Caldera/Copiapo

Our wonderful long weekend in Caldera went too fast!
Do you like the pattern in the sand?

Scott and Nina Isaacson, Lorie and Alan Marchant and I took a 1 1/4 hour flight early Sunday morning May 19 to Copiapo, a northern Chile Atacama Desert coastal town. Juanita Diaz a wonderfully generous friend and senior missionary had invited us to spend a long weekend (Tuesday was a patriotic holiday celebrating Chile's victory in the Battle of the Pacific) at her beautiful home. We drove directly to her small branch of the Church in Caldera near Copiapo. The Sunday school teacher was quite entertaining. The wall is decorated for the Young Women's "new beginnings" program.

We were joined by Ercilia and Thiare Norambuena (wife and daughter of church Area authority who was currently in Buenos Aires) for the day, starting with a yummy brunch at Juanita's.

Juanita jointly owned most of the local beach property which has been since sold off for many small homes and vacation cabins, keeping the best (and highest property) for a new and expanded home. All are built on solid rock which had to be blasted away. The large rock by the front door could not be removed, so it is now incorporated into her home! We each had a cozy bedroom.
Sunday was overcast, but Monday-Wednesday were clear days with refreshingly pure air and great view from the balcony.

We took lots of walks on the beach which was nearly deserted

Tiare (16, a music student studies in the best music school in Chile) and Nina chat on a boulder

We thought we would be playing lots of games, but there were so many other things to do...

This is full-blown Atacama Desert (driest place on earth!) so green plants are found only sparsely found near the coast.

We drove a short distance to some special rocks called "Granito Orbicular." These rocks have a unique appearance due to orbicules: concentrically layered, spheroidal structures, probably formed through nucleation around a grain in a cooling magma chamber.

A highlight for me was our visit to the San Jose Mine, which I have read about, where on 10/10/10 all 33 of the miners (32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian) who survived the collapse of the copper-gold mine, were rescued after 70 days trapped under 70 meters of solid rock. It was only after 18 days that a probe by international team discovered they were all still alive. Families camped nearby, the children even attending a makeshift camp school. You can watch the story "The 33" on youtube.com. 

One by one, about one minute apart, the 33 miners were brought up in the capsule (I believe where the yellow thing is) and taken directly to the hospital on site.

Camp Esperanza (Hope). One miner had to deal with two wives/women when he came up!

probe plug of solid granite

33 Chilean flags and 1 Bolivian on the hill

We were disappointed not to be able to hear the account of one of the survivors who was not there the day we visited, but we felt the atmosphere, accepted some rocks, read the display information and saw the covered capsule at this historic site. Amazing! All made it!

Scott and Nina, after raising 17 adopted children, have enjoyed their mission as a break from all the responsibilities their large family has entailed. They will return to Utah the same day I return to California. Scott helped make our arrangements and rented a car so we could visit the area form Juana's. 

Chileans build many "animitas" to remember those who have died in accidents (this family of 7 died together in an accident and are remembered in an elaborate site near Juana's home.

We drove south and stopped at beautiful deserted white sand beaches (I got my feet in, but too cold to swim!) on our way to visit the town of Caldera, which was established in the 1850's with railroad, mining and fishing industry. It was a holiday so there were carnival activities, military parade, and LOTS of people. 

These birds made no sign of wanting to let us pass.

We enjoyed the railroad museum (sculpture made of rails) with displays of historical figures, old carriages and relics.

The Isaacsons are planning to take home 30 (?) "palmitas" (on the beach called "playitas") to their grandchildren and kids!....we enjoyed them!

Playa/Bahia Ingles is gorgeous

May 21 in Caldera with 1858 wooden cathedral. We walked around and then drove to gorgeous white sand, turquoise water Bahia Ingles for fish lunch/dinner....back to Juana's with a gorgeous sunset over the "south" Pacific; such a delightful trip. Thank you Juanita. Now it's back to the temple, my last full week! For New Year's, at soccer games, etc., Chileans chant: chi chi chi, lelele, Viva Chile, Viva Chile! as seen on this "license plate."

Back to Santiago to friends whom I will soon miss:

Jose Riveros, a Chilean who has lived all his adult life in Australia with his wife and children came back to Chile with his wife, got sick and is now unable to travel. He was our stake patriarch, attended our English Sunday School class, and has a wonderful painting of southern Chile mountains in the temple baptistry. As he recovers from his cancer surgery he has been painting again. We have missed his wisdom in class.

I have spent lots of happy hours helping Hermana Rojas in the temple laundry which she is in charge of. I will miss her.

We've gotten to know and appreciate the engineers (Hno. Marin) and security guards, gardeners, cleaning staff, etc.

Silvia Soto is a dear friend and faithful temple attendee. The below women are faithful members of my English class.Next week is our last class. I will hopefully have a photo of the whole class, whom I shall miss so much. 

Guille Guerra (our ward primary president, a temple worker, wife of an institute of religion director and former mission president in Venezuela). Below is Sophia Dongxin from northern China, here with her husband, improving her English, learning Spanish, and full of fun. Bottom photo is Aura Marina Gonzalez from Venezuela who is working hard to find a job now that she finally has Chilean visa. 

I learn so much from each of these wonderful women (and the rest of the class) each week, and hope to see them all again