Today we are in a northern Chile Port called Arica. We are docked at the container port as there is no other pier. This is the first of five ports in Chile.
Our tour today was to take us to the Adacama desert, apparently the driest dessert in the world with less than 1mm of rain per year. It looks like it too. It took us about 10 minutes in the bus to get out of town and into the ugliest landscape I have ever seen. It is not sand, but miles and miles and miles of rock covered in an inch of rough gravel sand and it is interrupted only by valleys carved eons ago into the otherwise billiard table plateau into valleys. The word valley is a stretch because if there ever was water in the valley is it way below the surface.
Regardless, these valleys produce a substantial crop for the hard working farmers who live in this desolate area. Deep wells pump up what water there is and then then use it in a sort of drip irrigation system. The Adacama Desert earns it name for sure. This is what could be a movie set for a moon shot.
We stopped and looked at some recent monuments of ancient symbols before we made it to a remote village called Codpa, some 80 KM from the port, the village was founded by the Spanish in 1660. It is in a valley that at least has some greenery in it.
The population of Codpa is about 400. They make their living by growing produce for the city of Arica and some for Chile proper. It seems a bit sad for the younger folk with what I would consider a somewhat limited future[???]
We shopped a bit at the little tables set up, then there was a bit of a ritual done by the locals and some folk dancing. Next was lunch in a local sort of restaurant where we had what is considered a typical country Chilean meal, I suppose. All good and all organic. I suppose that the flys, being organic would be less harmful than the ordinary flys, eh?
Back to the ship where most slept enroute after a couple of glasses of Chilean wine.
There was a sail-away show for us on the pier below. All sorts of dancing guys and girls and a very Mexican sounding band. Nice to have that and it certainly helps the local economy and I am sure it encourages traditional dancing etc.
A day at sea tomorrow and then another port in Chile where we walk off and are not on tour.
Fellette at the ancient symbol for woman.
The moon shot. We are about maybe 6000 feet here, nothing grows because of the lack of water.
In the village of Codpa.
Llama, man and Fellette.
Dancers in the village for us. What future do they have in the village?
Find Jim, he has gone native!
Our lunch in Codpa.
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