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0:00:02 > 0:00:05- The desert - - arid, desolate, uncompromising.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12- A far-reaching barren landscape.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23- But it is in these unfamiliar places - that nature flourishes...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25- ..and inhabitants dwell.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- With vigour and resilience, - they have learnt to survive...
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- ..and forged a unique way of life.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45- But today, it is under pressure - from the modern world.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- Trade and industry - are coveting the desert's resources.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- Natives have had to adapt - quicker than ever before.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- This is the story - of resilient and tenacious people...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- ..preserving their habitat - and fighting for the right...
0:01:04 > 0:01:08- ..to live in the most - challenging places on earth.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38- You only need one word - to describe this place.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40- Dry.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43- So incredibly dry in parts...
0:01:43 > 0:01:47- ..that no bacteria - is able to thrive here.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- And if no bacteria thrives, - what chance do people have?
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- Welcome to the Atacama Desert, - one of the driest places on earth.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00- Some areas haven't seen a drop - of rain for at least 400 years.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07- But somehow, - communities have flourished here.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- Colourful communities - full of fun and spirit.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20- But the Atacama has witnessed - its fair share of bleak times too.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25- These parched lands - retain the secrets of the past.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35- The worst atrocities - are still in living memory.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39- The Atacama faces - another bleak period in its history.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46- Mining companies are busy - ravaging the desert's treasures...
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- ..by redirecting - its most precious resource...
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- ..and sucking the life - from the ground.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59- Scarce water that once sustained - people is now sustaining business.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- And yet, perhaps - it is in this infertile land...
0:03:06 > 0:03:11- ..that we may solve some of the - biggest mysteries of the universe...
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- ..and discover - there is life on other planets.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20- I'm venturing into the heart of - the Atacama to observe its wonders.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- It's also a personal pilgrimage...
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- ..since I've been brought up...
0:03:28 > 0:03:34- ..hearing stories about Antofagasta - and Taltal, the Atacama's ports.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39- But there is also - one tragic family tale...
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- ..to do with the Atacama.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- I hope being here - will shed light on the story.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58- A town in the Andean highlands.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- In the mountains above the town...
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- ..my journey begins.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10- These mountains prevent the clouds - from reaching the Atacama.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- That is why it is so dry here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- But in these barren highlands...
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- ..farmers - are trying to scrape a living.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- Benita Panire is one such farmer.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- She has farmed here for 60 years.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34- Alone.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- It's a hard life.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- It's challenging for anyone.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- Lucky I was brought up on a farm.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- I might've been raised on a farm, - but the lack of oxygen here...
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- ..is affecting me.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- I'm out of breath.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- We're 10,000 feet above sea level - and the air is thin.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Compared to Snowdon, - it's three times as high.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- For Benita, it's not the height...
0:05:18 > 0:05:23- ..but the extreme weather - that poses the biggest problem.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- The wind - is the worst thing in winter.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- There is dust everywhere - and it's very cold.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35- Benita has no electricity - or running water.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40- Years ago, she walked miles - to fetch water from a mountain well.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- But the journey - has since become too much for her.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- She relies - on the kindness of neighbours...
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- ..and avoids wasting a single drop.
0:05:56 > 0:06:02- They bring me water every week - which lasts from seven to 15 days...
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- ..if I use it sparingly.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- Benita farms here alone...
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- ..and follows the same - farming methods as the Incas.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Incan remains can be found nearby.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- Despite the hardship, she is - continuing the ancient tradition...
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- ..and the old way of life.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- Benita's nephew, Rene, - is a frequent visitor.
0:06:34 > 0:06:40- He is the elder of a community which - lives at the foot of the mountain...
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- ..in the town of Ayquina.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- But life - isn't any easier here either.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- I worry about - our standard of living.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01- It's the 21st century, but it's like - people are living in the Stone Age.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- There is no running water - and no sewage system.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- People must use the open fields.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Although Ayquina - looks like a sprawling town...
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- ..only 70 people live here - throughout the year.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- A lack of resources - is the reason for this.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- Even if there were - a water supply here...
0:07:30 > 0:07:35- ..residents wouldn't be able - to drink it because in Chile...
