This is San Pedro de Atacama, the driest desert in the world, and a 20 hour bus ride north from Santiago-or a 2 hour plane ride, thank goodness.
Part of the world's largest open pit copper mine
Smelter and hydrometallurgy ponds--looked a lot like a modern day Moridor to me
My vote for craziest part of the mine: These are the trucks that carry the copper/tailings out of the mines. They're so big that all normal cars have to carry flags on their roofs to avoid being run over. Each of their person-sized wheels cost $20,000 and have to be replaced once a year! Also, they use a ridiculous amount of diesel, and pollute like no other.
I couldn't quite bring myself to smile
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