The 3°C dawn quickly warmed to near 40°C as we descended another thousand meters with sand in our teeth (from the previous night’s bivouac).  The barren terrain looks flat, but we coast for 50 km at 25 to 40 kph, at times even seeming to coast uphill.  There are mountains of tailings from huge copper mines across the valley.  Chile has a more highly developed economy, and entering Calama reminds me of southern California.  The first hotel we stop at charges $60 for a room.  We paid an average of $13 in Bolivia.  After checking several more, we check into a residencial for $24, but soon regret the smoky, cramped quarters.  Tomorrow we’ll move to a much nicer hotel for $37, including breakfast.  We visit our families celebrating Thanksgiving (via Skype picturephone for free!)

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