Our plane hit the tarmac with the rain lashing down around us, we had arrived in the rainy season!! It was 1am and we had nowhere to go until the ferries started running. So along with a few other bedraggled and weary passengers we hunkered down for a long wait.

It is interesting watching how people occupy that vacuum of time between travel connections. A few bodies catching up on lost sleep, baggage doubling as pillows or grasped securely by hands that slowly loosen their grip as relaxing sleep takes over, faces staring vacantly into space the mind a million miles away, restless souls trundling back and forth with baggage trolleys piled high. Then a hive of activity as the lights go on and the coffee shop bursts into action and like moths to a light we are all drawn towards it, coffee and croissants have never tasted so good.

We board the ferry with a warning from the captain that it is going to be a bumpy ride what an understatement! It is a long time since I have experienced anything as bad, the only way to deal with it was to fully recline the seat and take long deep breaths for the duration of the journey which thankfully was only around forty five minutes. Stepping off the ferry the rain still bouncing off the pavements low heavy cloud shrouded the mountains that dominated the island giving them a dark mysterious feel.

Charles went off in search of a car hire whilst I stayed with the bags. I watched as a woman set up an artistic display of fruit and struck up a conversation with a group of women who appeared to just be passing the time of day but whom it turned out were taxi drivers waiting for fares, they informed me that all the rain was normal for the time of year but it was expected to get better later in the week I hope.

We travelled along the one and only road that ran the thirty five mile circumference of the island flanked on one side by the lagoon and the other the densely covered mountains with evidence of the torrential rain all around, swathes of land under water and vegetation strewn across the road, so the rain continued into and throughout the night.

The following day the rain had become intermittent so we set off to explore the island stopping at various points that looked interesting. Wherever we drove the jagged tops of mountains were ever present a vivid contrast to the calm lagoon with its contrasting shades of blue.

Moorea is a small island encircled by a coral reef over which the waves of the Pacific Ocean gently roll creating a vision of pure tranquility. There is no central hub to the island, retail outlets are situated around the many hotel complexes catering for the tourist trade with local crafts and the famous black Tahitian pearls and supermarkets can be found dotted along the road of the residential areas. The local economy obviously depends on the tourist trade through either the island hotels or many cruise ships such as Cunards flagship the Queen Elizabeth and Wind Spirit an automated four masted sailing ship.

There is evidence of a few small holdings raising a few cattle and a pineapple farm cut into the dense vegetation of the mountainside which supplies a juice making factory situated along the roadside that displays a large sign inviting visitors to view the process. Like a lot of beautiful small islands the big hotels have taken over the best of the beaches building large complexes that appear to be self sufficient offering guests all the amenities they could wish for so very few tourists are seen around the island other than those transported from the cruise ships or the more adventurous escapees from the hotel resorts on their mini mokes.

Off we went to explore the island in our hire car finding our way up the one road that veered off the coast road into the mountains up to the Belvedere viewing point that gave us a great view down onto Cooks bay and Opunohu bay the latter being the actual bay in which captain Cook moored many years ago. The two bays are separated by the volcanic peak of Mt Rotui, a single peak that rises out of the lowlands of the northern half of the island.

Back down we came and as the map indicated you could come down a different route we followed the map, well it was more a dirt track than a road and better suited to off road vehicles than a Dacia car but we bumped our way around potholes and ditches until we hit tarmac with a great sigh of relief.

The rain finally gave way to sunshine on our penultimate day so we headed for the beach finding some shade we settled in with beach mats and towels thoughtfully provided by our host. What a great day warm lagoon water to cool off in watching birds come and go on the remains of a mango tree growing out of the water, a wader nonchalantly fishing off the coral, a fleeting visit by a white egret and low and behold a single ray coming right up to the waters edge.

We watched with curiosity as a man came along the beach sat on the waters edge and proceeded to sharpen a knife then noisily clean something he had in a large plastic box, next he swims out into the lagoon and deposits the fruits of his labour into the lagoon??? All is revealed later when we see a dark fin in the lagoon and people leaving the water, yes a shark was in the water, we discovered later that the man had been cutting up a grouper fish.

