Arica, Chile 1/26/24
Arica Chile
Today we arrive at the “driest city in the world”, Arica, Chile. Annual rainfall here is .03” (.76 mm) thanks to the city’s proximity to the Altacama Desert. It’s believed that there are parts of this wilderness that have never received a drop of rain, as well as places that have no life, not even on a cellular level.
Luckily for us Arica is also called “The City of Eternal Spring”, the temperatures are always pleasant here, and the sea is supposed to be warm enough to swim in. It appears this will be a lovely stop.
Geographically we are in a spot called the Arica Bend, or Arica Elbow, where the strictly western coast of South America ends, and the continent begins to bend out towards the north and west. It’s also Chile’s northernmost seaport, only 11 mi (18 km) from the Peruvian border. The city was founded in 1541 on the site of a pre-Columbian settlement and was originally called Villa de San Marcos de Arica, sure glad they shortened that one. It was a major port during the time of Spanish colonial rule, being the primary export point during the 16th and 17th centuries for the largest silver mine in the Spanish Empire, along with other products from the interior.
The city had actually been seized from Peru in 1880 during the War of the Pacific. Don’t confuse this war with the WW2 War in the Pacific because they are two totally different things in totally different time periods. Condensed version starts with the fact that in 1879 the national borders in this part of the world were vastly different, with Peru reaching down past Arica, and Bolivia reaching all the way to the Pacific coast, having 250 mi (400 km) of shoreline. In the War of the Pacific, Chile went to war with a Bolivia/Peru alliance over taxes and the nitrate mines (including guano) in the Altacama. Chile quickly won the first naval battles, then the land battles, first seizing Arica and eventually occupying Lima by early 1881. It took until October of 1883 to sign a treaty and to end the guerrilla battles with the Peruvians, then finally brokering a truce with Bolivia in 1884. As a result of the war and various compromises, Chile received all of Bolivia’s coastline, making that nation landlocked, plus retained Peru’s territory around Arica. It wasn’t until 1929 that all the border issues were finally resolved.
One of the city’s highlights is the San Marcos de Arica Church, completed in 1876 to replace the previous cathedral that had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1868. Fun fact here, it was one of the first structures designed by none other than Gustav Eiffel and his company, eleven years before his more famous tower in Paris. The Ex-Aduana Old Custom House is another building in Arica that was designed by Eiffel, it’s now called the House of Culture and is a museum that displays art and photographs. One other building to visit in town is the Bolognesi House, a white and blue structure that eventually served as the headquarters for the Peruvian colonel who refused to surrender to the Chileans just before the final battle on Morro Hill and a house that is still owned by Peru. The landmark hill, El Morro, is the most easily recognizable feature of the city. At 427 ft (130 m) it has a walkway that starts at Colón Street that will take you to the top of this national monument. It was the site of the last Peruvian stronghold against the Chileans at the end of the War of the Pacific and the site of much bloodshed. You can learn more about the battle at the military museum, Museo Histórico de Armas, atop the hill, as well as see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the large Cristo de la Paz statue, plus get panoramic views.
7.5 miles (12 km) south of town are the Anzota Caves, spaces carved out by the ocean that were home to the ancient Chinchorro people, more about them in a moment. There are stairs carved into the rock to take you to the caves and it’s not a difficult climb. Closer to Arica is the Azapa Valley, in some spots an oasis where there are plenty of olive farms. Here you can see ancient geoglyphs on the hillsides, which are handmade features created by adding or removing stones to create a design, quite a few here look like llamas. Also in the valley is the Archeological Museum of San Miguel of Azapa where the highlights are four Chinchorro mummies, some of the world’s oldest. The Chinchorro people lived in the extremes of the coastal desert from 5450 BC to 890 BC and were the first people to mummify their dead. Move over Egyptians! In the museum you can learn about 10,000 years of human development as you peruse the 20,000 archaeological pieces that include, among other things, jewelry, weapons and tools.
We had no tours booked today which was a very good decision as the La Fuerza del Sol carnival was so happening. Considered the happiest festival in Chile, the carnival stands out for the participation of troupes that cross cultural and geographic borders. Peruvians, Bolivians, Chileans, Aymara, Afro descendants, among others, come together to play a lead role in one of the most significant events in all of South America. Over 60 troupes, comprising of 20 thousand dancers converge to create an atmosphere of pure joy that extends over 3 days of continuous celebration. You could not help but get caught up in the excitement and watch the joy on the faces of the audience and the dancers. Their costumes are designed in early spring and then get made from May on. They are beautiful to see, and the handwork is incredible. We watched for a while, tried to visit the museum but it was closed that day for the festival. It was designed by Gustav Eiffel, which of course you would recognize the name from his famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. Street art continues to play a big part in making this a colorful town. El Morro sits proudly and high - was a main defense in the War of the Pacific. Had a lovely lunch, but alas, no alcohol for us as we are heading to Machu Picchu and want to be ready for the high elevation we will be heading into, so hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!! The carnival dancers performed all over town, so you were assured of seeing all regardless of your location. Hope you enjoy the pictures, not as good as being there though.
Street art
El Morro
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