Friday, 13th February Coquimbo, Chile 17 degrees

A quick turnaround this morning as we were heading out on Route 41 to Vicuña, the road to Argentina. It was a beautiful morning and we were up before sunrise. Aurora had already docked but all was very tranquil with fishing boats going out and gulls flying out in the bay.

Coquimbo (the name means ‘place of calm waters) and its neighbouring town of La Serena lie 30 degrees south of the Equator, on Route 5, the Pan American Highway.

Coming out of the Terminal building we were confronted with what looked like sailing ships but turned out to be old fishing vessels that had been turned into pirate ships for tourists! Remember our Sir Francis Drake was a pirate and he is thought to have passed this way.

We followed the road along the beach on our bus. The light sparkled on the water. Coquimbo and La Serena are beach holiday destinations for Chileans and there were a number of high rise apartments on the opposite side of the road to the beach, signs of further development in the future methinks! Apparently the population of Coquimbo and La Serena is 500,000 and this doubles in the summer due to the number of people coming into the area for their holidays.

Our first stop was a pseudo lighthouse that seems to form no useful purpose other than being a landmark and sightseeing destination!?! It is quite pretty and a good place to photograph that beach.

From the beach you could see the coastal range of mountains in the mist before we turned right onto Route 41 and into the Andes

La Serena marks the outer reaches of the Atacama Desert, which is thought to be the driest place on earth.

I have to comment here on something of a phenomena that I started noticing as we traveled along the beach road and then popped up on a number of occasions throughout the day. These were dog kennel like structures, positioned at ground level and were sometimes empty but more often adorned with flowers and various offerings. They were of course shrines. Why did I not immediately think of that when I saw dock kennel like structures? However, I hope I can be forgiven for thinking that they were a device for keeping canines cool in the heat rather than being used for more heavenly purposes.

To continue. Once we were on the Route 41 and had left the town behind, the Andes hedged us on both sides of the road. The bus wound through the mountains, effectively following the route of the Elqui River (apparently Elqui means ‘Skinny Boy’). Initially we passed through the fertile fields of the Elqui Valley, with all sorts of crops growing they grow oranges, papaya, olives and all sorts. The occasional farming village came into view. It seemed very Mediterranean!! Gradually more and more vines appeared. These vines are grown for both wine and to make the spirit Pisco.

Mountains reared up behind the valley

We eventually arrived at a dam which was very unexpected in what purports to be desert….. Apparently it was completed in 1999 and built to create a massive reservoir to make the most of any water they do get, for both irrigation and drinking water. The road wound upwards and we could see the lake that had been formed but to be honest it was not huge at all. I am glad they have a few wells too. It was small but absolutely beautiful.

Route 41 is often called the Route of the Stars because of the number of astronomical observatories along it. The atmospheric conditions in this part of the Andes are ideal for star gazing it seems. There is extremely low humidity and minimal light pollution overnight gives over 300 clear nights a year. Another ‘Who knew’ fact for me!

Our next stop was the Capel Pisco and wine Co-operative, which was very impressive. All the grape producers in the area are involved and share the proceeds, which is very jolly. It is all very professional and has vast vats to accommodate the various processes that make both the wine and Pisco.

We were amazed to find the Pedro Ximenez grape (our favourite sweet sherry variety) was amongst the mix of grapes grown in the valley.

It would have been rude not to join the Pisco Sour tasting. So we did! The debate continues as to whether Peru or Chile make the best Pisco Sour. I have to admit I always thought it came from Peru, a view best not mentioned here I guess. We made a few purchases of both Pisco and wine (in the interests of supporting the co-operative you understand!) so visitors to Gregory Towers beware for the next few months,,,,

We then reached Vicuña which has lovely little town, 600 metres above sea level. It has a very vibrant square with all manner of local artisans selling their wares in small booths all around it.

It has an interesting wooden municipal building and church – that particular colour way seems a favourite around here.

We had lunch at Haley’s (of the comet variety) Restaurant. Once again a Pisco sour was on offer and a very nice lunch. The promised salad with our steak was a bit conspicuous by its absence though. We then had time to stroll around the square and find the various indications of homage to Gabriela Mistral, the poet, diplomat, journalist and educator who came from these parts and won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1945. We are nothing if not thorough!

Sure enough – we found her!

It was then time to return to base as the ship was departing at 4.30. We returned along Route 41 again but on the other side of the road which gave me the opportunity to see close up the mountains and cacti growing there.

It certainly is pretty desert like and hot. There was the occasional pathway curving upwards and I could not but think of how exposed you would be walking there..

The dwellings we passed were mainly single storey and looked pretty basic and tended to cluster in areas where there was a bit of green which indicated there might have been water.

As we got nearer to La Serena there was more green on the hills and things looked less parched.

We were then back into ‘civilisation’ and got back on the ship, It was not long before we were leaving our berth and pulling out of the harbour,

As we sailed out we had a wonderful view of the big Millennium cross up on the hills above Coquimbo. Oh and Inca Terns, something that Keith has been wanting to see – and there they were in the harbour. It has been a great day.