31 January and 1 February 2017 – Puritama (Chile)

Travelling to Puritama on Route 52 we went up to a height of 4170 metres and needed the heating on in the truck for a few hours until the day warmed up. On the way we passed a number of salt flats, which is now getting to be a daily occurrence, and evidence of bad flooding and landslides. We crossed the border into Chile at Jama after three hours of waiting for one or the other immigration person. No fresh fruit, vegetables or meat were allowed to be taken into Chile, the customs people being very strict about this. Accommodation was at the Puritama Hostel.

Walking round the town it was obvious it was a tourist place with travel agents and hostels all over the place. It seems that the normal activities are sandboarding, bike riding, 4-wheel drives, visiting a local observatory for sky gazing or going to some hot springs. I also noticed a poster for hot air ballooning. I did visit the meteor museum where I touched a 4500 million year old meteorite.

The village church, De La Iglesia San Pedro Atacama, originally built in 1557, was made of mud bricks (adobe) having been rebuilt and repaired over the years. A lot of the wood used in the church was dried cactus which has a very attractive finish with all the holes in it.

Views of the church, De La Inglesia San Pedro

San Pedro

The side entrance

The organ at the rear of the church

                                                                                                                                                                                                       
While I was at the church a band and dancers went into the church rehearsing for a festival later on in  the week I was told. Some were holding skulls and strange shaped heads in sticks, a reminder of the indigenous peoples religions that have been accepted into the local Roman Catholic Church so it would seem. I had also been told that about 10 years ago the established churches began to recognise these indigenous religions but of that I know nothing more.

The participants in the rehearsal at the church

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The others who had wanted to visit the Moon Valley Observatory were disappointed as it was too cloudy for them to go especially as the visit was called off at the last minute.