When at last he found the perfect spot on the top of a small ridge, Paco set to work on his portable observatory as we set up a shelter from the sun.

"I may have seen many eclipses," he told us, "but each time it's different. And it all happens so quickly. So I have a tape recorder to remind me what to do and when. When to take pictures and with which camera, when to use the telescope, when to use the video, when to look with the naked eye."