Azapainn

Putre and Parque Nacional Lauca

by darthmilmo

From Arica, I took a bus to Putre, which lies close to the Parque Nacional Lauca. It was an amazing service, I got lunch and all :). Putre is a nice place to relax, but other then that there is not much to do around here. The next day I hiked a few hours around Putre. After realizing the scenery was much like that in Southern Bolivia, I decided to head out of the Park and back to Bolivia. However, that doesn't mean the park is not worth it! I had just spent a week in a similar environment so I opted to skip that to see other attractions in Bolivia.

The final leg of South America - sob!

by stripeykelly

"Short and Sweet"

OK, this will probably be one of my shortest travelblogs. After spending an incredibly dull bus trip from Arequipa to Tacna, watching dubbed Jackie Chan films (one is fine, but 3?!), then getting a collective taxi to cross the border and take us to Arica, we finally arrived in Chile at 7.30pm, a long and boring day. We found ourselves staying in Hotel Mar Azul, sharing a bed, and still feeling dodgy.

Stepping into Arica is like going back to Argentina, but less exciting. It is an ok town, but with nothing of perticular interest (except quite a nice cake shop that we haven´t tried yet as have been too ill) and an archaeological musuem several miles outside. After a couple of days of chilling, we stayed at the hotel - it has an ok courtyard for sitting outside in, meaning less money in coffee shops - we headed out to the museum. The fact that we were both still ill, I felt especially bad that day, the museum did not live up to expectations. It is a great place, with a superb collection, and the exhbits are well set out, and each person gets a book explaining everything, but to be honest I think I am museumed out. I have seen enough Incan and pre-Incan artefacts and sites to last me a good couple of years I think, beautiful though they are. There are only so many reconstructions of peasant farmsteads that on can look at before they all start merging into one.

But I would recomend it, it has a fantastic collection, and well laid out, and some of the best artefacts in South America.

Arica

by travel-master

"Arica"

Arica. Gateway to Peru and Bolivia by land. Gateway to Nacional Park. Must see in Arica: El Morro in Arica, Geoglyphs in nearby Valle de Azapa, Parque Nacional Lauca and quaint villages on the way to the Parque. Also see Guanacos and Llamas in the Parque.

Crossing the boarder to Chile

by sbotelhoj

"Crossing the boarder to Chile"

From Tacna-Peru to the very last small town, yet in Peru, you find a bus station, but dont buy a bus ticket, talk to the people who start screaming at you as soon as you get there, they~recalling for transporting through the boarder in their cars.
Talk to them because they arrange everything. You cross the boarder with very big old american cadillac style of cars. In the car you can find people from many places in south america. It~s really cool if the driver is a nice person to talk as well as the people around.
You will be croosing the boarder in an big nice thrash style of old car , with many different south american nationalities inside in the peuvian desert.