We have not used to write too much about “record” places, whose reports can be treated in terms of sensation – often simply cheaper and devoid of content. However, we decided to make an exception. Quillagua has something magnetic to be a tourist attraction this place is very far away, yet it has something magnetic. It mainly attracts researchers and seekers of truly extreme sensations who love adrenaline amplitude. “Life” in this Chilean village requires considerable constipation and the will to survive. The quotation marks were used here deliberately. It’s hard to call life living in the driest place on earth …
Quillagua , or the quintessence of Atacama
It is known for a long time that without water, no life can develop fully. Without food, we are able to withstand some time, but when we run out of water, our chances of survival drastically decrease. As you might guess, life in the desert is difficult by itself. We remember the hot sands of the Sahara – they are the symbol of the destructive power of lack of water. Compared to the village Quillagua found
Photo Polaris / Axelle de Russe / East News [/ caption]
located in the Atacama desert, Sahara seems to be a paradise oasis, which is occasionally given a solid shower. According to NASA, which sometimes looks there in search of conditions most similar to extraterrestrial, in this Chilean settlement since the 70s the rain has fallen – WARNING – THREE times! And this was to be missed, as only a few drops have dropped out of the sky over the years. Were it not for the cisterns, which deliver water to special tanks here several times a week, life would die completely. However, people do not lose heart. They don’t give up.
Until the 1990s, there was no indication that this village would meet such a fate. Quillagua was a beautiful oasis that was irrigated by Loa, the country’s largest river. Unfortunately, the surrounding mining industry contaminated and then absorbed almost all of the water from the river, destroying farmland and killing herds of cattle belonging to the inhabitants of the village, which are their main sources of income. Today, the riverbed is just an overgrown reservoir.
The town seems to be in perpetual lethargy. Windswept, lonely, but hardened in the fight for its own existence. it could, however, be regarded as one of Atacama’s symbols: windswept, on its own, but still stubbornly alive.
Fig. commons.wikimedia.org. [/ caption]
There used to be even a railway here – now the station is buried systematically by small, golden grains. Nine mummies from the period from 900 to 1400 B.C.
As you can imagine, Quillagua is not very tourist friendly, but the locals do not give up. Strangely enough, you can even get an overnight stay in something that resembles a small motel. Well, unless you have a car – you will spend the night for free. The local community even founded an association. They want to rebuild their town as much as possible. They want to make it a tourist attraction. Even guides were trained who take adventurers on trips around the area.
You wonder, what can you watch there? What can you do there? After all, these are sun and wind-demanded areas, rocky outcrops – and nothing more. Yes, there is little flora here, and from time to time you can find bleached bones that escape from under the sand layers. But all you need to do is leave a little bit, wait for the night, and our eyes will see a whole new world – everything will start to shine and beautiful. The distance from larger cities – and therefore also light sources – and the high altitude above sea level make the air extremely transparent. At night, the star concert begins here, which can engulf us completely … Probably that is why Atacama is one of the largest observatories, and groups of astronomers (scientists and amateurs) draw here really crowds. It’s hard to describe this sky with words … We won’t even make an effort.
[Embed] https://vimeo.com/102790649 [/ embed]
Finally, we have a surprise for everyone who can handle Spanish – although the pictures themselves say a lot – a documentary about the inhabitants of Quillagui. See how humble, strength and joy they are. Strong motivational kick at any time of day or night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzcfdy-7D0Q
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