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- ..water is a privatized resource.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44- Residents may sell water rations - provided by the government...
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- ..for the best price.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- It's a strange system - in a strange town.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- But if the streets - are usually empty...
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- ..twice a year that all changes.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- RHYTHMIC DRUMBEAT
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- This is the main procession - for the town's three-day festival...
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- ..dedicated to its patron.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- The Spaniards brought a statue - of the Virgin of Guadalupe here...
0:08:27 > 0:08:29- ..and she disappeared.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- Locals have been busy for weeks - making bread and food...
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- ..and arranging flowers for - the many visitors who flock here.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44- The costumes, dances and rituals - date back to the Pagan roots...
0:08:44 > 0:08:46- ..of the native tribes.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Before you start tutting...
0:08:49 > 0:08:54- ..what about Santes Dwynwen - and Santes Brid, or even Christmas?
0:08:56 > 0:09:01- Today the people celebrate - the miraculous appearance...
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- ..of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12- Nobody knows for certain - on which day the Virgin appeared...
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- ..almost 400 years ago.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20- So in order to escape her scorn, - residents hold two celebrations.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- In September and December.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- How religious!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- This is a tight-knit community...
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- ..and everybody - contributes to the festivities.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- Rene's aunt makes the popcorn.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43- It's a feast for the entire family.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51- At its peak, the festival - sees more than 70,000 people...
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- ..descend on Ayquina.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- There is no denying - the joy and jubilation.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- But the celebrating - masks a sad reality.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- This community - and its unique culture...
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- ..is under threat.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- Only a minority of people work hard - to preserve this tradition.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17- Although the visitors are native - to the village, they've moved away.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- But they return - to keep the ritual alive...
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- ..and to help those who remain.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27- One of the biggest tragedies - in all of this...
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- ..is that the native language - is taking its last breath.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37- That is the price - they've had to pay for growth.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42- The inhabitants of Ayquina - are descendents of the Aymara tribe.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47- Their history in the Andes - dates back more than 2,000 years.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- Their costumes, music, - dance and language...
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- ..originate from an era...
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- ..before the first Europeans - set foot on their land.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07- They also hold the secret - to the long survival of the Aymara.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- In such a dry place as this...
0:11:10 > 0:11:15- ..how was it possible - for a civilized society to thrive?
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0:11:28 > 0:11:32- In the shadow of the Andes - in the Atacama Desert...
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- ..the residents of Ayquina - are eager to reveal a secret.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41- The secret to the survival - of their ancestors, the Aymara.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- This is one of - the driest places in the world.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- It has always been that way.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- We're here at one of - the Atacama's archaeological sites.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59- You'd never believe it, - but more than 1,000 years ago...
0:11:59 > 0:12:01- ..this was greenery.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- People farmed these arid plains...
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- ..and kept animals.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- They grew vegetables and plants.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- Generations of people lived here.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- "Where did they find water?" - you may ask.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- Remember, - this was more than 1,000 years ago.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- From that mountain - in the distance...
0:12:23 > 0:12:29- ..they created a hydraulic system - of tunnels and pipes...
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- ..which extended - all the way down to here...
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- ..to irrigate - these plots in the plains...
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- ..so that vegetables would grow.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- But what about - during the long winters...
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- ..when the glaciers didn't melt?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- According to Cesar Milan, - a local archaeologist...
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- ..this is when the Aymara's - ingenuity came to the fore.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- This dam was built - with random holes.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- These holes could be opened - or closed to control the flow.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- People devised a way of cultivating - food and a way of life...
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- ..that is still relevant today.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18- They were - very contemporary for their time.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- We can all learn a lesson...
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- ..from the Aymara's resourcefulness.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- When a close-knit community shares - the same dogged determination...
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- ..they can overcome - any hardship and achieve anything.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- More than 1,000 years later...
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- ..the Aymara's legacy - is still reviving the land.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- Today, on the slopes - beneath Ayquina...
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- ..there is a hidden oasis.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- Terraces of crops...
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- ..irrigated by water channels...
