Oct. 20th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Day before departure for Licancabur

This morning we gathered more groceries in preparation when we reach the refuge at the Lagunas. My time was spent with Guillermo who planned time to take me to see several formations around the hills surrounding San Pedro. We drove back on the highway toward Antofagasta to spend more time photographing and describing the formations we saw when we first arrived in San Pedro. To see these formations up close was very beautiful. Guillermo drove us along a side road to take see comparisons between folded formations and layered formations which is called discordance. This drastic relief was a beautiful sight. On one side of our view were the folded and eroded regions that have been uplifted through tectonic processes, and on the opposite side of our view was a perfectly layered formation.

Far off in the background the Altiplano stretched out before us, with several volcanoes making up the skyline. Guillermo described what was before me. The Altiplano includes the desert, as well as the slope of the lava flows from the volcanoes above. The younger flows appear darker, and suggest that the volcanoes are fairly young, including Licancabur.
Later, as we worked our way back along the road, Guillermo pointed out a large ash deposit that was white in color and about 1 meter thick. This was deposited from a volcanic eruption thousands of years before. Seeing this layer exposed demonstrated to me how dynamic this region is. Not only are there volcanic deposits, but fluvial deposits, and the dramatic uplifting of the tectonic plates.

We made our way to see one of Guillermo’s friends, Humberto that owns land near San Pedro. This is a beautiful oasis. There many fruit trees such as pomegranate, pear, and figs. He had bee hives, alpacas (similar to llamas—a baby one is pictured here), and alfalfa fields. His plan is to build a small hotel on the land (maybe 20-25 rooms), to encourage people to come and enjoy this oasis. There are many places where people can enjoy peace and quiet to read, write, or just soak in the wonderful surroundings. He presented me with a couple of books about Chile, and a music CD that has a wonderful selection of Chile’s music.

The more time I am spending here, the more alive the region becomes. The rich history of the people, the surrounding features, and the dynamic landscapes around us makes this region very alive. We have been looking at the Licancabur volcano from a distance for the past couple of days, but tomorrow, we will finally be in the shadow of this great mountain.