Chile > Flying over the Peruvian desert

Because of the time difference, we are already awake around half past six. Still, we stay in bed until the alarm goes off at eight. Breakfast is ready in the hotel basement and consists of instant coffee and bread rolls with jam. At half past nine, we check out and take a bus back to the airport. Now that it’s light, we catch a glimpse of Lima along the way. What stands out are the high fences around the houses and bars on all the windows, which perhaps says something about the safety situation in Lima.

Chile - The plane landed at Tacna airport in the desert

At the airport, we check in our luggage for the flight to Tacna. Tacna is the southernmost city in Peru, near the Chilean border. The distance between Lima and Tacna is about 1,000 kilometers. The security checks for hand luggage and metal detectors are slow. The scanner beeps for everyone; in my case, the memory cards from my digital camera trigger it. The plane departs at 12:25 toward Tacna. The view is foggy at first, but visibility improves near Tacna, which lies in the middle of the desert. Our luggage is loaded onto the bus, and we depart for Chile, heading toward the coastal town of Arica. At the Peru-Chile border, all luggage must be unloaded and checked for drugs on the Peruvian side. Then we get back on the bus to travel just 100 meters to get our passports stamped at Peruvian immigration. Another 300 meters brings us to the Chilean side of the border, where visas and luggage checks are required. After about an hour, everyone is admitted into Chile, luggage is back on the bus, and we continue to Arica. However, Chile is one hour ahead of Peru (six hours behind the Netherlands), so the border crossing costs us an extra hour. About twenty minutes later, the bus arrives in Arica. In the hotel lobby, Kristina gives a brief explanation of the city and the program for the next day. The hotel is right in the center, but the rooms are modest. We are the only ones with a small balcony, though the door can’t be opened because the bed is in the way. In the evening, we explore Arica. First, we exchange money ($50 for 32,000 pesos; 1,000 pesos is about €1.25). I find it difficult to estimate exactly how much money I will need for Chile, as we are only staying a few days. Once we have Chilean money, we look for a nice restaurant. Reading the menu is a bit challenging since I don’t speak any Spanish, but fortunately my table companions are better prepared. Meanwhile, Dennis has visited the doctor with Kristina, as the ascending and descending during flights has caused him an ear infection. After dinner (4,000 pesos per person, about €5), we look for a supermarket to stock up on water. Kristina emphasized that we should drink 3–4 liters of water during tomorrow’s high-altitude day trip. Finding a store isn’t easy, but luckily we locate a small shop with exactly six large bottles left. We buy the entire stock. Around nine, we return to the hotel, and by ten o’clock we are in bed, ready for an early start the next day.