Not only had we come here in the rainy season but also during a cyclone so more rain than was usual at this time of year and hence the really high winds. Thankfully we had rented a nice Airbnb bungalow set in the owners beautiful garden so we could come and go as we pleased. Now rested we are ready to continue the next and final leg of  our journey four weeks in a camper van around New Zealand.

We all have dreams or aspirations and this particular dream came out of Charles childhood, as a child like now he would read anything that captured his imagination and amongst the many childhood classics he can remember reading at the age of eleven a magazine story about Thor Heyerdahl who had visited Easter Island to investigate the famous Easter island statues. The reason for Heyerdahl’s visit was to re assemble a fallen statue back upon its base proving techniques that the local oral history believed were first used around 700AD. The photos that accompanied this article showed oversized human like figures with dramatic facial features towering over Thor and his fellow workers. Charles childhood dream at that time was to one day visit and see these statues for himself. Fifty years later his dream has come true and here We are on the island learning a lot more about these enigmatic figures.

Interestingly although he was 11 when He read the article, the visit of Heyerdahl had taken place in 1956 the year of his birth, that surely was destiny in action.

In the seventeen hundreds European explorers came across this uncharted but populated island and decided as their arrival coincided with easter it should be called Easter Island choosing to overlook that the island already had a name – Rapa Nui.

After a 6 hour flight across the Pacific Ocean from mainland Chile and a warm welcome from our hosts at the airport

We had arrived and our arrival coincided with the annual festival known as Tapati. During the Tapati celebration, the town is divided in two, each part constituting an “alliance” or clan representing the ancient races of the island. Each clan chooses a queen to represent and “lead” them during the competitions and the winner will have the right to the title of “Queen of the Island” for that year. It’s not a beauty contest, but rather a peaceful confrontation between the two clans that will compete through the days and night; where each participant will be able to express their physical and artistic skills to earn points for each candidate. The queen of the clan with the most points will win the crown. skills to earn points for each candidate. The queen of the clan with the most points will win the crown.

We enjoyed an early evening drink overlooking the local main bay full of surfers, body boarders and surf canoeists whilst behind us a football match on the small stadium pitch was in progress.

Afterwards we followed the crowds to a park area with stage and stalls and we found ourselves at the front of a standing area behind the main seating and took up position centre stage. We could see a darkened stage full of people and the sound of musicians, it soon became clear the entertainment was warming up and we awaited the beginning of the show

About 10.00pm the stage lights came on and a brief introduction began. The only part in English was hello welcome and enjoy the show. The rest in local dialect was lost upon us but we soon realised that the event was a competition of 2 groups and was one of the Tapati events

The 2 groups of about 150 people in total were spread across the stage with the left side all dressed in a purple costume and the right side in yellow. They took it in turns to sing and dance to songs with each group having their own musicians sat amongst them.

The stage was a riot of colour from costumes and outfits including headdresses with waves of sound leading the different troupes into their songs. Mostly the dancers only came forward to front of stage for their own troupe but occasionally a dancer would get up to dance with the other troupe and sometimes the opposition would invite a dancer to join them.

The songs and dances were telling the groups interpretation of a given theme and it was this that the judges at a table front centre stage seemed to be noting down as they marked.

It was an amazing spectacle and the enjoyment that their energy, skill and musicianship provided was something we will never forget. We left the show just before 1.00am and the sounds followed us all the way back to our hotel 1/2 a mile away. We learnt the next day the purple team had won and the event continued until about 3.00 am! Stamina indeed

For our second day we had booked a guided tour of the statue sites across the island. Our email confirmation for the 9.30 am tour had said we would be picked up around 10.00 so we were in the middle of getting up and ready when the hotel staff were knocking on our room telling us the tour had arrived. When we got down to reception we were informed they had gone to collect other guests and would be back. Explaining to our Guide “Rodriguez” the misunderstanding he apologised and said don’t worry we go by island time meaning whenever.

