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The South American Odyssey
  • The Craze for Travelling
  • The Craze for Travelling

The South American Odyssey

A 147-day adventure by The Craze for Travelling Read more
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  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Guano covered hillMultiple openings on the sea sideSouth America windowSouth America window

    Reached Anzota caves

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We parked the vehicle ans started walking towards the caves. One of the hills was totally white. Diana told us that it was due to the guano of the bats and the sea gulls. On the way, we saw multiple windows eroded on the coast side volcanic rocks due to the erosion by the waves. There was also an eroded window in the shape of South America 😉Read more

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    Caves on the guano hill

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Next to the cove outside the 1st and 2nd cave was the hill covered with the guano. Diana told us that till a few years ago, it was harvested by the locals as a fertilizer and even sold into the highlands. It was a lucrative but very risky business since a lot of lives were lost when people fell from the ropes that were used to hang on the hills to scrape the guano.
    This practice is banned now so only parts of the ropes used remain. There were some caves below this hill that didn't have a paved path. Hristo and I climbed into 2 of them to see inside but we didn't find any bats or anything special otherwise. The views from the the top though were quite fabulous.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    2Lisera beach
    2Lisera beachOur vehicle for the day

    Lisera Beach

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    As had been informed the previous day, we were ready by 8 am for the starting of the tour. We wole up at 7 am and had the breakfast at the canteen next door.
    Diana had not been able to find us an English speaking guide so as we had requested, she was our guide for the day. She decided to bring her friend (Fransisca) who was free for the day as the driver.
    They both arrived at around 8:15 am. Diana decided that the best option was to go to the Anzota cave since there won't be much crowd in the morning there.
    Our 1st stop was at the Lisera beach just outside of the town. This is a very popular beach in Chile and totally packed in the summers since this is North enough that the cold Humboldt current does not reach here so its warm enough to swim. Diana told us that the name of the beach was due to the Lisa fish one could catch even on the beach side.
    We were there for about 5-10 min before moving on.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Llama geoglyph in the middle hill
    Llama geoglyph in the middle hillMarkers for the geoglyphsLlama geoglyphModern practiced geoglyphs

    Llama geoglyph

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    The 1st of geoglyph in the Azapa valley was the Llama geoglyph. It was a huge geoglyph on a barren hill made by subtractive technique wherein the stones ate removed from the surface to draw the figurine. This geoglyph is from 800 - 1300 A. D.
    Nearby were some modern geoglyphs that had been done by the university students to try different techniques.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Its a very long geoglyph along the mountain side2

    La Tropilla

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This geoglyph represents the exchange of goods happening between the highlands and the valley people during the 800 - 1300 AD. It shows people arriving from the highlands coming with their llamas, wool, dried meat and other goods amd exchanging it with sea food, corn, pepper, beans etc from the valley. This area would have been a place of great cultural and trade importance.Read more

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    Los Danzarines

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This geoglyph is also near the La Tropilla geoglyphs, very near the Somberaro hill. Its set in the hills a bit behind. It shows 3 figures in dancing poses. This indicates that this area was not only a place of trade but also a place where ceremonies, dances and music took place. Even to this date it is a much venerated place where the locals say their ancestors' spirits still dwell.Read more

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    Cerro Sagrado
    Cerro Sagrado2PachamamaRituals happening

    Cerro Sagrado

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Cerro Sagrado or the Sacred Hill is a place of worship in the valley. There are figures of plants, condors, serpents and other animals indicating link to spirituality and fertility. There's also a figure of Panchamama (Mother Earth) getting the offerings of the fruits and plants. This was an active place from 1450 - 1535 AD.
    The area also has Inca time ruins that had mummies, all pointing towards the Sacred Hill indicating a link towards this hill as a scared place.
    These geoglyphs are made by additive techniques by adding stones to form the figures.    Read more

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    2

    Azapa Valley

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    All the geoglyphs till now were in the Azapa valley. This valley is fed by the snow water in the highlands. Because of that, the water is sweeter in this valley. Due to that, a lot of tomatoes, mangoes, olives and other fruits and vegetables grow here.
    In the Lluta valley a few kms away in parallel, the water is from rains in the highlands so its a bit salted so mainly garlic, onions and corns grow there.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Olive crushing stones from the colonial era. The horses ran the wheel while people managed the olive paste
    Olive crushing stones from the colonial era. The horses ran the wheel while people managed the olive paste2Olive oil press. The screw was tightened at one end while the olives were put in jute sacks with water and preMortar and pestlesChinchorro mummies2Mummified small kids

    Chinchorro mummies

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After the geoglyphs in the Azapa valley, we went to the museum of the Chinchorro mummies. These are from about 15000 BC, way before the Egyptian or Sumerian empires in the world. The older mummies were preserved by removing the soft internal tissues and the dry and sunny climate preserved tjem without any other process. The later mummies were covered in black soik from one of the beaches so they looked black. Then came the era of the red mummies where they were covered with ochre and clay to make them look alive. Later came a period where the mummies were covered with Calcium to look white.
    These people lived in small groups of about 30-40 people. So that the group doesn't grow bigger, they had a horrific tradition of sacrificing the female children. The museum had small mummified girls and even foetus and embryos. All were mummified.    Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    Azapa valley
    Azapa valleyThe high pass between the valleysLluta valley23

    Azapa to Lluta valley

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    At the end of the Azapa valley, there is a road that goes over a pass to the other side into the Lluta valley. Both valleys are like green oasis in the bleak desert landscape all around. In the Lluta valley mostly onions, garlic and corn are grown.Read more

  • The Craze for TravellingThe South American OdysseyThe Craze for Travelling
    2Our vehicle parked near the marker
    2Our vehicle parked near the markerLlama figurinesPeople type form

    Geoglyphs bajo del Valle de Lluta

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    These are geoglyphs from the 1100 - 1470 AD. These were geoglyphs with abstract, zoomorphic and anthromorphic figures and designs. They are located on the international route from the other countries in the highlands. The technique used is mosaic. Some of the figures are 50 mts tall. The meaning of the figures has been lost with time.Read more