Along the Panamerican Highway, Chile

Unless otherwise noted, text and photos by Ed Hedemann (click on photos to enlarge)

	As we headed north along Ruta 5 (AKA the Panamerican Highway), there was a long stretch featuring many windmill farms.

	This was our first stop at a Pacific Ocean beach, allowing (some of) us to dip toes into the winter water.
	There were also a huge number of sometimes very elaborate memorials to people who had died in traffic accidents, often at bendy points on downhill parts of the highway.
	The highway had a lot of billboards about the eclipse. Photo by Ruth Benn
	This billboard advertised towns where the eclipse could be observed.
	However, some used the eclipse to sell real estate in resort-heavy Elqui Valley. Photo (and self-portrait) by Ruth Benn.
	There were many roadside stands selling food and drink. A lot of them employed young women waving white flags to get the attention of drivers on Chile's main highway.