Chañaral

Saturday 9th October

On the bus on the Pan Am highway going north. Good views of the Ocean with poor hamlets. Once up in the highlands and away from the coast it is sunny and warm and semi desert. Sparse clumps of vegetation and past Vallenar and we are almost in desert with just the odd scrub. Ianne says we are extremely smelly. Nice shower will take place with ensuite capabilities. Arrived Chañaral an hour late, trip time 9 hours. As per standard got ripped off by the taxi driver with a CLP1500 fare for 800 metres.

Went out for dinner to a little restaurant and the only two occupants were a father and son from Denmark. The owner had been in Norway so spoke some Norwegian and some English. Restaurant bill for two lomos (beef) 2 beers and a tea was expensive at CLP16500.

Sunday 10th October

4 weekends away from Tavizna. Woke up and had a nice shower..no more smelling bad. Went for breakfast but didn´t realise that 1. We had not booked for breakfast and 2. The clocks had gone forward in the night...No problem..bring on the breakfast.

Weather cloudy and a strong breeze. Chilean flags everywhere. I am not sure what it represents..National Pride? Insecurity? Perhaps readers of this blog could provide enlightenment? Took a walk down the sea. Fantastic white beach but heavily polluted. This is our first "mining and desert" town with a huge backdrop of mountains. Also just found out that tomorrow is a National Holiday in Chile. Tele says that miners come up on Wednesday.

Sitting in a cafe we have been found by a "tourist guide" who is going to take us to the Pan de Azucar, 28kms north. Drive up to the path to the mirador,  walk up the path 3 kms then fantastic view over sea. Then walk along the cliff top 7 kms to the fishing vllage where we could get a boat to Pan de Azucar Island then get a nice dinner before he picked us up at 19.30.

The walk up was fine and the view very very nice. Met a Parque guide who said it was forbidden to walk along the path top and she knew the "tourist guide" in person and would talk to him. We started to walk back to the village 7kms and got a lift with a young Chilean couple. Got to the village. No boats to the island and all of the restauants were closed. Waited 90 minutes for "tourist guide" who said it was not his fault that there were no boats or that the restaurants were closed. He could not comment about there being no path back to the village. We negotiated a discount for the trip. I plan to report him to CONAF, the Government  agency, and the town hall and the taxi association. We have his name and car number. That sort of sh** gives Chile a bad name. He wanted all of his money "up front". We said old, yes, stupid , no..you get your money back at the hostel. That was a smart move.

Apparently the last time it rained in Chañaral (this March) it was the first rain in 4 years. All roads etc washed away and schools closed for 3/4 days.  Chañaral could be a beach resort like La Serena if they could clear the sulphate de cobre pollution as the bay is large and the beach wide. As it is, mining and derivatives are the only bread winners.

Next San Pedro de Atacama...