What an interesting day that was. It all started off innocently enough, and luckily it's Saturday, so the traffic leaving Valparaiso was light, and all the way through Vina Del Mar. I was enjoying the hills mountains and all the fruit orchards, and then the first tunnel appeared. It was only wide enough for on vehicle, but it was controlled by traffic lights.
The first tunnel
The second tunnel was the same, but no traffic lights and no asphalt, and the road/asphalt had disappeared on the other side to, for about 40km. Where the hell did that come from?? So now the bikes filthy.
La Serena appears to be a lovely town, although I haven't seen much yet. There was some sort of fiesta going on in the centre today, but I've found a nice little apart hotel right down on the beachfront. I'll go exploring tomorrow.
I’m not one for seaside towns, but La Serena has been one of the exceptions. Long stretches of good beach, and an old town to make life a little more interesting. The mornings along this part of the coast in Chile tend to be overcast and a brisk onshore breeze, which keeps the temperature down. I’ve spent enough time in the sea to know when it’s going to be cold., that plus a lack of anyone in the water made sure that a swim was out of the question, but a good lunch with half a bottle of very good Cabernet Sauvignon, finished off a day of sightseeing.
Another cloudy morning the next day meant the ride up to Copiapo started cool, and it never really warmed up, but the scenery soon started to change as I left “district three” and entered the Atacama region. Heading north the last 100km gives you a taste of what is to come as you enter the desert.
Copiapo came to the world’s attention on the 5th August in 2010 when a collapse in the San Jose Copper/Gold mine trapped 33 men underground. The town is dominated by the mining industry. As you enter the town there are service industries for every type of heavy machinery you can imagine. That aside the money that comes with mining is here, along with the shops and restaurants, and I spent a very nice night in the Hotel La Casona.
I passed the road to the mine as I left the town the next day and continued north towards Antafagasto and into the desert. This day I was prepared for the temperature and had put a fleece on underneath my jacket, and put some warmer gloves on. You soon realise how big, and how dry the Atacama desert is. It’s the most desert like desert I’ve ever seen, if that makes any sense.
With one other major town between La Serena and Antafagasto it’s a day of the alternative scenery, and plenty of time to sort things out in your mind as you ride. Just before you reach your destination you come across the giant sculpture by the Chilean artist Mario Irrizabal known as “La mano del desierto” or The Hand of the Desert. From the road it looks as though some giant is starting to reach up out of the desert towards the sky.
I'm heading to San Pedro de Atacama next. Hopefully the wifi will last until there. After that it's Bolivia, and who knows what??
Copiapo came to the world’s attention on the 5th August in 2010 when a collapse in the San Jose Copper/Gold mine trapped 33 men underground. The town is dominated by the mining industry. As you enter the town there are service industries for every type of heavy machinery you can imagine. That aside the money that comes with mining is here, along with the shops and restaurants, and I spent a very nice night in the Hotel La Casona.
I passed the road to the mine as I left the town the next day and continued north towards Antafagasto and into the desert. This day I was prepared for the temperature and had put a fleece on underneath my jacket, and put some warmer gloves on. You soon realise how big, and how dry the Atacama desert is. It’s the most desert like desert I’ve ever seen, if that makes any sense.
With one other major town between La Serena and Antafagasto it’s a day of the alternative scenery, and plenty of time to sort things out in your mind as you ride. Just before you reach your destination you come across the giant sculpture by the Chilean artist Mario Irrizabal known as “La mano del desierto” or The Hand of the Desert. From the road it looks as though some giant is starting to reach up out of the desert towards the sky.
I'm heading to San Pedro de Atacama next. Hopefully the wifi will last until there. After that it's Bolivia, and who knows what??
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