All the men are very enthusiastic about the visit to Chuquicamata. At 2800m above sea level, this town houses all the workers of Codelci (a state owned copper mine).

For the mine visit we all have to dress and use their safety equipment – this includes a gas mask (I am not joking) hard hat, ear plugs, safety goggles and strange things that you have to wear over your shoes – everybody is a little confused about how to put these things on.

This is an open pit mine – a HUGE open pit mine – one very big hole in the earth and HUGE trucks to move the ore from one place to the next. The men enjoy talking about percentages of this and that and other things.

We visit the smelter and I can smell the SO2 in the air. I find the smelter fascinating – we see how the copper is melted and then poured into forms, how they cool down the copper and how it is then moved to the next section of the process. They use electrolysis to continue to purify the copper.

From here we go to the slimes dam (fortunately without all the safety clothes.) The men fell into a deep discussion about the width, height and slope gradient of the dam walls – they also distribute business cards between themselves.


Chuquicamata is owned by the Anaconda Copper Company.

After the mine visit we are taken to the club house where we will have lunch. If I knew how fancy it was going to be I would have dressed with more care.

Each of the delegates (including me) is supplied with a Pisco Sour (a Chilean liqueur made from grapes with a very high sugar content. The grapes are mashed into a pulp. The pulp ferments and the mixture is then distilled. The liquid is stored for between 4 and 12 months in wooden caskets.) The Pisco Sour we are served now was in the casket for 2 years and they are especially proud of this particular batch.

It is impossible to refuse to drink it – so the painful expressions on their faces tells us when one of the people explains that he does not drink. I found it very sour and really undrinkable, but I swallowed politely – and was left without oxygen for about 2 minutes gasping for air, hoping to recover without them noticing!

Recipe for Pico Sour:

450 ml of Pisco Sour

200ml chilled pisco

150 ml lemon juice

2 t sugar

½ t of egg white

Liquidise all ingredients and mix until the sugar is melted. Cool down, taste (if you can face it) and add either lemon juice of sugar to taste (– I suggest much more sugar???).

I think this is an acquired taste – I would definitely need some time to get use to this...

The rest of the meal is exquisite: The starter is crab followed by a fish and shrimp dish as the main course and fruit as a desert. They shower us with gifts (including pens and hats) and definitely like kissing – I get a kiss on the cheek from each of the men I meet!!

Chileans definitely know how to entertain. They normally have their main meal in the middle of the day, at dinner time they will have a delicate sandwich and then will have another huge meal at 10pm at night and after that they will be ready to party....one long party every day – wonder when they sleep?