Arica, Chile is about 11 miles south of the border with Peru. It receives 0.03 inches of rain a year. Yeah, that makes us thirsty, too. So, what does one do when visiting one of the driest places on Earth??? Spend the day in the Atacama Desert of course.
Squatter communities seemed to be present everywhere. Apparently, some people build “shacks” on some of the more undesirable land & live without electricity or water. Many of these people have jobs. The goal here is to force the government to develop the area, give them land and provide housing (utilities, etc.). After a certain length of time the squatters can “complain” to the government about their poor living conditions. The squatters are then offered government housing for a total cost (not monthly) of between $50- and $100 US dollars.
Click on the image below to view pictures from our time in Arica:
 |
| Arica, Chile |
http://electricpassport.blogspot.com/2010/04/trouble-viewing-pictures-heres-plan-b.html
