Chile, Day 13: Copiapo and Caldera

I did not get around to writing as much about yesterday as I had hoped; my last working day was a busy one. Once again we had seminar in the morning with the teacher-curriculum-developers, and it really was a good session. We finally all agreed on a combination, rationale, and sequencing of the program modules. We firmed up the career profile a bit. We decided on next steps. There were some excellent ideas put forward by the group. It was great to be able to leave with a sense of the project moving forward.

I spent the afternoon consolidating my papers and printing out a final copy of everything. Then I locked my office one last time, turned in the key, and said goodbye to the staff at CFT. Later that night, the project people took me out for dinner to a wonderful restaurant. We drank pisco sours and ate fresh cebiche and some kinds of fish I've never tried before. No room for dessert.

And today they took me to Caldera. Caldera is a town on the coast, about an hour's drive to the west. The desert landscape on the way to Caldera is hard to describe because there's absolutely nothing like it in Canada to use for comparison. Parts of it are absolutely barren. Apparently scientists have done a lot of studies on the Atacama desert and found, in some parts, no life AT ALL. These areas are being used to test the equipment that is looking for life on Mars. All the way between Copiapo and Caldera there are hills but at times it's hard to tell whether you're looking at a rocky hill or just a big sand dune. There is a strange sort of mist that blurs the boundaries between hills and sky. When the desert stops and the Pacific Ocean begins, you can't believe your eyes: it looks more like a mirage than a body of water.

Did I mention before that the very first railroad in Chile (maybe in South America?) ran between Copiapo and Caldera? Well, it did, and today there was some sort of celebration in Caldera to commemorate that event. People -- men, women, children -- were dressed up in period costumes from the 1850's. We walked around town, browsed the market stalls (mostly selling jewelry made from local minerals and semi-precious stones), and lingered over a great seafood lunch. We visited the church which was designed by M. Eiffel -- the very same guy who designed the Eiffel tower. We strolled on the wharf and looked at the fishing boats and pelicans. Then we drove around the corner to Bahia Inglesa (English Bay), which is a lovely little beach resort community. It is hard to imagine a beach resort in the Atacama desert but Bahia Inglesa really is very beautiful and I would happily come back.

So now I'm back at the hotel, packing things up and checking my email one last time. Tomorrow (assuming all goes according to plan) I'll fly to Santiago, spend the day there, and then head for Toronto. I really am sorry to be leaving Chile (...but I am looking forward to being able to buy a cup of coffee and be understood). Hasta luego!