0:14:03 > 0:14:05- ..which spring from a mountain well.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- The system is almost - a carbon copy of the Aymara's.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28- These vegetables look wonderful. - I grow my own vegetables at home.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- These acorns and sweetcorn - are much better than mine.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- But then again, I have plenty of - water. But my potatoes are better!
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- What's this?
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- It's a simple question, but why - is the answer so long winded?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- WOMAN SPEAKS SPANISH
0:14:59 > 0:15:04- There's only one thing for it - - I'll taste it, whatever it's called.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- This is definitely pepper.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- She thinks it's funny!
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- I need some water.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- Yes, water, the secret of - the Aymara's agricultural success.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- But not everything - in the Garden of Eden is rosy.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- These days, - industrialists with deep pockets...
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- ..are vying for - the Atacama's water...
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- ..by redirecting - this scarce resource...
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- ..and threatening - to change the desert for ever.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Despite the desolate landscape...
0:15:59 > 0:16:03- ..there are treasures - hiding beneath this wilderness.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- Gold, silver...
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- ..iron, copper, lithium.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- There's an abundance - of each one here.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- Mining is incredibly lucrative.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25- There are hundreds of mines the - length and breadth of the desert.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32- Underfoot is over half - the world's lithium supply.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- Chile - currently produces more copper...
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- ..than any other country.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- But why is the Atacama...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- ..so rich in minerals?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- In order to answer that question...
0:16:48 > 0:16:52- ..we must go back - more than a hundred million years.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- Long ago, - it wasn't a desert, it was a sea.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- The seas receded...
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- ..leaving saltwater lakes behind.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07- When they eventually dried up, - all that remained was salt crystal.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14- In Wales, a block of salt...
0:17:14 > 0:17:19- ..wouldn't survive in the open air - - it would instantly melt in the rain.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23- But there is practically - no moisture in the Atacama.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- Salt can be mined on a vast scale.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- One of the largest mines - in the Atacama...
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- ..is the Salar Grande de Tarapaca.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40- The reservoir is 5km wide...
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- ..and measures 45km in length.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52- There is enough salt here for every - person in the world for centuries.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- Salt of the earth? This is it.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- But the business magnates - face one basic problem.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- The process of mining minerals - like copper and lithium...
0:18:18 > 0:18:20- ..utilises vast amounts of water.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- Water is the one thing - that's scarce here.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- That's why the major companies - are so keen to buy more of it.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- The inhabitants of the Atacama...
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- ..receive water rations - from the government annually.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- But instead of using them, - they are able to sell them.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- Usually...
0:18:44 > 0:18:49- ..the major mining companies are - the ones offering the highest price.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- For villages and towns - throughout the Atacama...
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- ..the ramifications are detrimental.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- I'm on the outskirts of Quillagua...
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- ..one of the driest places - on the face of the earth.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- It has earned a place - in the Guinness Book Of Records.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Every morning, - Quillagua's officials...
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- ..meet to perform - a completely unnecessary ceremony.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- This is the instrument - used to measure rainwater.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- The most idle rain gauge - in all the world!
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- It hasn't measured - a single drop of rain in 40 years.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- Thank goodness - Andres has a second job.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- He's the owner - of the village's only hotel.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- He gives the same old spiel - to every new visitor...
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- ..who stays here.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Here in Quillagua, - the water is rationed.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- Residents receive a small ration.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- No-one is allowed to use...
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- ..more than - 42 litres of water a day.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08- I'm so glad you won't be able - to smell me for the next few days!
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- The weekly supply - is delivered by truck...
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- ..which is odd because - Quillagua is a former spa town.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- It stands on the banks - of the Atacama's largest river.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- The River Loa.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- The Loa flows...
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- ..from the Andes, through - the desert to the Pacific Ocean.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- Years ago, it allowed - the wilderness to flourish.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01- What has become of it - is something of a mystery.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- In search of the answer, - I invite myself to dinner...
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- ..with Andres - and brother Miguel's family.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- I love meeting new people...
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- ..but there's a certain awkwardness - around the table.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25- The meal is delicious.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30- Nothing beats home-cooked food, but - the family makes apologies for it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- They tell me a decade ago...
