of chile and peru

Elaine and I returned recently from a trip to Arica, Chile. Our objective was to renew our visa and spend some time under the stars at Lauca National Park.

We booked a flight on Peru's own AeroCondor airline to Tacna, a town in a free-trade zone (whatever that means) and near the border with Chile. We then maneuvered our way to the bus terminal and booked seats on a mid-sized bus heading South to cross the border.

A month ago, Elaine and I were in Cuzco where we witnessed a throng protest LAN's presence in the Peruvian airline scene. The slogans went to the tune of: "Get out LAN! Support Peruvian Airlines!"

As stated, AeroCondor is a Peruvian airline. LAN, is a Chilean enterprise.

Perhaps the protester's message left an imprint in my sub-conscious and led me to support a Peruvian airline. Or perhaps the cheap airfare convinced me. AeroCondor offered a round trip to Tacna for $94.13 while LAN neared $120.

I can't say I regret that decision, but I will say that I hope not to fly AeroCondor again. On the way from Lima to Tacna and again from Tacna to Lima, we were delayed over 1 hour. This was something definitely worth taking in stride. Unfortunately, it is indicative of the consistent and frustrating delays and inconveniences found here.

But let me not dwell on that too much, I'm over it.

Arica is now part of Chile but was once part of Peru. It's a shame for Peru since they lost fine dessert beaches and access to some breathtaking Andean landscapes. Elaine and I spent a day at the beach before heading out by bus to Lauca. We eventually settled in the small town of Parinacota (population: 15) at circa 4,400 meters above sea level. Parinacota is the only town in the park and offers a breathtaking landscape in every direction. We met a Polish national who had bicycled from Buenos Aires to Parinacota. We saw the Milky Way like I've never seen it before.

We also got sick from the altitude. Our evening was fairly sleepless and cold. The next day we tried to venture out to visit the Lake Chungara, a lake at the base of the Parinacota volcanoes some 4,600 meters above sea level. The path was beautiful and we saw many birds, viscachas, alpaca, and llamas. We reached 4,600 but not the lake. The sun and the altitude got the best of us. I was ready to die.

Fortunately, we reached a road and after some time, hitched a ride back down to Parinacota where we picked up our bags. I convinced the family that picked us up to let us hitch our way down to Arica. On the way down we spoke of Pinochet, and other things.

After a long day of adventure, we finally arrived back in Arica, home of some fabulous pino empanadas (tiny bread pockets stuffed with beef and onions). We rested and took the next day at the beach, at sea level, with no alpacas in sight.