The schedule for the full day tour was to visit 5 different sites including the quarry where all the statues had been carved and transported from so we set off to begin our introduction to the world of the Moai (Mo-eye) to give the statues their symbolic name

In setting the scene for our tour three things we learnt were;

Family groups formed village like settlements wherever they found sources of fresh water. Being an island of no rivers due to the porous geology they sought out natural springs and settled nearby

Chickens were a sacred animal and would only be eaten at the annual sacred day

At some time in the history of the Rapa Nui the old ways had been challenged and Statue sites demolished. This led to a dark period as our guide called it where villages would raid other settlements and slaughter each other.

Our first site was Tahai near to the main town and we learnt as the day went on it was a site that gave the most informative introduction into the ancient ways of the first Rapa Nui settlers. This was a small cove giving access to the sea for the outrigger canoes they use and good level land with a small cave like outcrop. The families had created a village settlement of stone chicken coops and defensive shelters, sacred plinths and statues and dwellings they called boat houses.

You will notice the chicken coops have no obvious door and the entrance hole when filled with a special stone would be invisible to strangers

The defensive shelters were formed by enclosing the cave outcrops to give protection from any outsiders attacking the village.

In time the village would construct a sacred area with Moai statues. Those members of the village who were respected for their wisdom and ability would often be honoured by the carving of a Moai. The purpose being to allow that persons spirit to continue to guide over years to come. This was effected by placing certain skeletal remains into a depression on the Ahu (the stone plinth platform) onto which the Moai were placed. The idea being the Moai absorbs the spirit from the remains and transmits into the village through its eyes This is also why the Moai are facing into the village even in coastal settings

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We then travelled onto Rano Raraku the site of the ancient quarry where all the Moai on the island came from. The site is one of the many volcanic cones on the island and an eruption back in the mists of time had blown off the cone forming a summit caldera and lake.

The quarry is in the outer cliff face of the volcano and is dotted with Moai in various positions standing, laying down and partially buried as well as partially carved and still attached to the cliff face. One unusual Moai still on the side of the quarry complete but not moved down the cliff face is a kneeling position Moai. The only one of its kind for reasons unknown?

The most contentious subject for years is how were these statues moved. The largest is 10m tall and estimated to weigh 80 tonnes. But oral tradition and scientific tests have shown that they were moved in an upright position and through the use of manpower and ropes they would rock the moai on their base and use that movement to give a forward momentum that made the statues literally walk across the island

Near to the quarry is one of the most impressive village sites containing 15 Moai. as well as numerous boat house remains. stone greenhouses and artistic impressions (or petroglyphs to give them their name) of sacred images. It is no coincidence it was such a major settlement as being in the shadows of Rano Raraku it was home to many of the stone carvers and quarry workers

The petroglyphs record images of importance. Below you can see a face with a protruding tongue which is a threatening sign of warning to outsiders (Hoko it is called similar to the Maori Haka), a large image of a yellow fin tuna considered valuable as a great source of protein and which based on size of image would have been about 150kg and an image representing the bird man culture which was part of the changing beliefs in the dark period.

After visiting a couple of other sites we finished our tour at Akahena beach, this is the site were the first Rapa Nui travellers landed in their outrigger canoes and began to settle this uninhabited island. The oral history says they came from an island in the Marquesas chain of Polynesian islands and had sought new lands because there home was disappearing (probably due to volcanic activity)

It was interesting to see the first settlement and my point of destination, as this is where Thor Heyerdahl visited all those years ago. Unfortunately the sunlight as wrong for a great picture but it still was an impressive vision.

Our final day was going to be a long one as our flight was set for midnight and yet we were checking out of our room for 11.00am! The hotel said leave your luggage and use the lounge areas and pool showers later on to freshen up before they took us to the airport about 10.30pm

So we decided to wander into town for a breakfast which was very nice salmon cheese bagels and waffles with fruit and then go for a walk through the north side of town visiting the cemetery as the gravestones were reported to be very unusual and walked along the coast to and beyond our first site Tahai.

The cemetery was colourful and different to what we are used to.

