Meet with tA-owners C. Bengelsdorff and E. Hausdorf
This year’s tourism trade fair ITB (Internationale Tourismusbörse) is being held in Berlin, from 5th to 9th of March. Here you can meet with tA-owners Elke Hausdorf und Carsten Bengelsdorff and learn more about travelArt and our latest travel ideas for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. We are looking forward to seeing you at our stand 102 of the South America section. www.itb-berlin.com
Chuquicamata, the world-wide largest opencast copper mine
Chuquicamata, approx.15 kilometers away from Calama, is the world-wide largest opencast copper mine, consisting of two digging places, of which the larger one is 3.5 kilometers (km) long, 3 km broad and 1 km deep. Day by day more than 100,000 tons of rock are blasted and afterwards loaded on gigantic trucks, which need almost 45 minutes in order to transport the broken stones from the bottom to the finishing plant. Copper was already extracted in Chucicamata before the Inca ruled the territory, digging of larger extent began in 1882 after the first plant had been installed. The mine, formerly on private property, now belongs to the national copper company CODELCO (corporación del Cobre de Chile) and can be visited all year round. During their guided stay the interested visitors gain an impression from the extents of the opencast pit and the copper preparation in which the important export product is, in a complicated mechanic-chemical process, released from impurities. In foreseeable future the visit could be enriched by a further attraction, since CODELCO plans to change over to foundation engineering. German engineer know-how will help solving this difficult task.
Monte Verde - nominated Chilean historical monument
Monte Verde, only 28 km west of Puerto Montt, keeps the archaeology of the oldest known human settlement in America (late Pleistocene, 12500 years ago). In mid of September the area will be officially announced a historical monument. It is expected that due to this measure Monte Verde will be in the foreseeable future included on the Unesco list of world cultural heritage sites and thus raise the public awareness of its importance.
The new road to the Torres del Paine National Park was finally finished. The distance between Puerto Natales and the park was reduced by 60 km. Now, the great advantage is the possibility to organize a round trip, there is no need to travel the same route twice any longer. Additionally, new hotel projects near the new road are expected that will amplify the tourist offers in the park.
Looking back to the clients info-trip: 22nd of April – 02nd of May 2007
In the last week of April, travelArt organised an inspection-trip with clients to Chile. Besides Santiago, inter alia it was planned to visit the Lakes-Region and Patagonia. An international group explored hotels, transport companies and the Chilean landscape. The group was accompanied by Brigitte Lämmle (travelArt). The maximum of the information-trip: The visit to Torres del Paine National park with radiant sunshine! After finishing the main program, most of the participants took part in the following trip to the Atacama Desert. In the end it was hard to say goodbye: The group made its way home in different directions. The hole trip was very interesting – and passed bye much too fast, of course!
Largest desert of the American continent and driest of the earth: Atacama in the north of Chile, borders in the west on the Pacific, in the north with Peru and in the east with Bolivia and Argentina. In the rain shade of the Andees, the east wind is dry and empeds precipitation. Near the coast, the cold ocean current Humboldt prevents the development of rain clouds. The region between the Pacific and Andes is outstanding: Extinct volcanos easily reach more than sixthousand meters and enclose the enormous Atacama salt lake between two mountain ranges. Deep canyons and lagoons, geysiers and thermal springs stand out in the rough landscape of bizarre stone formations, sand dunes and fascinating reliefs in the multicolored volcanic rock. Abandoned towns show evidence of the past salpeter boom, copper is conveyed in the largest open pit mines of the world.
Suggestion: Community Observatory at Cerro Mamalluca
If you should be interested in an astronomical tour while being in the Norte Chico of Chile, travelArt recommends you visit to the Mamalluca Observatory. Advance planning before visiting this Region and the observatory of Mamlluca could include a study of the local moon charts before making a reservation with your travelArt-executive, in order to avoid the new moon and to study the different constellations according to the seasonal changes.
The Region of the Small North can also be an ideal place to take your own telescope providing a unique opportunity to use your own equipment. It's best to visit sites first during the day to find the most suitable place to set up. Experienced travelArt-guides will be pleased to help you in finding the best location.
In case you should be interested in visiting the large astronomical observatories it is important to remember that the major scientific observatories have limited daytime visiting times and all need Advance Reservations. El Tololo, Las Campanas and La Silla, the three major scientific observatories in the area all have offices in La Serena which can be contacted in advance (recommended 3 months prior to visit) with the required confirmation and pass collected the day prior to the visit. We hope you have fun exploring the infinite Universe!
