From Calama we had hoped to go by train to Bolivia but Macchu Picchu was calling and we had a deadline to meet - our next cruise left Lima in only 10 days time.
So we took a bus to the Pacific coast of Chile, destination Peru via Antofagasta. We arrived to a fairly dreary part of town and managed to organise an overnight bus to the Peruvian border, departing in about 4 hours time so a chance to explore a Chilean city.
We got a taxi to the boardwalk area and then walked back toward some large shopping malls. Basically, once in the down town area we could have been in any modern city anywhere in the world. It was a buzz to see the Pacific Ocean again and before dinner we watched a sunset over the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
After a traditional Chilean dinner at TGI Friday's, we headed back to get our rather luxurious business class bus to Arica, the last chilean town before the Peru border.
At the border in the morning we organised a taxi to run us up the coast to Tacna in Peru, crossing the border just after it opened for business and joining the queue of old American cars running people and goods to the North. Tacna was quiet and we were able to organise a bus to Arequipa without too much trouble and a leisurely wait. On to arequipa.
So we took a bus to the Pacific coast of Chile, destination Peru via Antofagasta. We arrived to a fairly dreary part of town and managed to organise an overnight bus to the Peruvian border, departing in about 4 hours time so a chance to explore a Chilean city.
We got a taxi to the boardwalk area and then walked back toward some large shopping malls. Basically, once in the down town area we could have been in any modern city anywhere in the world. It was a buzz to see the Pacific Ocean again and before dinner we watched a sunset over the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
After a traditional Chilean dinner at TGI Friday's, we headed back to get our rather luxurious business class bus to Arica, the last chilean town before the Peru border.
At the border in the morning we organised a taxi to run us up the coast to Tacna in Peru, crossing the border just after it opened for business and joining the queue of old American cars running people and goods to the North. Tacna was quiet and we were able to organise a bus to Arequipa without too much trouble and a leisurely wait. On to arequipa.
Sunset over the South Pacific
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