After waking the coastline and going to the next bay after Tahai we found a nice rocky cove with dramatic surf on the incoming tide and spotted the remains of an impromptu ceviche picnic of lime juice cooked sea urchins. All that remained were lime husks and sea urchin spiny shells

And so our brief visit to Easter Island/Rapa Nui came to an end. We packed a lot into our time and were exhausted after the grand tour but as an island it was enjoyable, entertaining and welcoming.

Thank you Thor Heyerdahl for the dream and thank you people of Rapa Nui for everything you shared and the memories you have given us

Lorana (goodbye)

Spending a few days in Santiago prior to saying goodbye to mainland Chile and flying onto Easter island gave us the opportunity to catch up on things we had missed first time around when the time we had planned was curtailed due to our flight to Santiago being delayed for a few days leaving us stranded in Madrid.

Our first task was to return the spare set of keys to our previous landlord which somehow had found their way into Charles’s bag?We then headed for the main park area where a vernacular railway took you to the highest point in the city from which you had great views over Santiago. En route we came across the museum of art so popped in to have a look. What a great building, you enter into a large open space dominated by a glass atrium with the various galleries leading off, they housed a mix of modern and traditional artwork as well as some amazing sculptures. Having had a dose of culture we stopped off in Santiago’s famous Belles des Artes area for a coffee and the best chocolate cheesecake ever before making our way to the park and joining the back of the queue for the vernacular railway.

It was a long way up and I was glad to step onto good old terra firma but the view was worth it as the city sprawled out below dominated by the mountains acting as a backdrop. At the highest point was a chapel which was used when the pope visited Santiago and the way into the chapel area was flanked by a number of crosses bearing some interesting art work.

We had decided to walk back down through the park as we wanted to visit the Japanese garden that was advertised at the same time experiencing what the park had to offer, big mistake. This was not a park as we know them instead a busy park road wound it’s way back down with the occasional sign directing you to an allocated area that had been cultivated to grow various types of planting. Eventually after a long arduous trek we saw the sign for the Japanese garden, great, as we approached out came the cameras and after taking a few shots of the external landscaping headed for the gate, it was locked! Could you believe it. Taking respite on the nearby wall excitement loomed as the gate opened but no the worker that emerged explained it was closed to the public as it was being renovated. Somehow with the bit of Spanish that he knew Charles explained that we were members of the Japanese garden society and had come especially to see the garden and take photos for an intended article for the society’s magazine.It worked we went through the gate and yes it was definitely undergoing some major change. The architect responsible came to greet us and explained what the original layout looked like and how they were planning to expand it with some hard landscaping and new planting, his biggest difficulty he said was the planting as Chileans like to touch and feel where as the beauty of a Japanese garden is absorbed through the eyes.

On our second day we decided to have a lazy one as we were exhausted from the day before so we walked to the Cultural centre which was only a few blocks from our apartment. It had originally been built to house a Latin American conference but was now a community space housing works of art, a restaurant and cafe but was mainly used by young artistes as a drop in space in which to freely practise their various talents. We watched as a couple practised the Argentine tango without music next to a group of hip hop dancers with music on full blast, in another space a girl dancing with a pyramid made of metal tubes and a modern dance group practised side by side all seemingly lost in their own art.

Our final day and I was on a mission to return to the main square and locate the old man I had seen previously that created pieces of art by painstakingly hammering patterns into pieces of copper, I had promised myself that I would return and buy one. As we entered the square the inevitable sound of music could be heard a Samba band was in full swing inspiring people to get up and dance. We took some time to sit and enjoy the music before resuming my quest. I found my man in his original spot and he took great pride  in explaining which each piece represented. With my chosen piece carefully wrapped and under my arm we went on to visit the cultural history museum where Charles found his own personal guide having struck up a conversation with a man who had worked for a number of years in Edinburgh as an accountant.

Our final visit of the day was to Pinochets secret police headquarters renowned for its imprisonment and torture of people who opposed his regime. An innocuous building on one of the two prettiest streets in the city it looked like any other residential building that surrounded it. Inside there was very little information regarding its history and apart from a desk for the receptionist it was just a shell of a building leaving your own imaginings to conjure up what it must have been like in its day.

