Ready-made redneck

So i had a great day. Didn´t have a plan when I arrived here, but on the shuttle ride from the airport I saw these desert cliffs way off in the distance and right then I decided that´s where I was going.
I headed first to the bus terminal, more into town, to drop off my backpack. After that it was walking time. This place ended up being a long ways, but I had all day: I only wish that my camera hadn´t decided to malfunction only for this part.

Instead I have a series of journal entries to clue you in:

Being spontaneous I go to the first spot that catches my eyes. I have to backtrack of course. Coming upon an unveiling ceremony for some Argentinian/Antogagastan heroe. The local army band played both national anthems and I chatted with a local woman who sat next to me having just dropped off her son at school.
I caught a micro and got dropped off at some beach, but I immediately started heading further towards the cliffs. This is really arid land, no grass whatsoever. Troping along empty space, only surrounded by traffic, where likely no tourist or local has gone before. I head for the beach and ecnounter shantytowns. Ranging from rundown metal structures, tents on the beach, and cutely painted cottages. Should I worry about my safety or enjoy the hideaway I´ve discovered.
Perched on jagged rocks above the waves I go for the latter. And so the adventure continues, what lies around the corner?
Further down even closer to the waves I spot a while dome, it´s a memorial to a lost love one:

En Memoria de Ricard Jesús Araja Castillo
2.1.1958 - 8.1.2010
"No te preguntaremos porque, te llevaste, sino te damos gracias porque nos los distes."
We won´t ask why you were taken, but we give thanks for what you gave us

This seems to be a common practice as I encountered several alters. It´s really touching because these are way out there perched on jagged rocks, surround by waves. They are really special places to remember loved ones.

POEM:
Trash Dump Beach Resort
Ghost Town Empty Roads
The ocean´s waves
The sun´s rays
Ahhh, to be alone

This basically describes the majority of my trek. The beaches are littered in trash, and an unusual amount of singular shoes. It seems that a lot of homeless people camp along here, as well as many people drinking at night as there are lots of fire spots and broken rum, beer bottles.

A THOUGHT:
Guid books are only limits
to pick a spot and go,
not because someone else has been,
not because there are signs to direct you.
To just follow that initial instinct

Here´s probably the most incredible thing i found. A patch of the cliff was cover by mounds of nothing but seashells, like it the very first stage of sand formation. Pure white seashell sand high up on a dune cliff, I really am on the moon. It´s nearly impossible to explain, but it´s like any rock you´d encounter, huge slaps of the stuff, but it´s nothing but sea shells. And it must´ve been here forever because it´s way way up above the ocean. I´ve never seen anything like it. And I considered bringing some back, but with just a little handling it begins to crumble.


I keep flashing back to Lawrence of Arabia. This shit is cool!
My general reaction. The truth is, it was very much like it, except I was right on the ocean, I had water, and I could see a road and civilization. One this I didn´t consider was the big thing called sun. I now have an incredibly red face.

ANOTHER POEM:

Cliffs
Ends of the ocean
an endless mass
until it comes to earth
that which holds off this mass
but in good time
nature´s water force
makes sculpture out of land.

Delivering life to land
since the beginning of history
walking life and sculptured life
air, wind, plant, texture

LAST THOUGHT: Birds are lucky, they can be perched on any delicate surface in the world if they want to.

Before my internet runs out. My last errand was a haircut and boy was it great. Shampoo and hair massage and a much lighter head! The ladies were nice too and after laughing at my red head suggested I buy some aloe vera.