0:21:34 > 0:21:38- ..they would've offered me - a wide range of local delicacies...
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- ..including lobster from the river.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- Miguel is a farmer.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- After lunch, he leads me - to the banks of the river...
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- ..to show me the family's land - which was once very fertile.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59- These photographs - were taken between 1982 and 1987.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05- These are photographs of - the field we're standing in today.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- Years ago, we set traps - to catch lobster from the river.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- They had large claws.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- One was enough for breakfast.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24- With some fried onions, - it was a breakfast fit for a king.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- But things rapidly changed.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- In 1987, the Chilean government - agreed on a plan...
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- ..to redirect - almost 70% of the river's water...
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- ..to be used - for industrial purposes.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- It was about to get much worse.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53- Upstream is one of - the world's largest copper mines...
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- ..which uses xanthate.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- According to experts in the field...
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- ..it has polluted the River Loa.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08- By the year 2000, xanthate levels - in the water were incredibly high.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- It was also polluted - with mercury and arsenic.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17- The lobster, along with everything - that lived close to the bank, died.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- It's ironic to think - that I'm here...
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- ..in one of - the driest places on Earth...
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- ..close to - the community of Quillagua...
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- ..and sitting on a riverbank.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- But that's precisely - why this community was formed.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- This was once a fertile oasis.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- But after the miners - took possession of it...
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- ..the crops withered.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- The water - flowed through the copper mines.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57- What came back down the river...
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- ..was highly-polluted water.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08- A ration for polluted water - is good for nothing.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- More than half - have sold their rations...
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- ..to the company - which caused the problem.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20- Before we leave, Quillagua - has one further secret to reveal.
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0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Dry and desolate.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- This description - could well sum up the Atacama.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- But people have survived here - for 10,000 years...
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- ..and established - an ancient culture.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- The landscape itself - is testament to that.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06- Pictures in the sand have stood - the test of time in the dry terrain.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- Remains of its ancient history...
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- ..can be found - in many different forms.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22- Some are enough - to give you a fright.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33- Felisa Sosa, curator of Quillagua's - museum, is a real character.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37- Considering the artefacts - she guards, it's a good job!
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- These are Chinchorro mummies, - the remains of an ancient tribe...
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- ..who lived in the Atacama - thousands of years ago.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- The elders believed...
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- ..that the mummies - were able to commune with the dead.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Their eyes and mouths were opened...
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- ..so that they - could speak with both worlds.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09- The living - and the dead on other side.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- No.
0:26:16 > 0:26:23- A museum in Wales would preserve - precious artefacts like these...
0:26:23 > 0:26:27- ..in special cases - to keep them free from moisture.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- But there is no need - for Felicia to be concerned.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- The air is so incredibly dry - that nothing rots.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Bald. No hair?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50- Among the mummies...
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- ..is one - with a completely different story.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- This wasn't - one of the Chinchorro tribe...
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- ..but a slave - or a coolie from China.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- He was enslaved - a century and a half ago...
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- ..and brought to the Atacama - to work in the mines.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Forensic tests - carried out on his liver...
0:27:13 > 0:27:15- ..show that he was a slave...
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- ..in more than one way.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22- His masters plied him - with nothing more than alcohol.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- This was a cruel chapter - in the Atacama's history.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- I can sense spirits of the past...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- ..convening everywhere here.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59- Around every corner are the remnants - of old industries and communities...
0:27:59 > 0:28:04- ..which evolved quickly - only to disappear soon afterwards...
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- ..once the desert - yielded its minerals and wealth.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Chacabuco is a place...
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- ..that is significant - to me personally.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Among the ruins...
0:28:22 > 0:28:26- ..I'm hoping to learn more - about a sad tale...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- ..in my family's history.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33- It's evident that a civilised town - once stood here...
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- ..in a remote creek...
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- ..in one of - the most barren places on earth.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- A scarcity of water - wasn't all bad...
0:28:42 > 0:28:46- ..because it provided salvation - for the Atacama.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- It attracted people and industry.
