Arica, Chile and Tacna, Peru

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Today was a travel day as I´m on my way to Arequipa, Peru. Having had a comfortable ride on my way from Calama I set out to see Arica for only a few hours before heading off to Peru. My only real goal was to hit the beach and dip my feet in the Pacific (something I try to do for some reason when I encounter a major body of water).

Arica is somewhat drab but isn´t without some charm. Somewhat strangely, Arica is a surfing town. Apparently, Arica´s treacherous waves host high-profile surf championships. The biggest breaks are north of town but I did see some pretty big waves at the beach I strolled along just south of the city centre.

The border crossing was an adventure, not that it was difficult, just time consuming. There aren´t many long-haul buses that cross the border to Peru, so, the common practice is to take a taxi or collectivo across to Tacna, Peru (about 50km north). The drivers are very well-schooled in the routine but for a first-timer I thought it was a rather drawn-out affair. Once I´d selected a vehicle and agreed upon a price, my driver went about finding a few more people to fill-up the remaining seats and fill-out the appropriate paperwork. I´m not sure why the paperwork took so long but about 45 minutes later we were on our way. Upon exiting Chile I was given a FULL security check (not sure what I could have done in the 2 days I was in Chile). I´m surprised they didn´t finger print me (I noticed an electronic finger print machine at the border window). Conversely, entering Peru was quite easy. A quick stamp of the passport and a few inquisitive questions about my backpack from the customs officials (asking about all the flag patches I have all over my pack) and I was on my way again.

Upon arriving in Tacna the whole process had taken over 2 hours. I immediately booked a bus to Arequipa and thought I had 10 minutes to catch it ... but I´d forgotten to set my watch back one hour, so I actually had some time for lunch. By complete fluke I wound up getting an awesome fish fillet with rice and veggies (when I looked at the menu all I knew was that I was ordering something fried and it came with potatoes). Nice call by me.

The rest of the day was spent on route to Arequipa in the most comfortable bus in which I´ve ridden on this trip (this was the first one with a bathroom on board ... a fortunate coincidence as I was also suffering from a bit of an upset stomach and other ailments about which I´m too polite to write). Must´ve eaten something that disagreed with me in the last day or so.

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Photos

El Morro de Arica
the imposing hunk of rock looms 110m over the city

perfect location for a restaurant
this is in a very picturesque spot

macro flower shot
from the garden in front of the aforementioned restaurant

Iglesia San Marcos
at Plaza Colon (the central square)

El Morro de Arica
the imposing hunk of rock looms 110m over the city

sailboats, lighthouse
this is the first time I´ve been to the Pacific coast in the Americas

big waves
it´s hard to get a good photo of waves

cool cactus
from the garden in front of the aforementioned restaurant

flower
from the garden in front of the aforementioned restaurant

waves through the trees
from the garden in front of the aforementioned restaurant

Aduana de Arica
the former customs house, through the fountain at Plaza Colon

Tacna´s cathedral
not a great picture, got it on a drive by

Tacna´s cathedral
not a great picture, got it on a drive by

drawings on the hills
the view from the Bus Station in Tacna

Tacna from afar
this continues to be a pretty desolate landscape