Caletas: Little fishing harbors

Besides the beaches along the entire northern coast of Chile, there are also tons of little caletas, which are little fishing harbors/communities right on the coast. It seemed like every couple kilometers there was another community of little shacks that people lived in and fished or collected seaweed or seafood. Some were bigger than others, but most didn't have more than one dirt road and they all had their own water tower tanks. Pretty sure there's no way they would withstand a tsunami, but at least they would have their boats!

 

Desert Coast

On my way to Antofagasta for the race, we drove along the coast. It's a 6 hour bus ride south to Antofagasta and there are literally beaches the whole way down. It's pretty amazing. I took way too many pictures of the same thing because I found it so fascinating! Maybe next time I'll get to stop at some...

Corrida Caja los Andes

There were a couple 10k's that I ran that were super huge because the woman and man that won got tickets to Columbia to represent Chile in the Bogota Half Marathon next year. There are about 8 races in Chile all put on by the same organization and the winners from all those races make the team that gets all expenses paid to go to Columbia. So naturally I wanted to win. Turns out, when it's a bigger race, more people show up. In the first race in Iquique I ended up getting second. So I tried again the following weekend in a different city and the same girl that won in Iquique was there. This time she tried to help me though since she already won her tickets. But this time I got third...a Peruvian showed up and flew right past me. So again I missed it by just one spot. Oh well...I guess Columbia just wasn't in the plans for me this time.

Iquique Regional Museums

Who thinks to go to a museum in the town they live in? My friend took me to check out the Iquique Regional museum downtown...which I have walked past a million times without realizing or paying attention to it. So we checked it out to see what was so great about Northern Chile. Turns out, there's some cool stuff about the native Andino people, some native wildlife, stuff about all the different salt mines that were once here, and tiny MUMMIES! The oldest and best preserved mummies in the world called the Chinchoro mummies...found on the beaches in Arica. And just think, I could have walked by that museum a million more times without ever knowing there were some sweet mummies inside...

 

Live music!

One of my favorite things to do is watch and listen to live music...it doesn't matter what it is or where. I've finally found some awesome places to go with friends and watch live music around Iquique...bars, plazas, casinos, the beach...now we're talking!

Pedro Piedra in the cultural center

Sol y Lluvia in the plaza

Some bands fun bands in a bar

Queen cover band in the casino :)

Oil painting update

Since I started my painting class, I've been advancing little by little on my painting. It's starting to actually resemble what it's supposed to now, but I still have a looong way to go. I'm pleased with the progress though.

El T. Agro

Finally I found the market that sells fresh vegetables and fruit!...along with meat, cheese, nuts, toilet paper, spices, dog food, etc. etc. But vegetables and fruit!! It's called the Terminal Agro...not to be confused with a bus terminal, and NOT the mercado in the center of Iquique. What a relief that there is actually a place I can go to get my food...even if it's not organic or locally grown, it's still healthy and delicious.