I arrived in Antofagasta on June 24th - a Sunday - after a 19 hour bus ride from Santiago. The entertainment on the bus consisted of several American films: Zookeeper, Something Borrowed, Cowboys & Aliens and finally Source Code. I slept a lot. Waking up only to see the vast desert landscapes shift hues every couple of hours. But as we drove up into Antofagasta, I was in awe. "Comfortable" may actually be a better word. "I can do this," I said to myself multiple times. "I can do this." And then, "This is going to be easy."
Antofagasta is a city on the sea. It's beautiful to behold from the coast. It has two malls. Beautiful and bountiful graffiti. A complicated public transportation system ("micros" y "colectivos" but more on that later). A couple different universities. A futbol stadium. Bars. Couple of cafes. Couple of parks. And a helluva lot of people. And, not dissimilar to my "home", Los Angeles, way too many cars.
But these are all first impressions. I'll be picking this city apart, piece by piece, at this address for the next 5 months. Short reflections, photos of the amazing graffiti, and whatever else I can think of. Watch Darn struggle. Watch Darn do. Watch Darn learn life lessons and decry the greed and over-consumption of the American system. With humor and love, of course. Because I wouldn't be able to come down here without that system. My value as a native English speaker wouldn't exist without that system. Watch Darn contradict.
Nos vemos,
-Darn
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