Chile further south: Antofagasta

We started the scheduled 10-hour bus ride with reclining seats with some delay at 10:30 pm.

But it would later become apparent that we could learn a lot from the locals when it comes to being relaxed. After about 1.5 hours of driving, our bus stopped in the middle of the desert due to an engine problem, and this happened at night!

The bus driver sought instructions for problem-solving via mobile phone and was actively supported by some passengers.

Looking at the night sky, we couldn't stop marveling. Here, you can have an incomparable view of the starry sky without light pollution and (mostly) without clouds, which is why the world's most powerful radio telescope, ALMA, is located here in the Atacama Desert near San Pedro.

After about 2 hours, we continued. It was remarkable that during the entire waiting time, there was not even a hint of nervousness, let alone panic, among the passengers. All passengers seemed completely unaffected by the unexpected delay.

In the late morning, we finally arrived in Antofagasta.

This is the second largest city in Chile and new construction is happening almost everywhere. Here too, they benefit from copper mining, which is transported here by rail from the world's largest copper mine near Calama and then mainly shipped to China.

The historic port is very impressive with its huge loading facilities.

There are some high-end mega shopping centers, but also a noticeable density of relatively expensive cars, indicating that there is affluent clientele living here. However, tourism doesn't seem to play a significant role here.

After three days here, we now feel it's time to move on. So, tomorrow we'll continue to San Pedro de Atacama... by bus;).