Arica is a relative crime free city, but as with anywhere it pays to be attentive. Most crime in Chile is opportunistic in nature, as opposed to the occassional strangle muggings and minor ATM kidnappings you have to be wary of in Bolivia and Peru.

So I heard this story, of an eminent British archaelogist* I met there.  He and his wife had been eating in a restaurant on main street and it seems someone quietly removed their bag.

But what I found fascinating was that the thieves went to some trouble to return their passports to the consulate. Consequently they were able to continue their travels relatively unimpeded.

If only all criminals were so considerate.

* it’s not difficult to find an archaelogist in Arica…they’re attracted to the area like flies to the proverbial. The ultra-dry environment of the region preserves like no other place in the world.

I remember San Pedro as being quite sleepy, with little accommodation available, but also with plenty of tourists and bars. It was sunny, warm, and pleasant.

This time around it’s somewhat less sleepy, a lot bigger (perhaps 2x? 3x?)…however, it’s the off-season and that means few tourists compared to the number of restaurants, so dining alone isn’t unusual and it somehow feels less social. It’s also relatively cool and very windy which means it’s as dusty as a building site.

I met some Americans in today’s restaurant of choice (Etnica, recommended) and I knew they’d just arrived because, simply put, they didn’t look dusty enough yet.  Seriously, it gets everywhere,  your hair takes on a thick appearance, and your clothes go orange.

Still, it’s not a bad place.  I’ve booked a four day trip to Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni. I’m also going shopping for clothes suitable for the very cold temperatures…it will be at least -15C. I’ve already shelled out too much for very nice thermals, complete with odour absorbing charcoal, important when you’re only going to have a chance to wash every two days! I’ll almost certainly be incommunicado for much of this also.  Consequently you’ll only get a splurge of info in four days or so.

I’m not even sure I’ll get to post this today…electricity has been off here for a few hours now.

So instead we climbed up to the top of the biggest dune we could see, watched the sunset, and then ran down using these comedy strides of about six feet. And got sand filling every nook and cranny of my body. Ah well.

The oasis at Huacachina is a lovely spot… but somehow felt a little sad. It was hard to put a finger on it – the rubbish at the bottom of the sand dune we climbed, perhaps, or the absolute lack of life around the oasis itself in the evening. The place we stayed had a nice vibe and the best chips I found in South America, but the rooms were the dirtiest and most bug infested of the trip. I never realised how much a tiny ant could bite until I disturbed some. This prompted my usual, rational response to bugs that bite me… KILL! KILL! KILL! Yes – my usual pacifist response disappears after I experience pain.

It´s weird coming from Europe. I thought parts of spain looked like a desert, but in comparison…. it´s nothing. In Paracas it rains 1.5mm a year. In the desert we´re in now it´s something like once every decade.

Anyway, for now it´s time for beer… tara!