Our travels with Pachi also took us to the Azapa Valley, just outside of Arica. This valley is known for its production of fruits and vegetables, especially a unique violet-colored olive that produces a strong-tasting olive oil. I was so interested to learn about this because when I first bought olive oil in Arica back in March, I had noticed that it was especially strong - and good. It was from the Azapa Valley, and now I know that I was not imagining the strong taste! One of my students had me try olives that her father, who works in the valley, had prepared from scratch - right from the tree. They were amazing. There's a whole process of soaking them in salt water for a period of days until they reach perfection. Also in the Azapa Valley are the famous geoglyphs, which you see in the photo. Geoglyphs are huge figures made by collecting stones from the hillside to form figures or by removing debris to expose the differently colored surface as the image. The valley's geoglyphs are thought to have been made by ancient peoples, but it is not certain what purpose they served - whether they were used for directions or as some type of worship ritual. We do know one thing, though: Pachi pointed out to us the large, protruding male genitalia on the animal figures, representing their wish for fertility. Isn't it a riot that thousands of years pass, and some things don't change?!
My dear friend and colleague Pachi was kind enough to take Mom, Gordon, and me on a fantastic personal tour of Arica. Her family has been in the travel and tourism business for years, so she knows everything! The photo you see here shows Arica's main attraction: El Morro ("the steep hill," for lack of a better description). The final blow in the War of the Pacific's Battle of Arica was the taking of El Morro by Chilean forces on June 7, 1880. Until that time, Arica had been part of Peru. Although it functioned as part of Chile for years, Arica was not officially declared a Chilean city until 1929. At that point in time, it is said that people were given the choice to stay in Arica and be Chilean, or move to Tacna (9 miles away) and be Peruvian. I have also heard that many indigenous and poorer people were coerced into going to Peru. These are the bits of "history" I learn from taxi drivers and bartenders!
These photos capture Arica's other attraction, La Catedral San Marcos, whose claim to fame is that it was designed by Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame! (I have not yet figured out or been able to understand when people try to tell me what he was doing here...). Anyway, it's made of metal and has a white and pink facade; very unique. I love the photo taken from El Morro, which essentially shows La Catedral and the whole downtown area, which has now become so familiar to me. Arica is a town of about 200,000 people, although it often feels smaller, as I already run into people I know! 
An interesting little story: This is the "Cristo de Paz," (Christ of Peace) which sits on top of El Morro. It is supposed to represent peace between the two countries of Chile and Peru. The Golden Rule is engraved on the bottom. Ironically, however, it is facing neither the town of Arica nor the country of Peru because people could not agree on which way it should face! Should it face Chile or Peru? In the end, Christ has his arms spread open to the Pacific Ocean, and if you look up from downtown Arica you see him from the back! It seems to me that people have somehow missed the point!
