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November 14 - 18, 2003 |
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You may reserve your space on this trip when
you are contacted by Lanchile Vacations. |
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Day 1
Friday, November 14, 2003
Dinner
Antofagasta
Upon arrival in Santiago, connect to your 2-hour flight
to the town of Antofagasta, where you will be transferred to our
hotel. Join us this evening for a welcome dinner.
Overnight: Antofagasta Carrera Hotel (2 nights) |
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Day 2
Saturday, November 15
Breakfast & Dinner
ESO Paranal
Observatory/Very Large Telescope
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After breakfast, transfer to the
European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in
northern Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the driest areas on
Earth. Located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of
Antofagasta and 12 km inland from the Pacific Coast, Cerro
Paranal stands 2,635 meters (8,775 feet) high. The mountain
was |
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ESO Paranal Observatory |
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chosen as the site for ESO's Very Large
Telescope, a foursome of 8.2-meter (27-foot) giants, because of its
remoteness from the dust and lights of civilization and its
excellent atmospheric conditions. During our visit we'll learn how
astronomers plan to link the VLT's four reflectors together to act
as a single 16.4-meter-diameter telescope, by far the world's
largest. We'll then return to Antofagasta for a late-afternoon lunch
and a tour of the area, including La Portada, the geological symbol
of Antofagasta dating back 3.5 million years. We'll also visit
Antofagasta's fishermen's market and the historical district. |
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Day 3
Sunday, November 16
Breakfast/Lunch
Tololo & Gemini South Observatories
After breakfast,
transfer to the airport for our flight to La Serena. After lunch,
we'll check in to our hotel and then journey to Cerro Tololo
Inter-American Observatory, a major complex of astronomical
telescopes approximately 80 km to the east of La Serena at an
elevation of 2,200 meters. We'll also visit the adjacent peak, Cerro
Pachon, site of the 8.1-meter Gemini South telescope. Together with
its twin in Hawaii, the Gemini telescopes give American astronomers
access to the entire celestial sphere with large-aperture
instruments. Evening return to La Serena with dinner on your own.
Overnight: La Serena Carrera Hotel (2 nights) |
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Day 4
Monday, November 17
Breakfast/Dinner
La
Serena, Coquimbo & Mamalluca Observatory |
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After breakfast we'll embark on a
morning excursion to La Serena and Coquimbo. In La Serena we'll
experience the rich colonial architecture of the city. We'll also
visit parks with historical monuments, the craft market of La Recova,
and the archaeological museum. Continuing, we'll visit the port of
Coquimbo, whose history documents the constant assaults by pirates
who devastated this area. Your afternoon is free to relax and
explore on your own. After dinner we'll embark on an evening of
southern-sky stargazing at the Mamalluca Amateur Observatory outside
of town. Late evening return to La Serena. |
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Left is the Gemini South Observatory that
we will visit on Day 3. Above is the Mamalluca
Observatory where we will stargaze on Day 4. |
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Day 5
Tuesday,
Nov. 18
Breakfast
Santiago/Punta Arenas
After breakfast we'll transfer to the La Serena airport for
our flight to Santiago and our connection on to Punta Arenas. |
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Tour cost:
$1,095 per person based
on double occupancy. Add $250 for single occupancy. If travelers are
not flying LanChile on the International flights, a surcharge of
$100 will be applied to the package. |
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Trip Includes: |
- Flights from Santiago to
Antofagasta to La Serena to Santiago.
- Four nights hotel accommodations
including taxes.
- All sightseeing and ground
transportation as noted in the itinerary.
- Meals as specified in the
itinerary.
- Admissions to all observatories.
- Sky & Telescope editor lending
insight to observatories we will visit.
- English-speaking bilingual guide
throughout the trip.
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Not Included: |
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Items of a personal nature, unspecified meals, airport
departure taxes, and tips to driver and guide. |
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