Blogs from Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile, South America

Geo: -20.2208, -70.1485The earthquake hit with full force just weeks after I left...Anyway, now I am still here...Iquique is a nice city with a beautiful beach and the usual cold ocean current at any time of the year... Anyway, I was hanging around the beach for a couple of days before hitting the road towards...Arica and onwards to Peru and the Amazon...Nope...This will be done on my next trip...the Highway Transoceanico...This time I backtracked towards San Pedro de Atacama in order to pass over the Mountains into Argentina...... read more

Aujourd’hui, après une nuit bien réparatrice, nous partons pour Humberstone, une ville minière, de production de nitrate de sodium et de salpêtre de la fin du XIXème siècle, désertée depuis les années 60 suite à sa fermeture, maintenant classée par l’UNESCO. Rien à voir avec le cote ‘Disney western aseptisé’ que peut avoir la ville fantôme que j’avais visitée en Californie vers Yosemite. Humberstone a accueilli jusqu'à 5000 personnes à son apogée, avec sur le même site la zone industrielle, les habitations (bien séparées : pour couples mariés, pour célibataires etc) et les bâtiments publics (hôpital, école, piscine). Il fait chaud, très chaud, mais nous arrivons a rester plus de 4h sur place, à déambuler et fouiner à l’intérieur des bâtisses désaffectées, avec quelques parties musée et objets d’époque très intéressants. Il n’y a quasiment pas ... read more

Another 8 hour bus ride through endless mountains of nothing but dirt (not even a single cactus!) landed me in Iquique at the biggest hostel that I'd stayed at to date. Backpackers Hostel Iquique was made up of two massive three story houses that were joined together and boasting an assortment of balconies overlooking the beach which was just over the road. After a night out with James and our new friend Ninny we decided that we'd walk back to the hostel along the beach. When we came across a lifesaver hut I decided that it looked very OC and that it needed climbing. James and I left Ninny on the sand to have a sleep while we went exploring. While we were up there this couple came wondering over and we were keeping an eye ... read more

Iquqiue is really Ique Ique. I learnt this fact whilst wandering about the regional museum today. It is the local indiginous word meaning peace and tranquility. I can see what they mean. With constant sunshine, great beach around the corner, the ocean sweeping in, surfing, paragliding it will be difficult to leave, but leave I must. I have visited so far 11 of the 12 regions of Chile, and have one to go before crossing the border with Peru. In the museum I also saw a small shark with two heads in a bottle of formaldehyde and pictures of folks who lived in the town during its heyday of nitrate mining. There was no door musuem, which was a blessing but in some of the photos of the folks, doors were clearly visible. But it turned ... read more

Question: how do you get from 2800 meters above sea level to sea level in a large bus? Answer: very very slowly The journey to Iquique was a negotiation of the Andes and its valleys. Long a steep 'S' and 'U' bends. Outside the bus window nothing but dust and a railway track following the line of the road. Away in the distance mines producing valuable nitrates, bought down to the railway sidings and transported to the coastal port town of Tocopilla. Once at Santa Lucia the bus follows the coast. The sun actually sets this time making a fantastic journey along the coast. This time I am sat on the correct side of the bus. The colours of the sky as the sun disappears meant I just stared out of the window watching it turn ... read more