iquique

Before I even knew I was going to volunteer in Temuco, I knew I wanted to spend some time on Chile's northern coast. I didn't realize how far it was from Temuco or Santiago or even San Pedro de Atacama for that matter (which is why Mike and I didn't make it there in December). But I couldn't bear to leave Chile without going there so I booked a plane ticket to Iquique to spend my last week in the country, and here I am!

Iquique is unlike any town I've ever been to. It's like a cross between the wild west and the Caribbean. The British influence during the nitrate era (about a hundred years ago) left its mark in the architecture which then got painted in a Miami beach palette. The city sits on a narrow strip of flat land between the ocean and tall, desolate dunes. When I look up any street towards the brown dunes I feel like I'm in a sci-fi movie set from the early days of cinema.

The sun shines pretty much every day of the year here. People seem happy. There is a visible Peruvian influence in the food (I had ceviche last night) as well as many sushi restaurants. Cars give pedestrians priority at intersections. I've been staying at a hostel that has a surfer vibe about it, with various locals hanging out in the courtyard all the time. One guy plays the didgeridoo at least a few minutes each day.

It's been a great week because I haven't had to do anything or be anywhere except here. Except for the day I ventured out to see the nitrate ghost town of Humberstone, I've spent my days around the town center, by the beach, eating some of the best meals I've had in my entire time in Chile, seeing odd archaeological artifacts (mummies with clay masks), and trying to finish an Isabel Allende novel in Spanish.