After a light breakfast we head out - too little time! Always in a rush. Not really it's just that there are other things waiting. Iquique definitively would be interesting, there are some great houses, even a street with boardwalks, a port (fishing, navy), but also some very industrial areas, where there are piles of car-casses. It just amazes me, the contrasts of beautiful nature and brute human structures. Care for nature and environment is ultimatly only possible once you have reached a certain level of economic wealth. It's a pitty.
Climbing the steep road we get a full view of the town just at the foot of a mountain.
First stops of the day are just about 50 km out: The offices (oficinas) must be mines, as we say when we go to work, we work in a mine. In my case in a gold mine of course... Now these nitre (saltpeter) mines are some colossuses of wood and steel. Whole towns were built around the machinery. One of them was made an UNESCO world heritage, abandonded probably in the 50's. Humberstone by name. Unfortunately there is very little information given. It's just exploring houses, etc. In general the indication of any historic or intersting sight is very limited: you basically need to know that there is "something".
Back on the road the temperature climbs to probably around 30ºC. My boots are killing me in the heat and the sneakers are burried deep down in the backpack. In the morning I commented to Peter that I could have left the sneakers at home, with good boots it's all you need - not quite.
The scenary is breathtaking, not beautiful per se as there is virtually no vegetation it's so dry. But the landscape constantly changes from grey sand to harsh lava-looking fields to salt deserts with rocks in the oddest shapes to some trees (including a cow warning sign along the road - must be a runaway cow though) to potsherd surfaces. In the far distance always a mountain range, then all of a sudden a deep valley. And as yesterday montains that look like a regular (Swiss) mountain was covered with elefant skin or like they have been powdered with flower - just soft lines.
On the way we see some remote cemeteries. We stop at one that was "in use" from around 1903 to 1952. Probably there was a mine somewhere "close" during that time. Many children from 2 days old to two years. Then some German graves, too. Stories to be told here. The wind rattles the iron flowers that decorate the simple wooden crosses. This is a bit ghosty.
Then towards the evening the road starts climing from 1000 to almost 3000m. We are getting close to Calama, THE copper town. Chile produces (mines!) about 40% of world copper and here one of the deepest mines can befound (some 850m deep). As the sun sets we get a first impression what is going to come later this week: pale pink colors cover the mountains.
Again we just find a hotel (from Lonely Planet): El Loa, clean and simple at 14'000 pesos.
It's 7pm and it's been a lot of driving for Peter today. The map is 1:1,100,000 and we regularly misjudge the distances (we think in one order of magnitude less). And we go hunting for a restaurant, according to the lady of the hotel there should be plenty. We end up having a hotdog and a burger with some delicious fruit juices.
(Peter and I agreed we might drop Titicaca lake in order to have more time in Chile.)
While people have been friendly but reserved so far, Calama has a complete different atmosphere. There is finally life in the streets. There are shops, hair dressers. It is quite tidy. Nothing historic but a modern Southern town that is fun to leasurly explore around dinner time. And did I mention there are many hair dressers? But where can I go with my 9.2mm hair cut? Oh, and besides hair dressers there are many dentists. Unfortunatelz my appointment is as already made for the first Tuesday after my return...
A food note: Chile hasn't been a highlight yet, and I have learnt that there is no juicy steak (hey, this is not Argentina, close enough but not quite). Not that the steak was my primary reason to travel here but it would have been a good one.
Temparature: 30-35º during the trip on road 5. Now at 2300m it's quite fresh and my hands are getting a bit clumsy.
Climbing the steep road we get a full view of the town just at the foot of a mountain.
First stops of the day are just about 50 km out: The offices (oficinas) must be mines, as we say when we go to work, we work in a mine. In my case in a gold mine of course... Now these nitre (saltpeter) mines are some colossuses of wood and steel. Whole towns were built around the machinery. One of them was made an UNESCO world heritage, abandonded probably in the 50's. Humberstone by name. Unfortunately there is very little information given. It's just exploring houses, etc. In general the indication of any historic or intersting sight is very limited: you basically need to know that there is "something".
Back on the road the temperature climbs to probably around 30ºC. My boots are killing me in the heat and the sneakers are burried deep down in the backpack. In the morning I commented to Peter that I could have left the sneakers at home, with good boots it's all you need - not quite.
The scenary is breathtaking, not beautiful per se as there is virtually no vegetation it's so dry. But the landscape constantly changes from grey sand to harsh lava-looking fields to salt deserts with rocks in the oddest shapes to some trees (including a cow warning sign along the road - must be a runaway cow though) to potsherd surfaces. In the far distance always a mountain range, then all of a sudden a deep valley. And as yesterday montains that look like a regular (Swiss) mountain was covered with elefant skin or like they have been powdered with flower - just soft lines.
On the way we see some remote cemeteries. We stop at one that was "in use" from around 1903 to 1952. Probably there was a mine somewhere "close" during that time. Many children from 2 days old to two years. Then some German graves, too. Stories to be told here. The wind rattles the iron flowers that decorate the simple wooden crosses. This is a bit ghosty.
Then towards the evening the road starts climing from 1000 to almost 3000m. We are getting close to Calama, THE copper town. Chile produces (mines!) about 40% of world copper and here one of the deepest mines can befound (some 850m deep). As the sun sets we get a first impression what is going to come later this week: pale pink colors cover the mountains.
Again we just find a hotel (from Lonely Planet): El Loa, clean and simple at 14'000 pesos.
It's 7pm and it's been a lot of driving for Peter today. The map is 1:1,100,000 and we regularly misjudge the distances (we think in one order of magnitude less). And we go hunting for a restaurant, according to the lady of the hotel there should be plenty. We end up having a hotdog and a burger with some delicious fruit juices.
(Peter and I agreed we might drop Titicaca lake in order to have more time in Chile.)
While people have been friendly but reserved so far, Calama has a complete different atmosphere. There is finally life in the streets. There are shops, hair dressers. It is quite tidy. Nothing historic but a modern Southern town that is fun to leasurly explore around dinner time. And did I mention there are many hair dressers? But where can I go with my 9.2mm hair cut? Oh, and besides hair dressers there are many dentists. Unfortunatelz my appointment is as already made for the first Tuesday after my return...
A food note: Chile hasn't been a highlight yet, and I have learnt that there is no juicy steak (hey, this is not Argentina, close enough but not quite). Not that the steak was my primary reason to travel here but it would have been a good one.
Temparature: 30-35º during the trip on road 5. Now at 2300m it's quite fresh and my hands are getting a bit clumsy.
No comments:
Post a Comment