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Published: July 23rd 2009
We had taken the decision that hostels were far too expensive, CHile is by no means a backpackres haven and ´Sunny days´hostel may have given us cake on arrival but it was not within budget. Good old çlonely planet had told us there was a campsite near by so we set off to find it, deciding a collectivo was better as no one seemed ot have heard of it. polystyrene body boards in tow we clambered in. And then drove. 3 beachs we drove past. on one side of us was the sea, on the other a sprawling city and sand dunes, and then the city sort of petered out and there was only the odd tin shack, some open top with bedframes and scrap metal all about.
We finally drove up a sidelane where there was a bttered signpost for Sunaki campsiteamd evem the taxi driver looked dubious. The campsite did exsist and was of backyard of a Chilan hill bily family.
Welcome ot Sunaki campsite. Located just a short 2 and a half hour walk outside of Arica town centre it is the perfect place for the budget backpacker to set up camp. You´'ll pass all
3 of Arica´s recomended surfing beaches on your jouney to the campsite, sea to the left of you dessert to your right, so make sure you appreciate the delights of teh surf you may not sample due to the mission of the return journey. That said hitching is perfectly safe and teh caribaneros ('police) will be wiling to drop you to your door and even turn on the flashing light should it be dark and you´re found wandering down an ill lit dessert road.
Camp Sunaki is in close proxemity to local wildlife, vultures regularly perch on the solitary lampost and you´ll be sharing living quarters with the family´s nine dogs. PLEASE DO NOT FEED TEH ANIMALs (they will help themselves - bread rolls preferred). Make sure you make the acquaintence of Jaws (a mongrel terrier with not so much as a dental problem but a dislocated jaw) and Sal (a poor incontinent hound with a tail resembling a chewed corn on the cob and a flee bitten arse which is presumeabley tastier than it looks).
In Winter you will be guaranteed a campign spàce and complete privacy. (There iss unlikely to be other campers) and the family
may even let you pitch up in the barn. Ideal if your spanish is poor and you have purchased a windbreak instead of a tent - there´s plenty of tarpualin about to try and rectify this mistake - amazing what you can do with a safety pin).
Plenty of amenities at teh campsite ot keep you entertained if you don´t fancy the hike into town (you can play football on any bit of barren wasteland afterall) we would recomend you don´t use the swimming pool . . . Locals choose not to drink the tap water due to a high chemical concentrate, however after a few hours in the fridge, the inital bubbles and occaisional steam will clear. Possibly the mould anaethnatises it. To accompany your beverage you should be able to rustle up a wotsit, mustard and cheese dish followed by bananas and frac biscuits for pudding. Fire mya prove difficult to make and your only implement is the fork you purchased with the windbreak.
3000 a night - right on the beach with a very strog undercurrent making swimming difficult. Despite being the city of eternal springtime sun is not gauranteed as it will have to
wade through the rolling clouds and sea mist that encompass this dessert town each morning. After 3 days and near starving after the dog stole the bread we decided to pack up the windbreak and move on. Chow x
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