New Year's Eve in Arica

A pelican

Monday 31st December

After another late start, but this time without missing breakfast, we went for a walk around Arica. There is a railway on the front that still takes passengers to Bolivia. An old steam engine stands outside the old station.

We went to the dock, where they gut and sell fish on the quayside. As a consequence of this, the area is inhabited by hungry pelicans and some of the fattest sea lions ever. They hang around waiting for scraps to be thrown into the sea.

There are boat trips around the harbour, and we caught one. We went past the fishing fleet, which has some larger trawlers, unlike Pisagua.

There was an old boat moored that has now been completely overtaken by pelicans, who have made a real mess.

Then we went past some buoys where lazy sea lions basked in the sun.

Back at the port, the harbour was full of big jellyfish.

Apart from the fish market, there isn’t much on the front. No cafes or bars. Therefore we headed back to the main pedestrian area which was packed with visitors.

On the way we went past a church, Iglesia San Marco, designed by Gustav Eiffel. Made completely of iron, it was prefabricated and assembled in France, before being dissembled and shipped to here. According to the guide the riveting key was kep in a display case in side the church, but during the nitrate wars, the Bolivians threw the key into the sea for fear that the Chilean invaders would disassemble the church and take it as a war trophy. However the Chileans did not need to do that as they won the war and the whole of El Norte Grande.

We then took lunch at a busy café, before heading back to the hotel for a rest.

There was a big party in preparation at the hotel, next to the pool and we were glad that we had changed rooms to somewhere more tranquil.

Just before midnight we went out and watched the New Year fireworks display at the top of El Morro, a huge cliff which dominates the town. The midges were out.

Back at the hotel the festivities were in full swing and voice. We cracked open a bottle of Chilean fizz………

Happy New Year to all our avid readers!