Great Chilean "nowhere" Ursula Brankin, Germany June 27, 2010 I remember about a month ago, sitting in the kitchen in the town of Chakan. Suddenly I felt the earth start to tremble. Soon followed by another boost. Perhaps, living in South America, I had to get used to earthquakes, but no ... I'm slipping into the horror, the heart starts beating wildly, my knees weaken. For the first time the symptoms appeared during a fairly strong earthquake that we experienced in the city of Arica few months ago. It seems I never get used to it. Train in Humberstone few days we spent in the city of Putra, my boyfriend John loves adventure, so he expressed a desire to climb a nearby mountain called Taapaka, which reaches 5800 meters in height. The rise, he began immediately after dinner, he had planned to camp at an altitude of 5,300 meters. After he broke camp, the sun set and temperatures dropped to 20-25 degrees below zero. Despite the fact that it was underwear, and he slept in a thick sleeping bag, tent froze solid: water, camera, and even his eyelashes - all were in the ice and sleep had never happened. He rose at dawn, climbed to Taapaku, then crossed the ridge to a higher summit. The wind howled, and John, very pleased with their achievements, went down to camp and packed. To rise to 500 meters it took 4 hours to descend - no more than an hour, because most of the descent, he slid on gravel and sand. Well done, John! June 28, 2010 Today we return to Arica to relax and prepare to return to my beloved Peru. Yes, and I can not wait, code tasted juicy steak. For those who are going to Putra, I would like to announce that rented apartments there are no more expensive than in Arica, but due to the fact that here everything has to bring, fuel and food is expensive. And not just in restaurants but also in traditional stores. Range is much smaller, despite the fact that this small town is very interested in the fact that tourists come here, so if funds allow, buy everything on the site would be nice if you can help hardworking people of this small village. June 29, 2010 Back in Arica, we again settled into the Hotel Sunny Daisy. " I ran to the local market, bought meat for the steak, vegetables and my favorite Irish butter. Humberstone The next morning we decided to go in Humberstone, abandoned ghost town, which is said to live in a cast. The city is located 3 hours drive south of Arica. Buses in Iquique, the nearest inhabited town of Humberstone, depart every hour. We landed right in the city, just 45 minutes from Iquique. Landscapes are in fact empty, emptiness is spreading in all directions, nothing here is growing, and even the rain was not here for many years. Paying 2,000 pesos (U.S. $ 4), we have come to the territory of the city. It felt like we instantly returned to the middle of last century. Once it was a bustling city, saltpeter was mined here in the XIX century. People came here with their families, trying to find a job, and was founded this town in the middle of the desert. In 1879, the start of the Second Pacific War (War of 1879-1883 years between Chile, on the one hand, Bolivia and Peru on the other, approx. Perevi.), The main cause of which was a struggle for several deposits of saltpeter, including Humberston. While nitrate production was considered a very profitable business. It can be profitable to sell in the Americas and even Europe. Peak saltpeter boom came in the 30's and 40's of the last century. While it was highly prized as fertilizer, and farmers around the world to actively use it to increase the harvest. But in the 50 years a team of scientists found that ammonia, a substance is relatively inexpensive, can be the basis for the production of synthetic nitrate. As a result of the mine, such as Humberston, were not wanted. Discovery of artificial nitrate put an end to mining saltpeter, and in 1961 the mine was shut down, production has stopped, and residents of Humberston had to seek work elsewhere. They left the once-vibrant city, leaving him at the mercy of the elements. Today the city is partially returned to life thanks to the efforts of UNESCO, which has included it in the World Heritage List. On the streets of Humberstone again you can meet people. This is mainly curious tourists and noisy groups of schoolchildren who had come here on tour. Read more:
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