These are photos by travel photographer Brendan van Son back in 2009 in Chile’s Valley of the Moon. Please respect the rights of the photographer by not reproducing or distributing the images without his consent.
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The Valley of the Moon
I grew up on the edge of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. In fact, the back deck of our house looked directly out across the eastern foothills and on the limestone based mountains where the sun always found its night’s rest. I was spoiled with having a backyard view many people dream of seeing just once. But as such, I somehow take for granted such spectacular views. Growing up in the mountains, I’ve always longed for different types of geographies: beaches, rain forests and, particularly, deserts. The bleakness of the desert has always drawn my most curious of interests, and no desert is more potent than the Atacama Desert in Chile, and one of the best parts of the Atacama is the Valley of the Moon.
Settled near the tourist town of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile sits on of the most spectacular desert settings in the entire world: the Valley of the Moon. The unearthly setting of this valley features towering pillars of sandstone backdropped by 6000 meter high volcanoes. It offers a peace and tranquility that is unsurpassed, visitors often feel embarrassed to lift their voices above a whisper as if to not break its peace and solitude. And although I could go on writing about such an amazing place for hours, it seems more fitting that I let you see it for yourself.
