Yesterday the 2nd 4x4 event of my trip to South America began.
Raid Atacama is the largest recreational 4x4 gathering in Chile. over 300 participants from all over Chile and even Peru.The event is sponsored by ARB Chile among others.
The first day is always the day for registration. The Copiapo city square was the location for this. The environment was much like a street fair.
The towns Mayor was seen greeting event organizers and posing for photo opportunities with participants and locals alike.
Later in the evening the party got kicked off in true Chilean style with a dance at the event's base camp.
I ran into Rick Pewi, Editor of Peterson's 4-Wheel& Off-Road magazine in front of the dance hall. We had a few beers together and chatted about how well the 4x4 industry of Chile is doing before calling it a night.
Today we head out into the Sand dunes of the great Atacama!