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Background: Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

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By Livi
October 3rd 2008

It's Oh So Quiet!

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

P1030050

15.9., lunes San Pedro. 4h Früh. Draußen. Sternenklare Nacht. In trockener Eiseskälte und einsamer Stille der Wüste ist das immer näherkommende Burren eines kräftigen Motors zu hören. Schritte und Knirschen des Schotters sowie er betreten wird. Ein kräftiges Klopfen an der alten morschen Holztür. Dunkel. Drinnen. Hektisches Suchen. Der Strom scheint noch immer nicht zu funktionieren. Rucksack packen. Zähne putzen. Dunkel. 4:20h Früh. Schließlich begibt sich auch die letzte Chilenin Richtung burrendes Auto. Verschlafene Blicke. Nervöses Auf- und Abgehen des Tour-Führers. Erwar [View Full Entry]

By Livi
October 1st 2008

Nebelschwadenbilder

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

P1030024

14.9., domingo San Pedro. Um 14h ging unsere Tour zu der Laguna Cejar und den Ojos de Salar los. Aber nein, aber nein, ihr sollt nicht glauben, wir hätten davor nichts gemacht als geschlafen.. Doch nichts desto trotz ging sich nicht all zu viel aus, dank der - und, ja, dies lässt sich einmal mehr genau zurückführen auf die.. - Entschlossenheit der Chilenen. Ich möchte anmerken, dass diese, alle 2 Minuten revidierten, Entscheidungen natürlich alle von der vermeintlich erwachsensten Frau getroffen wurden, vom Familienoberhaupt, namentlich also der Mutter. - [View Full Entry]

By Livi
September 30th 2008

Riders On the Storm

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

13.9., sábado Antofagasta. .. San Pedro. "In der trockensten Wüste der Welt, der Atacama, liegt in einer kleinen Oase das Dorf San Pedro. Für Chile-Touristen ist San Pedro ein Höhepunkt ihrer Südamerikareise. Mondlandschaften, Salzseen, Geysire und Vulkane stillen das Bedürfnis nach ursprünglicher Natur. Das Dorf besteht aus einer einzigen schmalen Straße, einigen Nebengassen und einer schönen Plaza. Im Hintergrund leuchten die weißen Kuppen der Anden-Vulkane......" San Pedro war also unser Ziel. Und so um 9.40-früh im Morgengrauen..… denn ursprünglich ja geplant um 6h, [View Full Entry]

By looking for my zihuatanejo
September 29th 2008

Hello Chile and warmth, goodbye to the Altiplano and the cold

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

1. Caracoles, the main street in San Pedro

Day 91: Sunday 28th August - Back to the warmth in San Pedro de Atacama It takes an hour from the border to get to San Pedro de Atacama, the border town in Northern Chile. I'm still dressed in thermals, numerous layers and a coat when we stop at the border control post in San Pedro. The immigration is straightforward but afterwards we must all stand in a line next to our bags as they are inspected (somewhat feebley) for fruit and vegetables. We get back in the bus as it drives the further mile to the centre of the town. [View Full Entry]

2. Volcan Licacabur, from the Atacama Desert

3. The rock from roadrunner, valley of the moon, Atacama Desert

By linanq3l
September 15th 2008

Finally the last destination

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Yo, we´re in San Pedro now, the deserts of Northern Chile. Yesterday was Iquique. Iquique was sooo nice, hostal RIGHT by the beach. Where in the States could you get a room seriously steps from the beach for only $12 a night?? The water was beautiful, the sand, ahh! Iquique the town itself however was really run down, sketchy, lots of Chnese restaurants. The ¨Chinatown¨was disappointing, just some cheesily decorated restaurants. but I found the Chumbeques, which is this little pastry thing that Chileans of Chinese ancestry created, that is supposed to be a mix of the two cultures. In the [View Full Entry]

By Sophie and Dale
September 9th 2008

Living on the moon..

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Cave entrances again

As we said in the previous blog the difference between Bolivia and Chile hit us the very second we crossed that border... the landscape is pretty much the same just on the other side of the mountains but the roads, houses, food and most noticeably the price could not be more different. San Pedro de Atacama is one of the main routes in or out of Chile and most people just use it as a cross point to get up to Peru or Bolivia or further down to Chile or Argentina which is exactly what we were doing. In saying this, [View Full Entry]

By Benbrook78
September 5th 2008

High and Dry (Part 2)

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Flamingo Reserve

The alarm on my cell phone is going off and I futilely bat my hand at the empty air trying to find it. I force myself into consciousness enough to remember that I'm on the top bunk and that the phone is tucked into a pocket of my pack at the foot of the bottom bunk. I scramble my way to the foot of the bed and hop down to the floor. I rip the phone from the pocket and cancel the alarm as quickly as possible. I'm sharing this relatively small hostel room with five girls, and I hope I [View Full Entry]

By Benbrook78
September 4th 2008

High and Dry (Part 1)

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Church in San Pedro

San Pedro de Atacama is a tiny town in the Chilean Atacama Desert not far from the borders with Bolivia and Argentina. Its sole purpose is to provide a base of exploration for travelers to the surrounding area's geysers, canyons, lagoons, and other geological features. The town is inhabited by about five thousand people and is divided into two pieces - tourist and residential. The tourist section is a grid of dusty, unpaved wild west streets lined with old adobe style buildings serving as shops, lodging, and tourist services. Occasionally these are interrupted by nicer stonewall construc [View Full Entry]

By Bernadette50
August 28th 2008

San Pedro de Atacama

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Fruehstueck im Bus
hiess ja mit desayuno - super!

Am 19. August machte ich mich nach San Pedro de Atacama auf. Nach einer 12 Stunden langen Busfahrt, mit einem sehr netten Sitznachber der allerdings leider scharchte ohne Ende, kam ich dann auch entlich in diesem kleinen Ort an. Das erste was einem hier auffiel, es gibt nur Touristen, echt der Wahnsinn. Ich bin dann auch 3 Naechte dort geblieben. Es gab sehr viel zu unternehmen und auch sportlich habe ich mich betaetigt. Ich habe mir zwei Mal ein Bike ausgeliehen und bin insgesamt 50 km Rad gefahren. Weiss auch nicht warum ich das wirklich tat. Bei 30 Grad in 2500 [View Full Entry]

By MONIA AND KIKI
August 27th 2008

Chile and onwards....

South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Moon Valley Tour

As soon as we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama we went to the bus company to report the fact that we had to pay twice for our bus tickets. We were advised to call Sandra to ask her to call them and confirm that she had sold us the tickets... (They would not call her themselves as they were not willing to pay for the international call.) Dominique called her, but she just hung up on him. That evil Sandra... We were ready to take it further, but luckily when we went back to the office, the guy called his [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama