#nortechico

Pan de Azucar

We drive along the coast through a spectacular desert landscape. Hills and mountains with various colored rocks around us, and close to no people at all. Since officially all national parks were closed yesterday we freak out at every car in the distance, fearing it may be a ranger telling us to go home and fuck off. 

From the alleged 20 cactus species, we spot only 4. One looks like single boobs growing from the floor with the nipple staring right at you. Another is a dry bush with some very green algae things on top. The tallest are big as trees and even have “bones” to give them structure, but many are dried out corpses that have collapsed into themselves. Most of the walk is not too exciting, but the final viewpoint is nothing short of spectacular: 3 long beaches, the pan de azucar island, hills, coast, crazy waves and the sun shining through some clouds to illuminate points on the water. 

When the sun comes up around noon, our little hired camping spot turns quite paradisical. The water becomes a deep blue and the inside of the crashing waves even green. Big flocks of birds pass by looking for the best territory of the day and hunt right in front of our eyes. Pelicans, Cormorans and sea gulls. They either swerve right above the water skillfully minimalist in dodging the big waves or they fly up and then dive down headfirst into the water slamming right in to catch the desired fish. We can see mountains of rock and sand to all sides including the namegiving sugarloaf (Pan de azucar) hill on an island right in front of us. There are 2 long beaches to our left, with thin white sand splendid for walking barefoot. The sea right in front is a good desktop background and sound system with 2-3 meter waves washing ashore and pulling back. Further along the beach the area is more sheltered and you can go into the rather cold water, without being dragged into your death at sea. Thanks to the season and Corona, there are hardly any people here. Arguably it’s a paradise really. 

Ghostride

Leaving the beautiful Elqui Valley, we drove back to the coast . Following the river along a strip of oasis-like green trapped by dry mountains. The entire space is used for agriculture: Vinyards for wines and Pisco along the entire strip. The images from the top look like fields from a plane. Some scattered houses and even the odd village in between. But all rather poor.  Strong winds today with people kite- and windsurfing at the final reservoir at incredible speed - they seem faster than us. I wonder if we are just driving around touring without doing anything. Maybe we should be running on the hills, climbing the mountains, surfing the water. What is it that makes an adventure? Does driving on asphalt, sitting on your bum and steering slightly left and right count? 

We leave the N5 and drive on west - there is nobody here, except a shabby car that seems like some budget narcos. beyond the N5 there is something that looks like a road zig-zagging up at a very steep incline, no tar. Who could drive up there? Is it really a road? Must be mining. 

But our road is similarly empty. Nothing there. until at one point there are some signs not to feed the animals. And suddenly I see one, a fox. and then another until there are 5. They are beautiful little beasts, with their pointy noses, tiny faces, and furry tails. These have definitely been fed - they are so accustomed to humans we can even get out of the car to take their picture.

Punta de Choros is an absolute ghost town. This Sunday Afternoon it’s like Igu took me there to die. All along the way there are signs “Selling 10 hectars, call me!” Some broken and shabby houses confirm the storyline. The few that are left are trying to get the fuck out of here. Odd this giant country with 16 million people and everybody lives in Santiago. Are there not enough natural resources in other places? Why is urbanisation such a megatrend? Why do people concentrate in one big city. And why is this hailed as progress? I remember when I was younger I wondered, why anyone would choose to live outside the capital. What is there? Then I reasoned something about real estate prices and people who don’t have all the money in the world would rather have a bigger house. Today I wonder why at all?