Today I travelled inland from the ocean city of Iquique through the desert to the oasis villages of Pica and Mantilla. En route we stopped at the defunct oficina Santa Laura, an old nitrate mining/processing site that looked like the movie set for the Mad Max/Road Warrior movies. Our guide advised that rainfall has never been recorded here. From there we visited the former Nitrate mining company town, Humberstone, that is now a well preserved ghost town in the middle of the desert. The swimming pool for the town was made from an old ship and is metal. We then stopped in the town of Pica, which is an oasis in the middle of the desert . It is famous for its mangoes, Pica lemons, and a great deal of other fruits and produce. The town and the agricultural production thrive because of underground springs. We visited the swimming area fed by the springs and went for a dip. I entered the caves off the pool and you could feel the water coming up through the sand. Long day and I am pretty beat. Starting to miss my kids and grandson...
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 02:05:55 +0000
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