Ayelen Apart Hotel Calama
Sotomayor 2.397 Calama, Chile
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Day 61 – World’s largest copper mine
... we had arrived here in and there were plenty of seats left. Thankfully, this is still low season here.
We’re soon on our way to visit the world’s largest open-pit copper mine. Our first stop was to the town site that housed the 25,000 workers and their families. It has since been closed down due to its proximity to the dusty mines and pollutants in the air, which left us walking through a ghost town. Flanking the west ...
Day 58 – Haunted Calama
... flat bun with heaps of mayonnaise and avocado spread.
Back at the hotel room, we tried to draw out a new action plan with our new information. I didn’t quite feel ready to leave yet and start our regular tourist pace, but all the buses seemed to be full the next few days. That is, except the buses that flowed against the path of tourists from Santiago. We spent the night looking at new options.
Hope all is well!
Love,
Gary and ...
Day 56 –San Pedro, we have a problem
... never had colder hands while eating pancakes in my life. I managed two whole pancakes before it was time to leave.
Soon, we were driving past Laguna Blanca and over to Laguna Verde, literally translated to Green Lake. The natural arsenic in this lake doesn't allow for any life in this lake and left it with a beautiful green tinge to it. According to our guide it becomes even more intensely coloured on windy days.
We are told that the mountains we ...
Chilean Miners
... Santiago's 'Cafe con Piernas', but instead serving 'Beer with Legs'. Jimmy & I decided to check one of these places out and popped into a bar just down the street from our hotel, but ended up not having a drink because the women were absolutely dog rough. These are supposed to be places for the miners to relax after a tough shift but it was the barmaids themselves who looked like they'd spent all day down the ...
Monster Trucks and Hard Hats
... a monster truck went by (which oddly drive on the left as the driver’s cab position means they can’t see much if they drive the way South American’s normally do). We were told that the mine operates 24 hours a day and has another 50 years of copper left, although most of the current mining is underground. All in all a fascinating trip and good intro to the importance of mining in this part of ...



