Compared to most most northern coastal towns, Antofagasta is a large city, with plenty of drinking water pumped down from the Andes. Occasionally, just outside the city, it is possible to find perfect square patches, irrigated by permanent spraying  transformed into lush vegetable and fruit gardens amidst a barren desert laqndscape. This is not too far from the large Chilean saltpetre resources. With sufficient supplies of water, the soil is incredibly fertile. Farther north is the harbour town of Tocopilla, the largest export harbour for copper in Chile, the country which is the largest exporter of copper in the world.

The mountains in this area are quite high and difficult to reach through the very extensive sand and loam desert. This is where most give up. My wife 'stayed at home' while Ritter and I made a large mountain tour. We visited the only location known to Ritter where there remains a single specimen of Pyrrhocactus residuus. After taking pictures of this rare specimen, we placed some more rocks around it to provide some extra protection to discourage the Guanacos from eating it. We had to get significantly higher to reach the ridge and eventually reached the top around noon, when we sat down for lunch. We had to pass along a very steep side of this ridge to reach the habitat of Copiapoa boliviana and Pyrrhocactus vexatus, as well as Eulychnia floresiana.

This area could only be reached along a very narrow track that had been worn out by the passage of Guanacos. When we heard a strange very high pitched whistle, Ritter explained thatthis was the warning cry of the Guanacos. This was confirmed a little later when we saw a brownish coloured Llama-like animal walk majestically along the rocky hill side. In addition to this wild species, there is a second wild Llama, called Vicuña (pronounced Vicoenja) which is somewhat smaller and even more graceful. Early in history, the endemic tribes probably used the then common and widely distributed Guanaco to breed two domestic Llama species: the Llama and the Alpaca, the former used to carry goods while the second produces the famous Llamawool.

Eulychnia floresiana Ritter on hills directly on the Chilean coast. Photo: Buining

After a long trip we reached our goal and saw large clumps of the Copiapoa and the magnificent Eulychnia. However we had to spend a huge amount of time looking for the Guanaco's beleaguered Pyrrhocactus vexatus, so that we could at least take a picture of this very rare plant in its habitat. While we were doing this, the first of the enormously large Condors started circling overhead, keeping a close eye on us, perhaps hoping that a possible accident might turn these two human beings into a meal.

In the mean time, mist was rising up from the Ocean and was drifting inland. In no time, the area below us had disappeared, so that it became dangerous to descend. There was no option but to return along the dangerous track following the ridge from where we had come Finally we arrived at our lunch spot and I refused to repeat the steep gravely decline. This time, the ravine leading down had at least some firm rocks to hold on to, although there were still some difficult stretches.

Just before nightfall, we reached the car and returned after a long drive safely back to our small hotel in Antofagasta. Once more in Chile we turned off the main road to reach Tocopilla where, in the hills, we looked for Copiapoa tocopillana and Eulychnia iquiquensis. The latter was easy to find, but the Copiapoa could not be found. We did see the Guanacos that had probably eaten these small, relatively soft bodied Copiapoa.

Finally, on the top of the hills near Tocopilla with Eulychnia iquiquensis Ritter.
Photo: Buining

(to be continued)