Tacna, a town that I like.
Trip Start
Nov 07, 2006
1
38
54
Trip End
Apr 26, 2007
Tacna, Peru
Friday, March 2, 2007
Being two hours ahead of Chile I was up early so had a chance to plan my day, not a thing I normally do but it turned out very well.
Tacna is not a large town, it sits between two huge sand dunes some few Kms inland from the Pacific and itīs claim to fame was a vicious battle in the late 1800īs. First visited the military museum and as usual it depicts the hero generals with glory and basically ignores the many dead of both sides who were the fodder of the politicians (?).
Second and third ports of call were the two markets, both were very similar. The narrow islands thronged with potential customers, each isle rows of outlets all appearing to sell the same things.Walking down the butchers isle with itīs huge variety of Ļmeat cutsī, many of the lamb joints, (or were they llama?), retained a small section of wool be it the tail or an ear. Beef, hanging in nearly full carcasses, some with part head or horn with the leather skin peeled back, not a very nice sight. Half heads of pigs, trotters by the pile with there pink toes all pointing to the fore, chickens by the dozens, featherless in their dead indignity.
The fish island was a little different, small shell fish to large shark like creatures all shared the vast number of flies no doubt attracted by the strong small. Thinking about it he main difference between the butcher and fishmongers isles was the hygiene. Where-as the butchers while awaiting customers would gently wave a stick over their meat thus temporarily disturbing the flies, the fishmongers appeared to have given up the task realizing the futility of such an act.
When I see piles of individual fruits or vegetables displayed in any market I wonder how anyone can select a particular stall. The place is a mass of colour and a sweet aroma hangs over the area. It is to me always a photoī opportunity that canīt be missed.
Other isles have their own smell, the pungent aroma of the spices in large open sacks and even the perfumed smell of the īdrugstoreī lane where the lines of stalls remind me, of many moons ago, and the days of the Dereham stall, I shiver at the recollection.
My next visit was an "out of character" place, the railway museum in the local station, this place was indeed different covering all aspects of rail travel over the past century or more.. I climbed aboard steam engines that were in their prime when Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid were creating fear on the railroads, I wandered through carriages where images of train robbers, gamblers and ladies in high fashion sitting watching the countryside slowly change as the miles passed by.. Even the dining car evoked thoughts of extravagant meals being served by immaculately uniformed waiters. The luggage wagon , perhaps in itīs working days with a safe guarded by a gun toting old man awaiting the arrival of Butch and Sundance.
Beyond the flights of my vivid imagine there were such things as the old telegraph system, the morse code keys, photographs of the old trains crossing high structures over canyons and gorges, the working sheds smelling of thick grease, full of giant machinery that showed their origin, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester among the many American names.
The final call was the cathedral, a fine open building with extremely clean lines designed by Eiffel, ( I donīt know where the French connection came in but Eiffel had some other works in this town). The interior feels wide open, the decoration is subdued giving the feeling of depth and breadth, plenty of light enters from above,even through the beautiful patterned leaded windows. There is a grand dome at the center, (eckoing the theme of St. Pauls in minature),and although this is a small cathedral I feel it is quite outstanding in both architecture and aesthetics and I know nothing of either - - -it just pleases my senses, perhaps Eiffel would like that.
So my planning paid off, maybe Iīll find time to do it again one day.
Sorry if this has been a big blog but it was that kind of day, perhaps planning pays !
Go on you travelers, try it yourselves, BUT as always TAKE CARE out there. Good luck, Peter T.