Back to the apartment to pack our bags for the last time on mainland Chile. What a spectacular time we have had, it’s had it’s highs and lows but mainly highs and a lesson learnt ie investing time in planning can save time and money but hey

C’est la vie onwards we go.

We continue our journey along Route5 to catch the ferry to the isle of Chiloé then along the Panamericana to the islands main town of Castro. a bustling town where like most South American towns the main square acts as a magnet drawing everyone in. Impromptu stalls appear selling anything and everything, entertainment on tap, we sat and listened to one band for nearly a couple of hours and they were still playing when we passed by a few hours later (Amerikantu check them out on Facebook,Charles has posted a short video or YouTube)

The main attraction for visiting Chiloé  are the UNESCO listed wooden churches which I have to say are awesome when you step inside and admire the detailing of the carvings and inner structure. The other attraction are the palafitos which are wooden houses where the back is built on stilts that overhang the water and act as piers when the tide is in.

Strolling back from visiting the Palafitos we watched the fisherman tending their mussel beds and caught sight of a flock of black headed swans obviously unique to the area or migratory birds.

I bet your thinking Kendal, Keswick, Beatrix Potter, Borrowgates and Lake Windermere

Well you would be wrong we are talking Los Lagos in Chile and whilst it does have a similar feel it is different.

Looking out of the window of the mini bus taking us from the airport to Puerto Varas I thought we had returned to the U.K. green fields, trees and herds of cows merrily munching the lush grass, then as we entered the town and dropped down towards the lake there they were, two snow topped volcanoes as a backdrop to the sparkling water reminding me we were still in Chile.

Lago Llanquihue was our lake of choice and in Puerto Varas we had found a nice guest house in an area of the town known as the Monumentos Nacionales area where a refurbishment project is currently underway to restore the original buildings and as you walk around you get a sense of being in a German alpine town.

The lakes are numerous small settlements established about 120 years ago by an influx of Austrian/German immigrants who were obviously reminded of their Alpine homelands and began recreating home, their architectural heritage can still be seen in the buildings around the town and the number of German restaurants.

We took a walk along the lakeside and discovered an artisans tent full of stalls selling the usual local crafts, jams, knitted products ranging from socks to ponchos but the stall I fell in love with was selling a range of quality wooden products for pennies, back home they would cost a fortune unfortunately all to big and heavy to carry in a case. We also came across what I thought was a plastic bag on the shore line, zooming in with my camera I realised that it was a bedraggled looking egret whom  I managed later to catch admiring his reflection in the water. In the evening we sauntered into town where the crowds were gathered to watch what appeared to be the emergency services march by, later we were treated to a band entertaining everyone in the main square, they had a good sound and gave a full on performance.

Taking advantage of the local buses we visited two of the towns further around the lake, Frutillar was our first day trip and we found a very smart beach type lakeside resort. With a curious blend of local housing, schools, churches and businesses mixed in with tourist hotels, restaurants, coffee and gift shops. Frutillars big claim for being modern is they had built themselves a concert hall, the Teatro del LagoSur, right on the lakeside for an annual season of classical music festivities. A big statement of wealth and culture.

Puerto Octay was the second lakeside town we visited. Arriving in a quiet sleepy main square we found a local restaurant where we had lunch then set off to explore the lakeside. A very pretty place, Puerto Octay has somehow ( thankfully) been overlooked by the tourist trade, the people we met were locals just going about their daily lives pottering in their gardens or soaking up the sun by the lake. We did come across a strange looking bird and some great graffiti which i just had to photograph.

After taking the overnight bus from San Pedro we arrived at La Serena and leaving our bags at the bus depot headed into town to get some breakfast and find an Internet cafe. We needed to organise our onward journey from the Elqui valley as I was under the impression there would not be internet access where we were going. Turns out I was wrong we had a days extremely slow access so thankfully we did book a flight to Puerto Montt and accommodation for our next leg before heading to our pre booked accommodation on the outskirts of Vicuna.

