Day 48
Friday, January 26, 2024
Arica, Chile
Chile - Known as the Land of Fire and Ice.
We sailed through the Chealian fjords all the way to driest dessert in the world.
Chile spans approximately 2,300 (4,300km) miles from north to south, encompassing an incredibly diverse range of climates and terrains.
Only in Chile can you go from Patagonia’s glaciers in the South to the driest desert in the north which hasn't had a drop of rain in 400 years.
Apparently it’s not easy to get to Chile. The border patrol is very strict and security checks can take a lot of time. We didn’t have this problem at all. We arrived at the cargo port and obviously it wasn’t a regular occurance because everyone was excited just as we were, taking pictures of our ship, and standing there in awe.
We arrived on the first day of a 3-day festival which is the third most important carnival in Latin America.
The “Carnaval Con la Fuerza del Sol” is celebrated every year and attracts more than 100,000 spectators. About 16 thousand dancers from countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil and Chile who have been preparing for a year for this event.
We were lucky to experience this wonderful fastivites.
We visited the Azapa Valley where you can see the oldest mummies ever found. We learned about the ancient Chinchorro culture.
7,000 years ago the Azapa Valley was the home to the Chinchorro people who used to practice mummification on all the members of their society.
We saw the mysterious animal figures etched onto the side of the hills - Geoglyphs.
The Azapa Valley is a fertile oasis found in the dry dessert full of olive orchards, mango groves, white corn fields and many more different fruit and vegetables fields. It’s amazing how self sustainable local people are over here in this remote area.
Returning to the ship was not easy. The festive spirit was contagious. We wanted to stay longer…
Fun fact: IN CHILE, YOU CAN FIND THE DRIEST PLACE ON EARTH, THE ATACAMA DESERT
