Oregano in the Altiplano

Writing this in a freezing (mucho frijo!) hotel room in Putre – 140 km up into the Andes from Arica. We stop here to get used to the height (it’s at 3500m) before heading further up into the altiplano.

It was a pleasant drive with Carlos, our macho driver and the Frenchies; Alain, Agnes and their pouting 12-year old daughter. Stopped at a museum where some pre-historic remains were displayed very elegantly (Chile’s museums are certainly very nice – like the Museum of Precolumbian History in Santiago). The highlight of the Azapa valley museum is the exhibit of the Chinchorro mummies – preserved from over 6000 years ago. The Chinchorros are the earliest known mummifiers; predating the Egyptians by a few thousand years.

Later in the afternoon, we also stopped at a charming village called Socorama (after a hair-raising drive down into a valley!). It might sound like a football-fest but it was a quaint village full of flowers and terraced gardens growing oregano – you can smell it in the air. Also had a 16^th century church with a wonderful flower garden. Then to Putre and this Antarctic room. Wandered around town in the evening and there seemed to be lots of Aymara women (hats and petticoats) with their kids – maybe getting them back from school. Had a truly pathetic dinner in the hotel at 7:30 and am in bed by 8:30. Didn’t know what to do, read a bit and am now writing this at 9:30 before lights out! Tomorrow is a long drive to Salar de Surir – salt flats in the altiplano; with prospects of loads of sightings; llamas, alpacas, vicuna, flamingos and spectacular altiplano scenery. Off to bed then...BTW, the room is actually in a garage – so I can expect a fairly noisy night, by local standards.