From foggy La Serena to the driest desert in the world we spent Wednesday on the road.
It started with a dog walk and ended with a dog walk, with a few in between.
We free camped in a quarry off the PanAmerican Highway, had ramen for dinner and passed out. 10 hours on the road will do that to you.
We got to within 120 miles of Antofagasta where we seek a Bolivian visa at the consulate. We impose a visa on Bolivians so American tourists have to have a visa for Bolivia. Same story for Brazil.
The cold pacific marine inversion was heavy. It’s the same as the US west coast where cold ocean air rolls up against warmer inland air and produces low lying cloudiness.
And here we have the same rocky coast with Pacific rollers crashing in the rocky coastline.
Top quality pavement all the way allowing us to cruise at 60 miles an hour. Except on the hilly bits where I don’t push GANNET2.
The freeway looks very European in its signage
Tourist signs in brown and the classic European exit countdown showing 200 meters to the next exit.
Emergency phones with pull outs. All very reassuring.
Public art. It looks like kelp to me but I don’t know what it is. It’s memorable as I remember seeing it on our way south last November.
Truck stops and rest areas.
Many have free or low cost (75 cent) hot showers for men and women with an attendant to keep the showers clean. There is also an ambulance on stand by at many truck stops ready to respond to car accidents. Chile is very organized and I love it.
Heavy truck traffic up and down Highway 5, the PanAmerican.
The Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth.
Nicely landscaped gas stations, also with free showers, convenience stores and fast food restaurants. And the cleanest toilets you’ve seen at a gas station. Travel here is easy and civilized. It’s not what you think of when you think of Latin American chaos and color.
Lots of overnight parking and completely safe if you are worried. We prefer wild camping but you can stay here overnight no problems.
We are going to come back to this area if fascinating black volcanic rock next year, after the summer travel season ends and wild camping on the coast here.
The problem with Totoralillo is it’s on the road to other places but this area is riddled with tracks through the rocks with hundreds of places to park within hearing of the waves crashing on shore and it’s worth a stop. We will next year I keep promising myself.
And then the inland driest of the dry places.
Keeping Rusty hydrated he gets water every stop.
iOverlander led us to a quarry off Highway 5 overlooking the desert.
We arrived just before dark, snapped a couple of pictures while Rusty stretched his legs.
And we slept in the darkest night under the most brilliant stars with occasional trucks rumbling by in the highway below.
It was a long day. Antofagasta is next. And bureaucracy. Oh joy.
1 comment:
Very cool dunes/hills.
Post a Comment