A dusty land splashed with color

Editor's note: Justin Cox of Scott City is spending six months in Chile teaching English. He's writing stories about his experiences and impressions.

By Justin Cox

Antofagasta, Chile, does not fit the conventional stereotypes of Latin American cities for a number of reasons. One is the fact that Antofagasta is the wealthiest city in a decently well-off country, thanks to the massive amounts of copper mined in the region and shipped through the port here. The marked British influence is another reason; a replica of the Big Ben clock tower, a gift from England, sits in the main plaza. Finally, the landscape and geography of the city defies expectations.

The city's shape mimics that of the country as a whole. Sandwiched between the sea and a line of mountainesque, rock-hard sand dunes, Antofagasta averages only a couple of miles wide but is probably six or eight times as long. Any spot in the city offers spectacular panoramic views of the sea to the west and the brightly-colored, flat-roofed houses climbing -- sometimes precariously -- the bases of the towering dunes.

Although the Tropic of Capricorn is a veritable stone's throw away, not even the most sensory deprived individual would describe Antofagasta as "tropical." The dunes are devoid of greenery, as is most of the city, which makes it feel very dusty. There are a couple of parks and a few palm trees, but it only rains about half an hour a year and the drinking water is desalinated ocean water, so little moisture is available to support plant life.

An interesting side note: It actually rained just last week. Not very hard or for very long, but it was enough to keep a lot of students home from school the next day. About 10 years ago it rained here very hard, creating flash floods and destroying many homes built on the hills' lower slopes. Memories of that disaster, as well as a lack of roof maintenance, mean that any precipitation causes anxiety.

Perhaps to compensate for the lack of flora, the city is everywhere splashed with murals with various subjects: civic pride, working class people, the area's indigenous inhabitants, etc. In fact, I think the only thing that rivals the number of murals in Antofagasta is the number of stray dogs. Wandering canines seem to be everywhere. In general, they are well-behaved and seem well-fed. I've even seen a few dressed in sweatshirts.

All in all, I like the city. I love the contrast of sea and hills; the murals; and the bright blue, yellow, red and green houses. It's dusty, yes, and a little dirty by American standards, but it's also beautiful.

One last thing: It has become apparent since classes started that there is a dire lack of teaching resources here, especially Spanish-English dictionaries for the students. If you or your organization would be interested in helping, please contact me at jcoxer@gmail.com.

Justin Cox is a native of Scott City and graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.