My Books on Amazon
There are 13 blog posts for you to enjoy.
Tocopilla, Chile
March 29, 2023
Tocopilla, Chile: population: about 28,000. The city was founded in 1843 as a cove, I guess that means it was even less than a town or village. In 1870, the cove shipped out its first shipments of saltpeter. In 1890, the railroad was expanded to allow for more shipping of saltpeter.
1915 saw the starting-up of a thermoelectric power plant. This helped to increase the production of copper. Starting in the 1930s the nitrate (saltpeter) mining started to taper off, then after that, the fishing industry started to collapse due to over-fishing, with these there were mass lay-offs and people started to leave town en masse. In fact, Tocopilla lost around 10,000 people who moved to Antofagasta, to the south.
Read MoreIquique, Chile
March 28, 2023
Iquique, Chile: population: about 190,000. Back in the early 1880s, there was a war between Chile and Perú, and Iquique and the regions north of it were taken by Chile.
The history dates back to something like 7000 years BC. Iquique and other towns of northern Perú owe their existence to saltpeter mining. In 1835, Charles Darwin visited Iquique and apparently wasn't very impressed with what he saw, he said, Iquique is a town "very much in want of everyday necessities, such as water and firewood". The city's economy now relies on commercial and port activities as well as tourism.
Read MoreArica, Chile
March 26, 2023
Arica, Chile: population: about 248,000. Arica sits 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the Chile-Perú border. In Chile, Arica is known as "the city of eternal spring." Arica was founded in April 1541, or 1570, or possibly 1584.
The Arica area has been inhabited for thousands of years. Archeologists have found pottery, petroglyphs, and geoglyphs dated back 10,000 years. Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the Tiahuanaco people lived in this valley and named it Ariacca. They lived with an agricultural and maritime economy. In time, they disappeared and were replaced by other groups, and these groups expanded the area further inland and introduced stepped farming, agriculture, and livestock.
Read More
I used to teach English as a foreign language in Barranquilla, Colombia. Now I'm retired and traveling throughout South America.
I'm from Kennewick, Washington, USA. In my previous life, as I call it, I was an IT guy, systems administrator, computer tech, as well as a shipping/receiving guy and also worked as a merchandising guy in a RV/Camping store.