Inventing a Drink in Chile

Crossing the border at the desolate exit from the Avaroa Natural Reserve, we found a line of about 100 freezing tourists (the temperatures were well below freezing up here at over 14,000 feet, even though it was summertime in the Southern Hemisphere) and 20 Chilean buses.  You see, before leaving, you have to pay a small fee to the Bolivians (30 Bolivianos, or $5) and then you have to board a separate Chilean vehicle to take you onwards.  Our tour company had arranged for the Chilean transfer, found him for us, and then we were on our way.

Crossing into Chile, the earthen road immediately becomes a beautiful black pavement and you start your descent.  In 40 minutes, you are in the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, at about 8,000 feet, and about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stumbling into our resort, the Tierra Atacama, Kathleen and I must have seemed like refugees.  We were wearing several unnecessary layers of clothing, and my suitcase had been killed along the way in Bolivia (both the wheels and the pull out handle were kaput) and I was just dragging its lifeless body behind me.

At Tierra Atacama, though, we were treated to another excellent level of service, fantastic meals, and excursions to local natural features (volcanoes, geysers, canyons, petroglyphs, etc.).  Our favorite, however, was horseback riding.

One of the vistas in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth.

This blog, though, is for me to tell stories of adventures and other forms of craziness.  I am sorry, but Chile failed you.  There was no craziness.  Just a wonderful, relaxing time.  The best story I have is about a drink I almost invented.  I was coming back from one of the excursions and decided I would like a ginger ale to calm my stomach, but I would also like pineapple juice, because I like pineapple juice.  So I sidled up to the free bar (the resort is all-inclusive), and said I wanted a drink that was 50% ginger ale and 50% pineapple juice.

Kathleen asked the bartender if anyone had ever ordered such a drink before.  He said no.  I said that if Arnold Palmer could stake his name to a 50/50 lemonade/ice tea, then the 50/50 ginger ale/pineapple juice would henceforth be known as the "Pete."  That evening, I added a shot of rum to the Pete (which probably would have been better if it were half a shot).

A meal at the Tierra.  There's a little left of my namesake drink in the frosted glass at the upper right.

Using Google, however, I found that someone had already invented the same drink.  Oh well.  Through the remainder of the stay, I continued to order the "Pete," and if you find yourself at the Tierra Atacama yourself, I encourage you to ask Tomas at the bar for a "Pete."

Once Kathleen and I calculated how much it would cost to move into the Tierra Atacama full-time, we realized we needed to go back to work, and reluctantly left after 3 nights for 1 night in Santiago (an impressive modern city with A+ infrastructure), and then back home to Chicago.  Now, if I can just find some pineapple juice here.

The Pete
6 ounces, ginger ale
6 ounces, pineapple juice
1/2 half shot of rum, optional