Getting to Chile was no easy task. A hurricane hit France the day of our departure, cancelling our original flight. Luckily, the airline moved us to the next available, an upgraded direct flight from Paris to Santiago. With 16 hours of fly-time, it is Air France’s longest direct flight! There was free Champagne and Camembert. But enough about the flight. These are my first impressions of Chile.
I was already in awe before stepping off the plane. The elderly Chilean couple next to me acted as my tour guides, pointing out landmarks as we approached Santiago. The mighty Aconcagua Mountain (the tallest of the Andes at nearly 7000m), Las Tórtolas Dam, and mysteries of the desert all greeted us before our flight landed in the capital.
And what a capital it is! My first glimpses of Santiago were of an immense, very green city encircled by impressive mountains. But this is to be explored later in the trip, as we rushed to our next plane.
Our adventure started in Antofagasta, a port city in the north of Chile, in the Atacama Desert. Once part of Bolivia, its prosperity is linked to copper mining. Our final destination was to be San Pedro de Atacama, some hours’ drive away. We quickly passed through and made a detour to one of my bucket list things to see: the Mano del Desierto.
Constructed by the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal, at an altitude of 1,100m above sea level, its exaggerated size emphasizes human vulnerability and helplessness (in particular, referencing the horrible events perpetrated by the Pinochet regime). It is truly moving to see in person.
The desert is like another planet. Straight roads go on forever, lined with sand and mountainous terrain. I’ve never seen so many trucks carrying combustible liquids. We passed many lonesome farmsteads and drove alongside a freight train with an unknown destination.
We ended the journey with a gorgeous desert sunset (I swear that the light hits different here) and Peruvian food. I’ve never had such a generous portion of ceviche!
Overall: amazed
