Connecting Math to Our Lives Report Virtual Field Trip to the high mountain desert of Atacama   CHILE: Local Project Report from Prof. Claudio Galindo and Félix Alvarez and their 14 year old students from the School "José Santos Ossa" in Antofagasta, Chile FIRST DAY IN THE DRIEST DESERT Last saturday we were very happy because the tour was very close. Our bus arrived early in the morning this tuesday and not all the students had arrived yet, nevertheless here is a picture of those who came early. The whole group in Calama, a city about 2,200 mt above the sea level. We had lunch and enjoyed river Loa behind us. It looks very hot and dry and in fact it is. Temperature averages 29°C and eyes ache because of the dryness of the air. We all got headaches and some suffer nose bleeding since we are not used to this altitude. Our camp was settled on dry ground and there is no electricity. Tomorrow we will visit a huge open pit mine of copper called Chuquicamata. It has been a tough day and we are really very tired. See you tomorrow! Hi! This is the huge open pit mine which is very dusty now. Trucks are carring the stone material from the bottom of the mine. It is at 2,800 mt above the sea level. These trucks are very big and can carry a lot matirial. They spend 2 lt fuel per minute or what you spend in fifteen months in your own car, they spend in just one hour. Students very protected with helmets aside a big truck! They are not as slow as they might seem. In fact, they can reach 100km/h with cargo included. Hot material running down the hill. Our guide inside the mine teaches students about copper production and the ways it is obtained from the stones. And pools of sulfuric acid to extract copper from other materials. Impresive steams from the copper at very high temperatures.