All that stood between us and Chile was a border post that we ended up sweeping through in less than two hours. Speaking Spanish and this being our second visit going south made it easier. In May we went north through here so we had some muscle memory to help as well.
I got Rusty done first by stopping at the Peruvian inbound checkpoint, above, where there is a tiny blue sign saying all pet (mascota) transit papers are processed here. What I knew was I needed a signature to exit Peru with Rusty and the security guard who saw me drive in from the wrong direction was none too happy. I walked with him till the agriculture guy reassured him and I was done in five minutes. On to enter Chile officially at the other combined entry post to the south. What a faff.
I knew where the unmarked agriculture trailer was and I walked Rusty over. The Chilean agriculture lady remembered me and we chatted as she entered Rusty. Her daughter is doing great at medical school in Bolivia and she is ready to take a vacation to visit southern Chile, especially after I waxed lyrical about it.
With Rusty safely back aboard GANNET2 with his entry stamp we joined the back end of a long line of bus passengers going to Chile for the weekend. It was tedious but we got it done. I had the problem of having an entry stamp in my old passport and the Peruvian immigration officer was stumped by the gringo with two blue booklets, one new and unused and the other cancelled but containing my May 16th entry stamp.
She got help from a colleague and dialed a friend and eventually I was stamped out of Peru in the old passport with a stern warning I could no longer use the cancelled book (no shit!) so now I can just present my brand new passport I received from the US Consul in Cusco. I did just that at the Chilean immigration counter and got my first entry stamp in my new passport. Then we kept going door to door, immigration into Chile who gave us 90 days and then at customs we got GANNET2 out of Peru and at the second customs window we got GANNET2 into Chile. All that took a while, us standing around and the clerks frantically typing and peering at our paperwork so there was an very long very impatient line behind us by the time our complicated paperwork for a US vehicle was completed. There was only one window so they had to wait for us to get it done and we could feel the impatience. Boy howdy.
Thus it was we once again left Peru behind us.
Then we drove through the vegetable inspection and this agricultural inspector barely cared, he took the apples onion and carrot with a pot of honey that Layne offered him and we were into Chile. I love this view toward the port city of Arica 12 miles away. A long straight smooth superhighway of perfect asphalt.
It was slightly odd knowing where we were going and what it would look like when we got there. Up first the supermarket.
Jumbo has easy access parking and the supermarket is huge. The parking lot is great for a 21 foot long, nine foot tall van and that helps make this an easy supermarket to visit.
The selection inside is amazing. They have my favorite German curry ketchup introduced to us by German overlanders last year, with all the stuff you think of in a vast warehouse market, including American products.
Chile is not an inexpensive country, regular gas is around $5:40 a gallon but it has everything.
At one thousand pesos to the dollar it’s easy to figure out prices too. We had a pizza before shopping and we got it at Domino’s in the shopping center and it hit the spot. It’s hungry work crossing borders.
The photo opportunity with Jumbito was supposed to be with kids but lacking any we had to manage by ourselves.
We’re both enjoying being at sea level with lots of ozone and oxygen and Layne’s cough is better. It’s also warmer at night which is nice for people who don’t like to be cold. I miss the campground in Arequipa and Herman the manager and I know Rusty misses the thick grass to lie in, but we are nomads do change is part of our lives.
Winter in Arica has a lot less traffic than summer and that was a pleasure. A 70 degree afternoon with a touch of a cool Pacific breeze from the south…lovely.
We drove ten miles south to a set of statues close to the PanAmerican Highway and there we parked.
A local artist created the statues called “Presencia Tutelares” the custodial presence or some such.
“The Tutelar Presence statuary in the desert combines culture, nature, and identity. Located in the Atacama Desert, these sculptures by Juan Díaz Fleming represent symbolic guardians of the territory and evoke the history and spirituality of the Andean peoples. Their imposing presence amidst the arid landscape creates a unique connection between art and the environment, making them a must-see cultural and tourist attraction. Furthermore, their significance transcends the visual, inviting reflection on the indigenous worldview and the relationship between humans and nature.”
Good enough for the night before we go south.
On the road.