For  some unknown reason we were under the impression that our accomodation was based in Pisce Elqui and not Vicuna so we took the bus and only when we arrived at Pisce Elqui took out the paperwork to check the address and found we should have got off in Vicuna so across the road we went and back on the bus. Having added a further hour onto our journey we finally arrived at our accommodation (Elqui Terra ) tired and bedraggled.

What an oasis of peace and tranquility Elqui Terra is. Set in a secluded spot surrounded by mountains it offers four spacious comfortable rooms with use of a communal area that contained a kitchen and dining space  where our hosts served a delicious breakfast every morning, and a lounge area all looking out large openings onto the gardens and pool area. Our hosts Roberto and Alejandra provide a great breakfast sourcing their products from the local community, jams full of fruit, avocados from a neighbour, grapes and watermelon from their garden. If you need a taxi Roberto is there to book it,we wanted to do a night visit to an observatory, I wanted a massage no sooner said than done what great hosts.

The Elqui valley is famous for its production of Pisco which has a similar taste to brandy. The grapes from which it is made can be seen growing all around the valley and spreading their way up the mountainside to heights that make you wonder how the vines are tended and the fruit harvested. Obviously we had to visit a Pisco distillery of which there were many in the valley, we opted for the one on the road to Vicuna. First was a tour of the museum area with exhibits of the original equipment used followed by a tour of the factory with its modern hi tec equipment. At one point the door of the barrel storage area was opened Wow the alcoholic fumes knocked you back, I am convinced you could get drunk just standing there and inhaling .

Following our distillery visit we headed into Vicuna stopping at an Artesan village on the way for a browse around the shops and a delicious coffee based drink topped with ice cream and cream yummy.

On our second day we decided on a walk into the village located in the opposite direction to Vicuna for lunch at a vegetarian restaurant recommended by Roberto.Setting off we walked down the track next to Elqui Terra along the side of the river  then up onto the road towards Daiguista, where we found a small artisan shop selling a mixture of ceramics and painted hessian wall hangings. Saw and purchased two of the hangings which we thought will look great above our bed at home and fit nicely into our cases.

It was an 8 km walk to the village and feeling lazy after our lunch we decided to take a taxi back. A quick dip in the pool, shower and then a massage which was done outside in a quiet part of the garden, a slight breeze lifting the white gauze sides of the massage tent while all around birds were singing what bliss and what a perfect end to our last day.

Thank you Roberto and Alejandra for making us feel at home and giving us a perfect two days, just what was needed after our busy time in San Pedro.

Jason, if you are reading this we hope you make it to Putre and enjoy it as much as we did. Stay focused and you are sure to achieve whatever you set out to do, just don’t lose your sense of adventure.

 

 

A tourist trap serving the backpackers travelling across the borders to and from Bolivia and Argentina. As you walk into town every other doorway takes you into a tour guide company or money exchange and on the back of these the obligatory bar, cafe and restaurant. Yet take one of the many tours into the surrounding area and you find yourself in a dramatic and surreal landscape.

After discarding our bags we headed into town and a variety of the tour companies to compare prices and although slightly more expensive chose a three tour package with Terra Extrema as they offered an English speaking guide and came across as more professional than the other three we had approached. We also managed to get a reduction on a fourth half day tour.

Tour 1   Valle de la Luna – we joined our fellow travellers at the Terra Extreme offices at 4pm and left to catch the sunset. Stopping first to climb to the top of a ridge from which there was a 360degree view of the valley needless to say I opted out when I saw the climb yes I would have made a valiant effort to get to the top but looking at it I knew my fear of heights would kick in then where would the group be? Instead I left the courageous ones to it and set off the lone walker on what I could see was an easier route which would still enable me to take some stunning photos.

 

Next came a trip to a “cave”  (more a large cleft in the rocks ) winding our way through we could appreciate the layered rock formation and the salts and minerals retained in them.

Then joining what appeared to be every tour bus in town it was a mad dash to catch the sunset, sorry to say disappointing probably because the sun went down quite quickly behind the mountain and very little moisture in the air to reflect light.

 

Tour2  A full day tour taking in the village of Toconao with its pretty bell Tower then onto breathtaking views as we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn dropping  down to Laguna Miscanti and Laguna Miniques.

