Pricey night in Antofagasta, Chile

Oh, Antofastgasta. Warning to other backpackers, the hostel has closed and the rest of the accommodation seemed dodgey or quality with nothing in between. And there really isn't a lot of reason to stay.
   However, the journey from Caldera to Antofagasta was once of the most spectacular so far. Chile is extreme in it's beauty. At times the landscapes are like what I'd expect to see on another planet. They really are like nothing I had even gone close to seeing before.

There's a lot of distance to be covered in Chile, especially now, in the North, on the edge of the Atacama Desert.

Still without greenery, it changes.

and still it changes

In Antofagasta, I loved this painted building. Some of the windows are painted, some are real, but it's good enough that you have to looke carfeully to know which are just painted.

Copper, being freighted through town.

Notes:

Accommodation: Humberstone Hotel $46. Private room, private bath. * * * *

VIP bus Caldera to Antofagasta (it was the next available, and I couldn't risk another night in Caldera) $22.