1-19 Arica, Chile

1-19 Day 14 Arica, Chile

Arica is the northern most town in Chile. It once belonged to Bolivia, then Peru, but in the War of the Pacific, it became part of Chile. It's original importance was due to the silver mine fields in nearby Potosi, Bolivia. The riches from the mine were sent down to the port city of Arica by mule or horseback, thus Arica was Bolivia's main link to the sea.

There is some interesting history in this small town that borders the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth. We decided to explore this area with some other people from the ship rather than on a Holland America excursion. So, we were a group of 13 in a mini van with a driver and guide. The ship's similar 4 hour tour cost $154 per person. Ours cost $15 per person!

Our first stop was to see the caves where the ancient Chinchorro tribes lived. We drove along the Pacific coastline seeing the major fish company that catches and sells anchovies. Also, we saw the beaches where families can camp with their tents during the summer months. When we arrived at the caves, we took about a 20-30 minute walk. It was very rocky and similar to the Oregon coast. We saw the openings to the various caves (higher up on the rocky hillside) but were not allowed to go into them because it was too dangerous without the proper shoes, etc. Plus, there are no remains or wall wrtiings left inside. As we approached the area, we saw one mountainside that appeared to be covered in snow. Obviously not – it was bat guano (poop) So, on one side we had the smell of fish from the bay and on the other stinky bat poop! In its own primitive way, it was quite stunning.

Next we came back near the town and went up to the huge rock that sits above the town which was the site where the military put the cannons to protect the port. It is called El Morro de Arica. From that vantage point, you could see all across the bay area and the whole town. Besides the cannons, they had a statue of Jesus with his arms spread wide apart – it was to symbolize the peace that was sought between Peru and Chile after the war.

From there we went about 12 miles out of town to Pampa Chaca where the sculptor Diaz Fleming created the Presencias Tutelares sculptures. On the hilltop where big, sturdy, modern sculpture pieces strewn across the landscape. One represented the sun, another the half moon, a man and woman and the earth (not completed because the earth isn't complete) These statues, which were just recently completed in 1997 and pay homage to the Andean people who crossed the mountians and desert to get to the coast to create a lasting culture in Chile. When we arrived young students played music while others danced in native costume.

The ride to and from this site was through dry, desert sand. There were some farming communities along one part of the road that depended upon the river for their livelihood. But the river was dry at this time of year, so it would be another two weeks before they could count on the river. The desert just seemed to go on and on.

Next on the tour was the Azapa Valley to visit the San Miguel Archaeological Museum. This smaller museum was a surprise in how well it was done. We saw the collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and mummies dating back to 5000 BC – the oldest mummies in the world. It was amazing to see how they mummified these bodies back then and how well preserved they were as a result. There was a man, woman and baby – couldn't believe how small they all were.

After that we drove by this big hill that looked like a big sombrero (Mexican hat) to see the geoglyphs on them. These are drawings made on the hill slopes either by piling up stones or scratching the surface of the hillside. They mainly depicted animals of the time (llamas) The most amazing thing is that they were meant to be viewed from the sky.

While the morning started off rather comfortably cool, after all the desert experience, we were all getting pretty hot and tired. So, we were glad the tour ended back in the town at the main square near the ship. The last thing we all wanted to see was the San Marcos church. The interesting thing about this church was that it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of the Eiffel tower in Paris). It was built mainly from iron in Paris and then moved to Arica.

There were lots of little tent markets on the square outside the church on the square that were selling souvenirs mainly. We strolled through them as well as other markets off the main drag that were really for the locals. They have a pedestrian mall (street) that made it easy to walk up and down the shops. I wanted to buy diet coke for the room so I don't have to pay the outrageous prices on the ship, so we found a local grocery store. It was really interesting. They didn't have little coke cans or bottles, but rather just the liter size. So, Doug was kind enough to carry two big bottles back in his backpack! [Aside: I bought a soda card on the ship, but that only qualifies me to have a glass of fountain coke each time, not a whole can. I think it is really, really cheesy.]

Back on board, we had a quick lunch and then downloaded our e-mails, etc. I enjoyed some of my new diet coke in our room as I started responding to e-mails and began this entry. After dinner, we went to the show. I guess Ted has spoiled us with his showmanship and ability. This guy was a juggler, but on the whole, Ted could easily match him. The juggling for the most part was elementary and his routine needed some work! Ted, there is a place for your talent on this cruise ship!

While I realize this is another long, detailed entry, and it could be boring for anyone reading it, but it will help me to remember what we saw here in Arica today and help me label the pictures we took.

Looking forward to another sea day tomorrow.