Unfortunately a selfish tourist had upset the locals when he decided to go windsurfing on a lake near the red rocks where flamingoes were nesting which put a stop to future tours having full access. Fortunately our driver knew where we could have limited access for photo opportunities so managed to get some photos.

Final stop of the day was after lunch at the flamingo reserve on Salar de Atacama and stepping out the van wow was it hot obviously the salt was just reflecting all the heat. Here we saw the Andean and Chilean flamingo besides a pair of Chilean avocets.

Having seen flamingoes in the north then again here further south one can appreciate the different environments in which they appear to thrive, greener and cooler in Putre and a dry desert environment in San Pedro.

What a full on enjoyable day.

 

Day3 –  A 4am start to get to the Tatio geysers which are close to the Argentinian border at 4300metres above sea level. Everyone emerging from the van bleary eyed due to the early start.

It is the worlds heighest geyser field with sixty four geysers spurting steam to a temperature of 84 degrees described in the guide books as a Dantesque vision, it did not disappoint.

 

Returning we stopped at an abandoned mining village abutted by a newer small settlement of subsistence farmers who had also tapped into the passing tourist trade by offering food and locally made crafts.

Day 4 – Our final day and a half day tour to see the Petroglyphs (rock carvings ) at Hierbas Buenas two sets of carvings aged between 1200 and 2000 years old set yet again in stunning rock formations. The carvings were a record by the original settlers of what their life was like showing what was a challenge or success.  We finished our tour at the area known as Valle arcoiris (or rainbow valley). The name comes from the rock formations of many colours caused by the different chemical composition of the silica rocks.

Another late one folks thankfully we now have access to a decent internet connection so hopefully should soon get up to date.

Buenas Nochas

 

Day 1 –  We are here in Putre a small mountain village 3530 metres above sea level it was originally a16th century Spanish settlement which controlled the surrounding native population. We set off early with a spring in our step enjoying the local scenery as we went. Our destination was a six kilometres walk away to some local caves to see the ancient cave paintings. As we walked it was amazing to see how the indigenous Aymara people manage to cultivate such an unyielding landscape using stone faced terraces and successfully grow crops of corn and alfalfa, the alfalfa to feed their mixed livestock of sheep, alpaca and llamas. This area although not as dry as the rest of the province has long dry spells with areas lacking water supplies. The solution to help farming and cultivation is to create water channels built into the mountainside with the direction of the water controlled via small gates very similar to our canal waterways but on a much smaller scale. These water channels were obviously of great importance to the Aymara in keeping their crops healthy.

We were about four kilometres into the walk when I noticed a rock fall along the track we would be taking and that the track had really narrowed down as it wound its way along the mountainside. Well being a bit squeamish about heights decided that we had come as far as I was prepared to go so about turn pronto and head back but not before we had rested next to the trickling stream that ran through the valley bottom and observed some of the bird life. The trek back was arduous as the high altitude started to take its toll, so after many rest stops we finally dragged ourselves back and collapsed on the bed.

Day 2 – Today is our first trip which started really early at 7.30 am breakfast was on the way. We headed out on the Bolivian highway into the mountains passing mainly heavy Bolivian lorries heading to and from Arica which for Bolivia is the nearest access to the sea. Our guide who was full of bonhomie throughout the day introduced us to coca which looks not to dissimilar to dried bay leaf, you chew it to give you energy then spit it out the taste is not to bad but the bits that continue to lie in between the teeth are off putting. Our destination was Salar de Surire 113 sq km of salt flat famous for its flamingoes of which there are three species the Andean and Chilean flamingo and the rare James flamingo. We drove up through the mountains onto the altiplano passing some stunning scenery on the way.  Also spotting herds of Vicuña which are related to the alpaca and llama and are a protected species, local people who are licenced are able to temporarily catch them and shear them for their wool though they can only do this every three years. We also spotted viscacha that look like rabbits with long curly tails  and the lesser Rhea an Ostrich like flightless bird.

