Friday in Antofagasta (7/14)

After an early taxi ride and flight to Antofagasta, Deb had to work and I got to play! Rough, I know. I keep telling Deb she should be a teacher. We actually rode the plane with someone who works at the ADS Antofagasta plant, and his ride when we landed was our ride. I got dropped at the hotel to wander around while the other two went on to the plant. I didn't get too adventurous. I wandered up the coast and then found a restuarant to eat lunch. But I was amazed at the raw nature I found. Granted, I'm not talking hundreds all in one place - this isn't a coral reef! First, there were shells like crazy. The shore was literally covered with shells (and glass, but no sand). I found a scallop shell that was just about the size of my hand. Then, among the rocks, I saw fish, crabs, snails, anenomes, starfish, various shellfish, sandpipers, seagulls, pelicans, several plant types, and things I can't identify. Hours of undisturbed observation. If you can't tell, I was enjoying myself. When Deb came back we went for a walk to see a silver foundry ruins. This was also very "raw." It was like a construction zone, where people walked through just like it were any other part of town. It turns out that silver ore was brought from Bolivia and 200 tons of silver was extracted during a whopping 10 year period. But the castle appearance of the ruins just can't be overlooked. Really, I think that Antofagasta is only just starting to realize it's tourism attractions.