27.07.2015.
La Serena and Coquimbo
I have arrived the day before in La Serena, which is the capital,of Coquimbo region. The city of La Serena is literally grown together with the neighbouring city of Coquimbo. First I met the honorary consul of Hungary in the city, Washington León and his Hungarian wife, Katika.
La Serena was the second city founded in Chile, by Valdivia, because of the strategic laying. It is halfway between Lima and Santiago. The first city was soon destroyed by the natives, but it was reestablished in 1549 south of the original city. Here it stands now. The region is a famous tourist destination due its seashores, grape-yards and wine-cellars. The region is the biggest producer of the basic of the famous "pisco sour", the pisco. Which is a strong (~40%) alcoholic drink distilled of grape. Furthermore it is a university center due to the biggest university of North Chile, the University of La Serena.
The city's "most famous son" is Gábriel González Videla, senator and president of Chile (1946-1952), who has a nice museum in the main square, which I could visit during my stay. During his presidency women achieved full voting rights in elections, and he appoints the first female minister in Latin America. Although his government adopted the "Ley Maldita", which banned the communist party from Chile. Pablo Neruda, a communist party member fled the country because of this. Furthermore his government ordered the construction of the Panamericana motorway, several hydroelectric and oil refinery plants, and the extension of the country's electricity network. He also ordered the setting up of a permanent base in the Antarctic (now named after him), which is a legal base for Chile to announce official claim of part of the frozen continent. Furthermore he did proposed a very important regulation, which is now a permanent and inevitable part of the international low of the sees, this is the establishment of the 200 miles exclusive economic zone. Peru, Chile and Ecuador made the first agreement on this zones during his presidency.
During my stay I visited the Cross of the Third Millennium, baptised by his Holiness XVI. Benedict. From the top there is a beautiful view to the whole region and the Pacific Ocean. With the afternoon bus I started over to San Pedro de Atacama with a 16 hour ride.