After driving around the perimeter of the salt lake we returned via the Polloqueres terma (thermal bath) with everyone making the most of the opportunity to take a dip which was followed by a picnic lunch.

Our guide had forecast that due to the cloud cover that morning it was likely to be raining on our return. True to his word we had rain, thunder and lightning with displays of sheet and forked lightning striking the ground. A dramatic end to the day!

Day – 3  For today’s trip our host at Terrace Lodge Flávio was our guide taking us to lago Chungara one of the worlds highest lakes overlooked by the dormant volcano Volcan Parinacota. He introduced us to his friend “Chukka” a blue eyed alpaca who came when called affording us all a good photo shot.

We then carried onto the lake doing a short circular walk which took us past a viscacha colony and along the lake which hosted blue billed ducks, giant coots and more flamingoes. we left the lake heading to a tiny ancient Aymaran village which is now home to only two families whose children along with 4 other children living in nearby hamlets attend the village school. The teacher drives in for the week returning home at weekends! The little church has some 17th century frescoes which are a mixture of  religious and historical imagery. There is also a story attached to a table in the church that one night it walked through the town and stopped outside a mans house and the next day that man died so they tied it down in the church.

Flavio was a great guide very knowledgeable about the local area sharing information and generously pointing out things of interest along the way stopping to enable us to photograph scenery, pointing out colonies of the Andean flicker a member of the woodpecker family that because of the absence of trees lives in holes that they make in the sandstone cliffs. Telling us about the local fauna llarita explaining how it grows and it’s medicinal properties. This plant grows 1cm per year and can be 4000 years old.

Apologies for the late update but since leaving Putre we have not had internet access and have been experiencing trouble trying to publish photos. We are now in the Elqui valley so have some catching up to do re our experience of St Pedro de Atacama, catch you later.

 

 

 

Arica, Arica what can I say certainly a culture shock, broken pavements, stray dogs a plenty though all well fed, potholed roads or “events” as the locals call them, but look beyond the obvious and you find warm friendly people reminding us why we love South America.

Yesterday we visited a private collection of shells gathered from around the world they were all shapes, sizes and colours, such perfection and natural beauty.

 

 

On our way we came across the cathedral built in cast iron by the Monsieur Eiffel who went onto build something called the Eiffel Tower which you may have heard of. But this cathedral and another civic building was built in Arica in the 1870s (before the Eiffel Tower) in his Paris workshop and then shipped over and reconstructed here in Arica. A simple building but attractive because of its simplicity.

Finally we took a taxi to El Morro which is the highest point and where the last battle between Chile and Peru took place. It now houses a military museum and is a great place to view the city.

Later walking into town for a meal we could hear all this music ahead of us so delayed our meal to go and find out what was going on. In true Latin American fashion the town was celebrating twelfth night I can’t tell you how many different dance bands there were but what a spectacle everyone in high spirits having a good time and all ages taking part.

Today we headed out of town to the Azapa valley to the Museum of San Miguel de Azapa which holds one of the most important archaeological heritage sites in the country. They have a display of the Aymara culture, an original olive press and a display of mummified corpses of the Chinchorro people who not only preserved bodies but foetuses as well. The exhibits vary in age but the oldest go back 10,000 years.

We then went on to a hummingbird sanctuary where the birds are wild but attracted by the vegetation. It was started by a local lady who decided to plant flowers and shrubs that would particularly attract the hummingbird. A difficult bird to catch on camera due to their size and speed therefore I am pleased to say that we did capture a few images.

No the two birds on an aerial are not hummingbirds could not resist inserting a photo of a pair of birds of prey which I managed to capture as we left the sanctuary.

Tomorrow it’s an early start as we catch the 7am bus to Putre, a small town in the high altiplano of the Andes at 3500 metres and our base for exploring the higher sights of the Andean mountain range. where we will go back to Madrid temperatures of 12 degrees. A definite contrast to here in Arica where we have been enjoying clear skies, sunshine  and temperatures of 26 degrees.

Anna and her nephew Alejandro here at Hostel La Paskana have looked after us well so a big thankyou to them both and we would recommend there hospitality to any of you that venture this way.

Putre here we come.