0:28:48 > 0:28:55- Saltpetre formed due to the dry air - and rain was unlikely to melt it.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- It was used to make gunpowder...
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- ..and land fertilizer.
0:29:03 > 0:29:08- This is what - connects the Atacama with Wales.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- In its heyday...
0:29:13 > 0:29:18- ..Chile exported Chacabuco saltpetre - to four corners of the world.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- The country's ports were known - to people on every continent...
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- ..including people in Wales.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35- Workers flocked here - and enjoyed a wealth of amenities...
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- ..such as a church, - a theatre and a hospital.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53- When I told people in Newborough, - the town in which I was raised...
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- ..that I was coming to Chile, - they were surprised.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01- If I'd said that 100 years ago, - most of the men would've been here.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- Wales's seamen - were familiar with Chile.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09- I've been brought up hearing about - Taltal and Valparaiso.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13- There is one tragic story - in my family's history...
0:30:13 > 0:30:17- ..involving my grandmother's - brother, Thomas Pierce...
0:30:17 > 0:30:21- ..who was a young officer - aboard a ship called The Pengwern.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- It came from San Francisco...
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- ..to collect a load - of saltpetre from Taltal...
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- ..the Atacama's principal port.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34- On the return journey - close to Hamburg, the ship sunk...
0:30:34 > 0:30:37- ..and all the passengers drowned.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- They were from Newborough, - Lleyn and Eifionydd.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45- They say the village was silent - for a fortnight after the tragedy.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- I've finally had the chance - to visit the place...
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- ..I'd heard so much about - during my childhood.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00- But while Chacabuco - was at its peak...
0:31:00 > 0:31:02- ..times quickly changed.
0:31:04 > 0:31:10- During the First World War, Chile - refused to export goods to Germany.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- If the enemy wanted gunpowder...
0:31:14 > 0:31:19- ..it would have to produce its own, - and that's precisely what happened.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24- Germany discovered a way - of producing synthetic saltpetre...
0:31:24 > 0:31:26- ..for a fraction of the price.
0:31:26 > 0:31:32- It did not bode well - for the Atacama's saltpetre towns.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36- Germany put paid - to the industry here.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39- Dozens of towns like this - were depopulated.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46- But Chacabuco - served another purpose...
0:31:46 > 0:31:50- ..in one of the grimmest years - in Chile's history.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57- In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet...
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- ..led a military coup...
0:32:00 > 0:32:04- ..to overthrow - the democratic government of Chile.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09- With the support - of the United States...
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- ..Pinochet - killed his socialist opponents...
0:32:14 > 0:32:19- ..and had them incarcerated where - they endured torture and violence.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26- Pinochet claimed that - Chacabuco was the perfect place...
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- ..in which - to keep his enemies interned.
0:32:34 > 0:32:39- 1,800 teaches, students, blue-collar - and white collar-workers...
0:32:39 > 0:32:41- ..were incarcerated here.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- Chacabuco served its final purpose.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54- It became a torture prison - for Pinochet's henchmen.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59- It was far from anywhere - so no-one could hear the screams.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03- Unfortunately, this wasn't - the last of Pinochet's crimes...
0:33:03 > 0:33:05- ..in the Atacama.
0:33:11 > 0:33:12- .
0:33:15 > 0:33:15- Subtitles
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- Calama - - a city in the Atacama Desert...
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- ..in Chile.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- I've come to meet a woman...
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- ..who, for 40 years, - has led a campaign for justice.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- For Violeta Berios, - the Atacama isn't just a desert...
0:33:43 > 0:33:47- ..it's a cemetery in which her lover - and many young men are buried.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53- SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- Mario was a handsome man.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- He was an ordinary, - working class man...
0:34:00 > 0:34:04- ..who belonged to - a left-wing party...
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- ..that ultimately led him - to his grave.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- Within weeks - of Pinochet coming to power...
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- ..a special commission - within his army...
0:34:17 > 0:34:20- ..was deployed to Calama - by helicopter.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24- Residents aptly named the convoy - the Caravan of Death.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- The caravan's commander-in-chief - and friend of Pinochet...
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- ..was Sergio Arellano Stark...
