November 29, 2005
Day 62
Today I took a walk up to the Morro of Arica, a huge hill that overlooks the whole city. The walk up was very steep, but, being at sea level, it wasn't very difficult. I might even dare to say that it was enjoyable.
At the top of the hill was a war museum. Lots of weapons and clothing from the 1800's were on display. Chile took the coastal land from Bolivia in the war of El Pacifico, turning Bolivia into a landlocked nation, and the poorest nation in the continent at that. Of course, the Chileans viewed things a bit differently. The museum commemorated the troops in their bravery in winning the battle.
The entire city was visible from the top of the hill. I sat down for awhile on top was mesmerized by the shipyard. A forklift type vehicle kept moving around, picking up loads for semis, and putting them onto trailers. I could hear the whole thing as if I were right next to it. Before I knew it, I was there half an hour.
Not much was going on at night because it was a Tuesday, so I just walked around the city for awhile. Tomorrow I'll head south for a few hours to Iquique, another coastal Chilean city.
The photo album for this entry is here.
