of years!
- The trip would not be complete without a sighting of llamas. Here they are, two of them, on the side of the road in the mountains. The larger one seems to be an adult.
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