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Atacama Desert, Chile(59 images)
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A collection of photographs throughout the towns San Pedro de Atacama, Toconao, Turipite and Machuca in the Atacama Desert in Chile. All photographs were taken in the summer of 2006.
  • Miguel Lique Gonzalez, 78, lives alone in the desert on land that he acquired in 1953. He is currently building an aqueduct to improve the value of his land for his children. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • There are small towns of less than five houses scattered throughout the Atacama Desert. The people of these towns learn to live self-sufficiently and with limited human contact. Here, Natalia Colque Cruz, 75, looks out to the mountains that surround her husband's home in Turipite. Both Cruz and her husband Miguel Lique Gonzalez were born and raised in Machuca, a town 15 km further into the mountains. Although Gonzalez still lives here, Natalia now lives in their home in San Pedro, a tourist town 30 km from Turipite. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez, 78, lives alone in the desert on land that he acquired in 1953. He is currently building an aqueduct to improve the value of his land for his children. In all his daily activities, he emits an inner spirit of joy and gratitude that comes from his love of life and God.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez's property sits in a rocky ravine that is hidden from the main road. He climbs down steep rocks several times a day to work the land and build the aqueduct. On his land, he grows alfafa to feed his sheep and goats which he keeps in San Pedro, 30 km away. While he's in Turipite, his wife is in San Pedro raising the animals that they sell as their main source of income. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • A natural source of water runs through the middle of the valley where Gonzalez lives, and he is building a cement aqueduct along the side of the rocks to redirect the water. Because he is living without heat or electricity, he builds fires to heat his food and water. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Working alone in the desert, Gonzalez lives a solitary life. Although his brother-in-law lives beside him and his nephew lives below in the ravine, they rarely interact so that he usually eats all of his meals alone.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez works on the aqueduct everyday. He mixes his own cement to create the walls of the aqueduct and line the bottom. Even at age 78, he works full eight-hour days of physical labor. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez's property borders that of his brother-in-law's Francisco Colque Cruz. At 66, Cruz (right) works with Timoteo Bernal, 36, to make his land suitable for a garden by getting rid of all the rocks and boulders in the soil. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • After a long day of working, Gonzalez washes his face and feet in the water stream that runs through his property. He is building the aqueduct for this stream, which comes from rocks 300 meters away. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Miguel Lique Gonzalez lives alone on the edge of a ravine in the Atacama Desert. At age 78, he is molding craggy rocks into an aqueduct to preserve a languid stream on his property. His wife lives 18 miles away in San Pedro, where she raises goats and sheep, while Gonzalez lives alone in his three-room hut without heat or electricity. Despite being far from his home and family, he finds solace and comfort in his solitary lifestyle through his faith in God and the Bible. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • There are herds of llamas that roam freely throughout the desert. Gonzalez has his own set of llamas that stay near Machuca, a ghost-town where he was born and raised. Many of the people who used to live in Machuca and who now live in larger cities still keep llamas throughout the area. On Friday, June 2, 2006, Gonzalez corralled them for a biannual vaccination. He distinguishes his llamas from those of his neighbors by painting a green stripe along their backsides.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Although Gonzalez keeps his animals in San Pedro, 30 km away, his nephew Anjel Colque, 58, (pictured) keeps goats and sheep that roam throughout his land in Turipite.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • To create the walls of the aqueduct, Gonzalez shapes pieces of rocks and boulders with a pickaxe.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • The large rocks serve as protection from the wind and create a hidden valley where Gonzalez lives and works. He is used to climbing the steep and sharp rocks.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Usually the only company Gonzalez receives is his family. Here, his wife Natalia Cruz catches up with his nephew Anjel Colque during one of her visits from San Pedro to Turipite.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Friday Morning. We went to Machuca to watch Miguel herd his llamas for the vaccinations tomorrow. He couldn't find his own llamas which he distinguishes with a green ear tag. He did point out his house where he was born and raised as well as the house Natalie grew up in. En route, we met up with two old women, both widows who are originally from Machuca. They are Machuca for the llama vaccinations tomorrow...The woman with the hat and stockings: Senora Benita Esquivel Flores; 60 years old; lives in San Pedro, has 1 llama in Machuca...The woman with the scarf around her head, no grey hair, is Senora Juana Colque Vilca, age 77, lives in Calama, and she has 4 llamas...We helped Miguel collect firewood and look for llamas. ..The bear hanging in his car is named Pedro. ..Miguel left us around 12:30, and his two daughters took over, Rosa and ?????, they would not let us take pictures without paying them. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Cruz holds her great grandnephew, four-month old Steven Tinte Lique; her granddaughter Lisette Lique and her grandson, three-year old Juan Lique tie up the dog Rubio. Rubio was punished for terrorizing the goats and sheep.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • On Saturday, May 27, 2006, Gonzalez's family visited him for the day. His wife Cruz (right) and his daughter-in-law Juana Rodrigues Mendoza (left) prepared lunch while his son Eugenio Lique Cruz (not pictured) helped him work on the aqueduct. For lunch, they ate lamb with white rice, bread and a salad of potatoes, onions and tomatoes. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Natalia Colque Cruz, 75, has been married to Gonzalez for more than 50 years. They have four children together, two sons and two daughters. Despite their long marriage, Natalia says that she does not feel close to Gonzalez, primarily due to his period of alcoholism a few years ago. "He used to drink with his friends all the time," says Cruz, "and it was awful." Now, Gonzalez doesn't drink at all, and he attributes this to his love of God and evangelism. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez's house in Turipite consists of three separated rooms: his bedroom, kitchen and Cruz's room. Cruz has lined the ceiling and walls of her room with brightly colored souvenirs including stuffed animals, bits of cloth, and this picture of herself and her sister when they were younger.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez's house is small and simply built, and he uses it for his most basic needs such as eating and sleeping. The doorway on his house is about half his height.. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez thanks God for all the blessings in his life, and he prays before every meal. Although the relationship between Gonzalez and Cruz is much better now than when he was an alcoholic, Cruz still feels alienated because of his overwhelming love of God. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez?s solitary life in the desert is simple and rural. He lives without heat or electricity so he gathers bushes from the side of the road to use as firewood. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Every morning and evening, Gonzalez boils hot water for tea. He recieves most of his food goods from San Pedro, brought to him by his family. By photographer Alison Yin
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  • Gonzalez usually sings throughout the day, and his songs always glorify God. Though he is partially deaf, his voice is loud and clear, echoing throughout the rocky valley. By photographer Alison Yin
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