Wow. Supposedly Demi Moore lives here.

Trip Start Aug 31, 2008
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Trip End Feb 02, 2009


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Where I stayed
Casa Nora
(San Pedro de Atacama hotels)

Flag of Chile  ,
Thursday, October 9, 2008

Let me preface this entry by saying that we never planned on being here. Mind you, that could be said for 50% of our destinations thus far, but we´ve been making the best of it and sucessfully finding something to appreciate about each city. In Arica, we got to go see the silly iron cathedral designed by Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), gasp at Chilean street food (a typical dish is lomo al pobre/poor man´s steak, a dish with steak, french fries, eggs, cheese, mayonnaise, and fried onions all served up in one mucky mess on a plate. oh and hot dogs. EVERYTHING in Chile has hot dogs), and scratch our heads about the octogenarian residents of our hostel that had honest to goodness monks, like friar tuck monks coming to visit them every day. People are serious about their Catholicism around here.
In San Pedro de Atacama, near both the border of Bolivia and Argentina, there is sadly not so much to appreciate. This place is a tourist trap in the most classic sense, an oasis (their terminology, not mine) in the middle of the driest desert in the world (rainfall occurs every millenia or so), with only 2 buses outta here per week, western prices for everything, menus in english, and disgruntled locals everywhere remembering how it was 20 years ago when they could go about their daily business without all these bucket hats and hiking boots everywhere. I get the sense that, similar to Myrtle Beach, kids from all over the region migrate here for seasonal employment. I´m not a fan of this place, and I would counsel any traveller who is considering stopping here to find another border crossing or schedule their bus tickets quite carefully (we´re stuck here for two days). Supposedly Demi Moore and Cameron Diaz have houses down here. I believe it, tourists down here are WEALTHY. I feel like bugs bunny taking a wrong turn in Albequerque and ending up in Aspen or Palm Springs. It´ll be over soon.
Until then, enjoy our pics from Antofagasta, a college town on the Pacific that was decidedly sleazy (hotels have half hour rates advertised), but a lot of fun to walk around in. Unfortunately, Barney is still on the loose down here. Between him and the wild packs of family dogs, I´m seriously in need of animal control. Here the pics: Barney´s voice is so much more annoying in spanish
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