Letter 14
San Pedro de Atacama 29.07.02
Chuqui - Calama 18.07 km
As usual I was awake several times for quite some time. I've strated
believing it has to do with the height. The tour around the biggest
open mine in the world started 8.30 a.m. at an address in town. I
asked my officer how long it would take me to walk there, I had
already made the deal that my bike could stay. If not the police could
look after it, who could? He wanted me to wait 'un rato'. I thought it
was because I was going to say hello to the successor who was expected
at 8.00 a.m., but I was going to be driven there. The police is
serviceminded here.
When I look at the damages from yesterday, I've got off with light
abrasions on the knees, two half sprained fingers, damaged nails and a
nonfunctioning rear pannier. The last is the worst.
During the visit in the mine we get at 2780 m. As it is with those
tours all the nonsense you hear is trivial, but the VISUAL IMPRESSIONS
are overwhelming.
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| A "minor" tranporter | Vehicels of different sizes |
After the visit there's a lady and some little girls with a
videocamera that want me to do something. At first I think I have to
videotape them together, but it's ME they're going to film.
She's the teacher and now the girls will have to show their english
and I'm the target. They ask questions as best they can and I answer
back in spanish, I'm not sure that was the purpose. When this
brilliant interview about my name, age etc. is over, I see an
opportunity to get a ride back, but they're not going there. God only
knows where they're then going? The yellow taxis only go to Calama, so
I walk the one and a half mile in the dusty heat.
I pack after a new concept. The new officer comes to talk, while I'm
packing. Want to know why people comes to visit Chile? I try to
explain some of my impressions for him, but he's not convinced.
I would like to add that I don't think I ever go to Chuqui again and
that I find his job in such a dusty town to be little to envy.
I roll all the way back to Calama, but with the brakes on a part of
the way. Calama is nothing to write about, but I find a bike shop and
the owner helps me to buy one second glue and get to parts together.
The opening/closing mechanism is too vulnerable for this. but by the
help of a wire I carry for such occasions I get the pannier back in
position. Tomorrow it will be tested. He has also talk to the german
who came from Bolivia, and went down south, but that his name should
be Jeff, he didn't know. He doesn't think it will be impossible to go
to Ollagüe by bike and goes through the route
for me in detail, but I have decided to go by this train. It should be
a experience of the less comfortable. It's a matter of a ulimited time
agreement to take passengers from Chile to Bolivia. This results ina
deficit, so they don't maintain the trains much. I'll probably have to
sit in my sleeping bag most of the way. It takes about 24 hours and
costs 7.000 without the bike. But I can bring it. Unfortunately they
are serious about the siesta here, and besides it's saturday but I
hope they open at 5.30 p.m. I need some informations and want to work
out a new stock of 'alimentos'.
28.07.02 Hostel Camino del Inca
Calama - San Pedro de Atacama 109.53 km
I set off at 8.15 a.m. The last quarter is used for trying out
different solutions for the luggage. This has been my best lodge in
Chile, when we forget about my luxuory trip in Los Molles. She asked
for 7.000. I such a situation I speak danish. The tone of the voice is
best utilized this way. Just for one night? Yes, now. But I'll return
from San Pedro. Well, 5.000 then. Top. There are two rooms here across
the yard. In the corridor is a sink so together with my little cooker
it's a whole kitchen. The TV er here too, so it can be watched from
both rooms when the doors are open. There are a lot of channels, so
they have a parabol. I find CNN and watch about a tragic accident in
Ukraine at an airplane show. Nice tile floor. Only one minor whole in
the wall and a disgusting curtain spoils the good feeling.
It's a rough start. Head wind and climbing. But as the bike-man said (about
Ollagüe) you have to leave early because all morning the wind comes
from the mountains. At the dumping ground an army of dogs come barking
towards me. They're having a bad fortune here. Last stop before death.
Later I see something moving in the road ahead, then it runs away. Up
with the binoculars. It's too far away. But the animal stands still.
Yes, the fox tail is clearly seen. It's this dessert fox I've seen
before.
The day has already improved and the wind is more from aside. As I
pass some mountains to my right, three cars are parked. Here's the
surface that hard and plane that even normal cars can go there. Behind
the mountain is another and on top I see what's going on. Paragliders.
The wind has lower already and our friend doesn't have a long glide.
Just down the foot of the mountain (200 m high I guess). He's been out
here early I hope. Now it's
almost up and at the same time I hear the explosions in Chuqui.
Distant roars. At night I took it to be thunder.
At 21 km I stop and watch the landscape. Flat plain around me. At the
east the high Andes throne in the mist. The shocking effect from the
other day is gone, but they're impressing as they lie there, growing
from the flat plain.
Maybe some lower ones in front, if so there're hidden in mist. At
north east more summits can be seen and at south east a distant giants
cone override the ridge I have to cross later in the day. To the west
are only some very low brown mountains, which cuts the area off from
the valleys behind. The giant must be Llacancabur. At the west I see a
lake there in front of the mountains in the horizon. Actually it's
like the horizon disappears for some distance and two smaller tops
seem to hang above the "water". Mirage, fata morgana.
