Part 31 Chile - Snow Covered Volcanoes, Birds, Birds and more Birds, Seal Colony Camp, Bolivia’s Original Pacific sea port
Monday, 25 August 2014 8:36 am
Monday 25th August.
Our border crossing from Peru was easy and the officials helpful. Quarantine did take our remaining fruit, vegetables and honey but we were prepared for that.
Its 2091Kms to Santiago and we have a few days up our sleeve so we decided to take a mountain loop.
As we leave Arica, following refuel and resupply, the Lluta valley mountains are dotted with Geoglyphs dating back around 2,000years.
Camp 410: Mountain Desert Camp
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 2119 m
S 18* 28.060 W 069* 49.033
Today: 234 kms
Trip Total: 123,160 Km
Tuesday 26th August.
We side track into the small villages, this one Socoroma is at 3,200metres and specialises in growing oregano on the rocky terraced hills.
Around 4000metres the mountains are now starting to have vegetation and we start to see Vicuña again.
At 4,500 metres we reach the Altiplano and Parque National Lauca with twin Volcan Parinacota and Pomerape sharing the Chile/Bolivia border.
Just over the rise is Lago Chungara, one of the worlds highest lakes. It was formed when Volcan Parinacota spewed lava across the valley blocking a snow melt stream. The lake abounds with bird life.
This is as far as we will go, returning tomorrow via a much lesser dirt road
through smaller villages back to the coast.
Camp 411: Lake Chungara
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 4573 metres
S 18* 14.174 W 069* 10.936
Today: 132 kms
Trip Total: 123,292 Km
Wednesday 27th August.
Now that we are down another 1000metres we feel much better.
The lesser road twists and turns as it descends.
It’s not even a great drive and the 280kms seems to take us until mid afternoon.
Camp is right on the beach and for the remaining afternoon we watched the seals play in the surf.
Camp 413:
Seal Camp-Caleta Camarones
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 4 metres
S 19* 11.694 W 070* 16.062
Today: 283 kms
Trip Total: 123,575 Km
Thursday 28th August.
The replica of the steamship Esmeralda that was sunk during the War of the Pacific (1860’s) is the towns newest attraction.
Camp 414: Playa Blanca just south of Iquique
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 17 metres
S 20* 20.274 W 070* 09.165
Today: 240 kms
Trip Total: 123,815 Km
Friday 29th August.
A great road follows the coast, desert to the left and ocean to the right.
We see a huge 3km long black mass on the water and stop for a closer look.
Birds Birds Birds - millions of them....
The fishing must be great ??
Many rocks are covered with guano and we spot the occasional seal.
John and Elizabeth gave us the details of a seal colony camp site which we found.
The water is alive with seals, crabs and mussels, I would also think fish as the birds and seals were also having a good feed.
Camp 415: Seal Colony Camp
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 2 metres
S 21* 27.047 W 070* 03.680
Today: 150 kms
Trip Total: 123,965 Km
Saturday 30th Aug
The main export was silver from the Potosi mine.
In 1865 the town was destroyed by a major earthquake, it then recovered, however by the end of the Pacific War in 1904 the entire Pacific access was lost by Bolivia to Chile.
By 1907 the port had been replaced by Antofagasta.
The only major building standing is this impressive house just north at Gatico.
Unfortunately almost all the internal timbers have been ransacked.
We find our own idilic beach on a peninsula just out of Mejillones.
The afternoon is wasted watching the birds and seals feeding on fish
Camp 416: Playa Blanco
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 2 metres
S 23* 02.588 W 070* 29.946
Today: 261 kms
Trip Total: 124,226 Km
