At least that’s what the name means, according to Wikipedia.
From Valparaiso, we bus back to Santiago and fly 1,800 kilometres up the arid coast of Chile to Iquique.
We pick up our rental car and drive the 40 kilometers or so along the coast into town.
Iquique occupies a narrow strip of land between the desert and the sea. Our accommodation is an Airbnb located on the 23rd floor of an apartment building facing the Pacific.
Our first excursion here is to the fascination ghost town of Humberstone. Saltpeter was mined here from 1872 to 1960.
In the developed world, people would not be allowed to roam at will among tons of jagged rusty metal and collapsing buildings, thus reducing the fun factor of visiting a ghost town.
We have a thing about ghost towns . We last visited one in Namibia. Later, we saw it used as a location for the popular post-apocalyptic TV series Fallout.
The next day, we remain around town. First stop is the Esmeralda Museum. This is a full-size replica of the ship Esmeralda, sunk in an engagement during the War of the Pacific.
Iquique has a pleasant square and walking street.
The fish market is always a big draw. We enjoy a lunch of fresh grilled tuna steaks.
A pack of sea lions huddle at the base of the market, waiting to feast on dumped-out buckets of fish entrails.
They’re huge.
Our rental car, which we eventually drive for 1,500 KMs, is surprisingly roomy for 4 people and their luggage.
There’s something soothing about driving in a desert, especially if the road is good and the traffic is sparse.
Our goal is to see the Atacama Giant. It’s the most famous of the many geoglyphs in the area.
Pete searches for a t-shirt with this iconic figure on it. We don’t find one. Pete hopes to be able to order a t-shirt with the Giant printed on as a special graphic.
Here’s a graphic you can use. Merry Christmas, Pete!
It takes us an hour or so to walk around the Cerro Unitas.
We pass a ziggurat-like mountain. A bit of research reveals that it’s a recently-abandoned BHP copper mine.
After driving through empty desert on Ruta A-65 for an hour or so, we come to the remote village of Mamiña. It has a hot spring in the middle of town.
It has a pleasant little square to wander in.
On the return to Iquique, the last few kilometres are steep. Looming over the city is a gigantic sand dune.
Sight or Insight of the Day
We enjoy beautiful Pacific Ocean sunsets from our balcony.
One morning, we are enjoying our coffee on the balcony when we see something in the sea far below.
About 30 metres offshore is a whale, diving and surfacing. It’s an orca!
It’s unusual to be 23 storeys high and watch a whale dive and surface. Luckily, we all have good binoculars.