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- ..who took great pride - in his duties.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Mario came to his attention.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- Mario was arrested...
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- ..on the 30th of September.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58- He was imprisoned for a fortnight - underground and tortured.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- They did what they wanted to him.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04- By the next time I saw him...
0:35:05 > 0:35:07- ..he was a broken man.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13- He had lost weight and was covered - in wounds on his head...
0:35:14 > 0:35:15- ..and arms.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- I'll never forget it.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- "What happened to you, Mario?" - I asked.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- "If only you saw - the rest of my body," he said.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- Violeta never saw - her boyfriend again.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44- The next time - I visited the prison...
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- ..Mario had gone.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- I went to - the Rodriguez family home...
0:35:50 > 0:35:55- ..and as I arrived, - I heard the wailing and screaming.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59- I knocked on the door and they - said to me, "They've killed him."
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- "They've killed him."
0:36:06 > 0:36:11- Mario, along with a further - 22 Calama residents were killed...
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- ..by Pinochet's Caravan of Death.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19- Soldiers collected the bodies - and buried them in a mass grave...
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- ..somewhere in the desert.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26- In their distress, wives, mothers - and sisters met in secret.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33- The women of Calama...
0:36:33 > 0:36:37- ..made it their mission - to find their loved ones' grave.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- For weeks, months, years...
0:36:43 > 0:36:45- ..they searched in vain.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- Then, 17 years later...
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- ..they located the grave.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02- The women had expected to exhume - entire bodies from the sand.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06- But they were disappointed.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10- They found only dismembered parts - of the men's bodies.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- Various bones...
0:37:15 > 0:37:17- ..fingers, nails...
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- ..and the occasional tooth.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30- The search was finally over.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- But one painful question - still remained.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- Nothing rots in the Atacama Desert, - so the bodies...
0:37:40 > 0:37:42- ..should have remained intact.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45- So what happened to them?
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- Finally in 2007...
0:37:50 > 0:37:51- ..more than 30 years...
0:37:52 > 0:37:54- ..after the executions...
0:37:54 > 0:37:58- ..eyewitnesses provided the answer.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02- Some months after burying the - bodies of Mario and the others...
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- ..Pinochet realized his mistake.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10- The desert would retain evidence - of his evil acts forever.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13- The bodies had to be moved.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18- The soldiers - returned with a bulldozer...
0:38:19 > 0:38:21- ..and dug for the graves.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26- The bodies were exhumed and disposed - of, like rubbish, into the sea.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37- Although it was - a harrowing discovery...
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- ..at last - the women of Calama knew the truth.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47- They have lived...
0:38:47 > 0:38:52- ..in the shadow of Pinochet's - Caravan of Death for 40 years.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57- One day alone - has taken its toll on me.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- I saw photographs - - not of those who had died...
0:39:01 > 0:39:07- ..but of those who had - just been horrifically tortured.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- I've never seen - anything like it in my life...
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- ..and I hope I never see - anything like it again.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- And Margaret Thatcher - was one of Pinochet's supporters.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- For shame on her.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- The desert is a test...
0:39:40 > 0:39:41- ..of a man's spirit.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- Being in the extremities...
0:39:44 > 0:39:47- ..allows us - to look outside ourselves...
0:39:47 > 0:39:52- ..and ponder the things - that are beyond our comprehension...
0:39:52 > 0:39:54- ..here on earth.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- To end my journey - across the Atacama Desert...
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- ..I visit a place - where people specialize...
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- ..in observing other worlds.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12- Here we are - at the Paranal Observatory...
0:40:12 > 0:40:16- ..one of the world's main - observatories to view space.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21- Before we arrived, we had to take - a health and safety examination.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26- One of the stipulations is that we - must wear sunglasses at all times.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32- Here, 2,600m above sea level...
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- ..the atmosphere - offers little protection...
0:40:37 > 0:40:41- ..from the damaging effects - of the sun's rays.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- This is where we're staying.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- The entire place looks supernatural.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52- It's like a nuclear bunker.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55- We'll soon see.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02- The European Government's budget...
0:41:02 > 0:41:05- ..has funded this observatory.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09- They've made sure - that the scientists who work here...
