Atacama dessert

One long weekend, we traveled to the Atacama Desert in Chile to participate in a large simulation exercise. The event brought together doctors, nurses, and firefighters from across South America. Augusto, being a doctor and an active member of the paramedic society in South America, was invited to participate. His daughter, Mariana, who was a medical student in Cordoba at the time, also joined us as the exercise was relevant to her studies. My role was primarily as an observer, though I was also assigned roles such as a pushy journalist and the Norwegian ambassador.

Our drive to Atacama took us through stunning landscapes, crossing over to the western side of the Andes. At its highest point, the road reached 4,820 meters above sea level, though I didn’t feel much of the altitude.

During the three-day exercise, there were simulations of earthquakes, fires, and even a terrorist attack with hostage situations. It was almost comical to watch adults so fully immersed in the role-play, playing as if they were children, but with real fire trucks and other equipment. The injured had realistic wounds created by a makeup artist who usually works in film production.

The simulations took place in an abandoned village near Chuquicamata, one of the world’s largest copper mines. On our final evening, we had dinner at the home of Roly, a friend of Augusto who works at the mine’s affiliated hospital. His Cuban wife served Cuba’s national dish, Ropa Vieja, which literally means "old clothes".Lue lisää