COQUIMBO
(La Serena) Stopover
and
Visit to the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
On
the CERRO TOLOLO and ELQUI VALLEY Tour
Sunday
1st April 2012
COQUIMBO
(for LA SERENA)
was the first port of call for the MS VEENDAM after
starting the second part of this Holland America Line
"COLLECTORS' VOYAGE"
Cruise
in VALPARAISO (for SANTIAGO).
Vineyards have only recently been introduced to the ELQUI VALLEY, as previously production had been concentrated in the “Central Valley” close to SANTIAGO. And, despite its northerly location in Chile, it is already beginning to produce some very good, high quality red and white wines.
The ELQUI VALLEY has a dam located across it part way up and it was at this point that the weather changed dramatically, from being totally overcast with a low cloud level to the most amazingly clear blue skies and of course sunshine.
Shortly after the dam, we turned off the main road and onto a secondary road and into the semi-arid desert, heading towards CERRO TOLOLO, which is only paved as far as the official entrance.
The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is one of now several observatories located in Chile and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The observatory belongs to AURA, an association of American and Chilean Universities and we were thrilled to be able to go inside and view each of the 2 main space telescopes.
Affectionally known as EL TOLOLO it is the location of the famous “Spitzer Space Telescope” (which is 4 metres in diameter), the ”Blanco Space Telescope”.
And also to visit the new main control room of the observatory, on a most fascinating and very interesting and informative tour of the facility taken by by one of their leading Chilean astronomers.
EL TOLOLO is also the location of an array of 5 other telescopes as well a 1 radio telescope.
From the top of CERRO TOLOLO, which is at a height of 2,200 metres, the views all around for 360° were stunning, and with the air being “as clear as a bell” we could really see some great distances.
After descending back down CERRO TOLOLO we continued on to VICUNA, the capital of the ELQUI VALLEY for a barbecue lunch at a local hosteleria.
Yet
again the skies were overcast and it was drizzling with rain as we
set off from COQUIMBO passing through the old part of LA
SERENA (just 12 kilometres away) and also one of premier beach
resorts with some of the finest beaches in Chile, on our way to the
luscious ELQUI VALLEY and one of the most attractive oases in
this part of northern Chile and one of the main astronomical centres
of the world.
Vineyards have only recently been introduced to the ELQUI VALLEY, as previously production had been concentrated in the “Central Valley” close to SANTIAGO. And, despite its northerly location in Chile, it is already beginning to produce some very good, high quality red and white wines.
Along with patches of varying types of vegetables, there were also many apple and pear orchards as well as nectarine and orange groves and along with the production of Pisco (the locally produced liquor), which had been the mainstay of the local farming industry until the vines were introduced.
The ELQUI VALLEY has a dam located across it part way up and it was at this point that the weather changed dramatically, from being totally overcast with a low cloud level to the most amazingly clear blue skies and of course sunshine.
Shortly after the dam, we turned off the main road and onto a secondary road and into the semi-arid desert, heading towards CERRO TOLOLO, which is only paved as far as the official entrance.
From there a dirt road took us up (taking some 40 minutes) to the top of CERRO TOLOLO and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.
The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is one of now several observatories located in Chile and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The observatory belongs to AURA, an association of American and Chilean Universities and we were thrilled to be able to go inside and view each of the 2 main space telescopes.
Affectionally known as EL TOLOLO it is the location of the famous “Spitzer Space Telescope” (which is 4 metres in diameter), the ”Blanco Space Telescope”.
And also to visit the new main control room of the observatory, on a most fascinating and very interesting and informative tour of the facility taken by by one of their leading Chilean astronomers.
EL TOLOLO is also the location of an array of 5 other telescopes as well a 1 radio telescope.
From the top of CERRO TOLOLO, which is at a height of 2,200 metres, the views all around for 360° were stunning, and with the air being “as clear as a bell” we could really see some great distances.
After descending back down CERRO TOLOLO we continued on to VICUNA, the capital of the ELQUI VALLEY for a barbecue lunch at a local hosteleria.
And, after making a short tour of the town centre, made famous by the Nobel Prize winning poet Gabriela Mistral, we returning through the ELQUI VALLEY to LA SERENA and onto the port at COQUIMBO and re-joined the MS VEENDAM.
As
this was the last cruise ship to be visiting COQUIMBO for this
season, the MS VEENDAM had a super sending off by a local
brass band, playing us off the pier, passed the “ghost ship” in
the bay, as we headed out back onto the Pacific Ocean.
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