It's 0.10 p.m. and I've come quite a distance, 43,5 km. The shoulder
that was missing at first reappeared suddenly after 10 km. I wondered,
but get the explanation later. After 35 km the workers have a depot,
where they also dig gravel to put on the soft asphalt, and from here
they work their way. And they work even on a sunday. A car stops a
little ahead and from the right side an arm holds a small bottle. I
get there and even I hint that I have beverages myself,
I receive gratefully this gesture. The wind has grown again but now
it's almost in my tail. and that makes the difference from 9-10 km/h
to 14-15 km/h. Just when it all gets a bit boring, my eye is catched
by something moving to the left, and really, a larger animal is
walking 50-75 m from the road. I succeed taking one picture, where it
certainly will just be a dot, but through the binoculars it looks
great. All alone. I thought them to move in groups or families, but
what specie is it? Lama, guanaco or vicuña? Not the first one, but I
believe there's a picture of one in my book on Bolivia. (Now I know
it's a vicuña, there's a picture on the screen I'm sitting at, and I
havee asked!).
I feel I'm just holding my pace but all of a sudden my breathing have
entered a dragging rytmn. It has started inclining towards the ridge I
have to pass, but THAT much? But a glance at the altimeter tells it
all: 2875 m. I slow down, I have to be ready for the afternoon too.
From 13 km/h to 10 km/h. It's a hard distance I'm climbing. The ridge
I have to cross have for some time been hidden behind the gradient on
which I am, but here it comes again, so the road is flattening? -
hurra!
I'm puzzled by a tree at the road, there have been these dry tauts,
but a tree? A sign tells the story: 'Dame agua, por favor!' And
someone has to stop. Where is my extra supply? I won't pass without
donating some. Clouds cover the sun from time to time, and a blessed
wind pushes my back, and even then it's hard. 3205 m at the meter. It
hasn't been adjusted since Baquedano. For long I've seen the white
line on the ridge ahead, and I decide that that's where I'll eat my
lunch at 2.00 p.m.
In a way it doesn't matter where or when I eat lunch but doing this
hard work I need something to look forward to not to break down. Now I
realize I won't make it, but never mind, it's not far. 2.20 p.m. I'm
at the barrier. Time for fluid, rest and wellness.
Recently I saw something white over to the left. After having watched
for some time I'm in no doubt: snow.Almost a month ago I heard, in Los
Molles I think, that snow had fallen in San Pedro, and here after all
this time, the slope still hides it from the sun. But it also tells
about temperatures up here in the pass.
To get moving again after every little break is an experience.
Especially this time. Encouraged by food and water I start out quick,
just to feel after 20 m, how something expected to run down my legs,
doesn't. It's like they cruble away beneath me and the speed have to
be lowered to the slowest possible 5-6 km/h. On top the road has been
cut through the ridge for the last 10 m and just here lands a big bird
in front of me at a distance of 50 m. Unfortunately a car comes from
behind in that moment, but in the flight I can see it's white
underneath the wings but the rest is black. I think it belongs to the
jote-family, there are probably more species.
After the ridge the landscape flatten and the meter stops at 3410 m.
In a bus shelter, the only one in these 100 km, I sit for a while
protected from the howling wind, which has pushed me gently lately.
It's pretty flat for quite a distance - surprising, I just thought I
was going down. But after some time it comes, the descent. And once
again I'm surprised. In my imagination it would be from 3000 to 2600
m, but I ended up in 3410 m and when I look in the map, I have to go
down to 2200 m. A difference of 1200 m!
So, down it goes! The road is not perfect, so I stay at 50 km/h. Stop
to get my HH jacket on. And down, down, down it goes. And even now I
think of how on earth I ever will go UP this way. When the descent
ends and the legs have to get moving, it's as if they refuse, and the
road inclines, it's not much, but with legs like these! I thought I
was just going down to San Pedro, but no. After some pieces of
chocolate, it helps and I crawl across a gradient. It's the area
called Valle de la Luna, The moon valley, and here are some
interessting formations even it's not the valley itself I'm going. But
then it comes! When I in the end gets to the top, I go down again in a
swirling speed, and first comes some interesting formations to the
right, but a moment later the most fascinating landscape I've ever
seen. Ravines have cut out this landscape. It has the color of red
bricks. It has been eroded to the most fantastic jags and spikes. A
long row of jags to the right reminds me of the back of a
overdimensioned comb lizard. This is worth all the hard work. I brake
through this area and reach eventually San Pedro de Atacama! Another
goal. It's around 5.30 p.m.
Another surprise: the asphalt road ends outside of town. Here they
don't use asphalt. Very rustic. Reminds me of towns in the East: India
and Nepal. It looks like mud built houses which it maybe is. The town
is not big. It's a tourist trap and a flipper town. Behind the
mudbuilt houses walls are modern installations at modern prices and a
bit. Lots of lodges, but all complete the first 4 of them. The first I
passed, but which I thought was too shabby, shows to be with private
shower at a price of 12.000 And later I find one at 18.000.
The glued pannier is ruined again so now it touches the rear wheel.
Suddenly I'm standing at 'Sernatur' the state tourist office which by
a miracle is opening this sunday evening at 6 p.m. She can't help much.
There are a couple of lodges with prices I'm willing to pay, but when
they're full it doesn't help. In the end I reach a spot with the word
Camping too, so now I've for the first time put up my tent in darkness.
Here are only youngsters. 2000 for a night. My next problem is: what
can be bought in this town? But they have internet connection.