0:41:09 > 0:41:12- ..have all their creature comforts.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31- It's incredible.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- It's very different from - what it looks like on the outside.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- I've just been told it was used - in the previous James Bond film.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- I can well believe it.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45- That pool looks out of place.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49- A swimming pool - in the middle of the desert?
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- I'll tell you one thing.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56- It's very different from every other - place I've stayed in on my journey.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58- Enjoy it, John!
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- This is what attracts the boffins.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- A telescope - which literally looks into the past.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- It's so powerful, - it can detect starlight...
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- ..in the farthest corner - of the universe.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17- A light which left the sky - millions of years ago.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24- This is science - at its most sophisticated...
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- ..although it has - a non-scientific name.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32- The VLT - the Very Large Telescope.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43- This is the most powerful telescope - in all the world.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48- It makes Jodrell Bank - look like a magnifying glass!
0:42:48 > 0:42:52- Scientists - from all over the world come here...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54- ..to conduct research into space...
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- ..to discover what exactly exists - on other planets.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- What they're searching for - most of all...
0:43:02 > 0:43:04- ..is something - that doesn't exist here.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07- Water.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11- The discovery of water...
0:43:11 > 0:43:17- ..on planets beyond our own - would be very significant.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21- Where there is water, - life forms are able to exist.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- THEY SPEAK SPANISH
0:43:24 > 0:43:29- I meet Fernando Selman, - one of the observatory's leaders...
0:43:29 > 0:43:33- ..to find an answer - to the all-important question...
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- ..is there life on other planets?
0:43:40 > 0:43:43- Do you know what? - The signs are encouraging.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50- There is water everywhere - - on the moon, on the planets...
0:43:50 > 0:43:55- ..like Jupiter and Saturn - as well as on comets and asteroids.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59- Water even surrounds black holes - in the depths of the universe.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06- But how can a telescope - spot water that's so far away?
0:44:07 > 0:44:11- According to Fernando, it's - a matter of recognizing colours.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- Every chemical element - creates a different coloured light.
0:44:16 > 0:44:22- For instance, if you hold a piece of - salt up to a flame, it burns yellow.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25- It's the same with water.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29- If you study the colours of space...
0:44:29 > 0:44:33- ..you can analyze which elements...
0:44:33 > 0:44:36- ..are present, including water.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46- Water emits a special - quality light through space...
0:44:47 > 0:44:52- ..like a unique cosmic signature - that is picked up by the telescope.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58- Well, no doubt this is - the closest to heaven I'll ever get.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- We're very high up here. - That's why it's so windy.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05- We're two and a half times - higher than Mount Snowdon.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07- The views are spectacular.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10- The clouds - are beneath us in the distance.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15- According to the experts, - that's the reason it's so dry here.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19- That's why this powerful telescope - has been housed here.
0:45:19 > 0:45:24- The slightest bit of moisture in the - atmosphere means it wouldn't work.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29- They have more than - 300 days a year without rain.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35- But up to now, despite all - the water they've found in space...
0:45:36 > 0:45:40- ..there are no signs of life.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44- Earth is still unique.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48- It's hard to argue with that - in such a magical place as this.
0:45:51 > 0:45:56- Well, I've reached the end - of my journey to the Atacama Desert.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00- It's a truly remarkable place.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03- Beautiful. Ugly.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05- Desolate.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- I've never seen anywhere like it.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13- The desert forces us - to face up to life's big questions.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18- Is there life beyond this world?
0:46:19 > 0:46:22- Is there life on other planets?
0:46:22 > 0:46:26- Does love - overpower violence and injustice?
0:46:26 > 0:46:32- One thing it's taught me - is the value of water.
0:46:32 > 0:46:37- It is - completely essential to life itself.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40- These days, man covets...
0:46:41 > 0:46:43- ..the earth's scarcest resources.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- Is it beyond our capability...
0:46:49 > 0:46:54- ..to sustain that which makes - our lives possible and worth living?
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- I'll say one thing.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05- I'll never ever forget the Atacama.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39- S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.
0:47:39 > 0:47:40- .