Sunday evening on the seaside in Iquique on the surf camp.
We left Iquique at 9 within the morning and arrived 2 hundred miles north at Arica by two within the afternoon.
We all know this street by now so the drive by way of the Atacama Desert was each acquainted and straightforward. Final evening we parked on the seaside.
A bit extra organized than the place we began the day on Monday.
However we had a very good final day in Iquique. We went into city at three o’clock and had a bang up early dinner…
…at Neptuno restaurant, a native custom which was advisable by a overlander good friend from Chile.
Clams lined in cheese sauce. I do know within the US fish and cheese don’t go however hereabouts they make this mixture on a regular basis.
I bought my second favourite fish as cod wasn’t on the menu and I had fried fish with Chilean salad- skinny sliced purple onions and tomatoes in a light-weight vinegar dressing.
Layne had a conventional Chilean dish which makes a cheese assertion referred to as pastel de jaiba which is shredded crab in a cheese sauce. It’s extremely wealthy so we ended up sharing it and placing half my meals in a to go field.
The tip of this memorable meal was a mango meringue cake, gentle and candy and crunchy. Layne compelled me to share…$60 with drinks and we had been glad and really content material. It looks like a privileged life.
Iquique is nobody’s thought of a vacationer city however Sunday night everybody was out and the waterfront seemed nice.
In fact the truth that everybody was out meant we couldn’t park on the waterfront as all spots had been taken.
The truth that in a single day parking on the waterfront isn’t an issue is fairly cool. Nobody places tenting gear out or abuses the privilege and we needed to be there.
Again on the surf camp we had been glad, Mark the campground is areas there and we stated hello and it felt good to see a pleasant face we knew. We went to mattress early and had been able to drive within the morning. Listed below are some images of the street north.
This enormous sand dune known as Dragon Mountain and there had been a plan to promote it to the Chinese language for its mineral wealth. Nevertheless the mayor killed the deal when the Chinese language mine operators needed to take away the minerals for processing in China providing no jobs in Iquique.
China is throughout South America. The US isn’t and it pains me.
I don’t thoughts driving the Atacama Desert. I by no means bought bored driving Iowa both, however I’m like that; give me a steering wheel and I’m glad.
Simply one thing I noticed:
Chilean Freeway 5, which is the PanAmerican Freeway.
We stopped for lunch at a spot we’d stopped at on the best way down, not fancy however for six bucks we bought an enormous bowl of rooster soup with every part in it.
Adopted by a garbanzo stew with egg and rice and sure we had leftovers for our to go field.
And so we bought to Arica the north most metropolis in Chile 12 miles from the Peruvian border.
First cease Walmart. You already know Chile is center class while you see a Ram 1500 choose up with a tent kitted out for tenting.
Within the desert we examined the rooftop air-con unit in 80 diploma sunshine and it wasn’t cooling correctly though it was blowing exhausting. We dropped in on an air-con store the place they’d by no means seen a self contained unit like mine. My coronary heart dropped.
Tommy bought a ladder out and up he went, discovered a cracked tube, soldered a brand new piece over it, charged the unit with coolant and we had been charged $45. Achieved in an hour and now he is aware of roof high air conditioners. Think about strolling into a store in a unusual city off the street and getting immediate service with plenty of smiles. Straightforward peasy.
In the meantime this dude got here by and began chatting. He’s an electronics engineer and labored on Spain and Silicon Valley and Brazil and has come again to Chile. He lives out of a suitcase and has thought of getting a van. We had an important dialog about life, engaged on the street, life in South America in comparison with the rigidity of labor life Up North. Pablo waved and promised to see us on the street.
We headed to the seaside. Up subsequent we’ve to get Rusty’s exit papers and hope Peru will give us at the least a few weeks to get to Brazil. Usually it’s important to keep out for 90 days earlier than you get one other 90 however we solely used 60 earlier than so we’re hoping they’ll give us 30. In the meantime Brazil had been informed doesn’t have entry necessities for canines in order that’s one much less vet go to we’ve to plan.
So right here we’re on the seaside, we arrived round 5 and as darkness fell extra folks got here out and frolicked strolling, in teams speaking, not dropping trash, not making noise.
We bought $3 smoothies, soursop for me and keenness fruit for Layne and walked Rusty.
Relaxed and civilized and completely nice. No prohibitions, simply behave and use frequent sense.
Wheelchair seaside entry included. I like Chile.
Pavement sweeper:
I really feel completely secure right here.