Chile  May 2001

This past May I had the privilege of fulfilling a lifetime dream and traveling to Chile. I had previously visited Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru and wanted to complete my "Tour of the Andes."

We first visited Santiago, which is typical of most Latin American capital cities except that the

Andes form an imposing backdrop from every vantage point. (I felt right at home when I noticed a huge illuminated COMPAQ sign atop a high-rise building.) The Chilean economy appears to be healthy, and the well-dressed population was bustling about the city. While exploring the city we encountered three mimes, painted completely white, in front of a church. They were rigid until someone plopped a coin into one of their baskets; they would then make a few movements (just to let us know they were alive) and resume their rigid positions.

Click on the picture to get a larger view
Beach	Dancers	Frost
We Look Just like the Locals	Sheep Herders	Lake
I Don't Think It will Bite	Mime	Snow Capped Mountains

We took a day-trip to Vina del Mar, Chile’s "playground", and Valparaiso, its major port city. The two cities are contiguous and both architecturally reminiscent of the 1960's. Vina’s condominiums far outnumber its hotels and are located across the street from the beach. Vina’s "beach bunnies" are strictly that, as the water temperature never exceed 55 EF - no swimming in the Pacific!

Chile is less colorful than much of Latin America, which I attribute to the minimal Indian influence. The Chilean Indians were decimated early on, and about the only significant colony of Indians present today are the Mapuche, which live in the Puerto Montt area. The visage of Chile is very European, and many businesses carry English and German names.

We next flew to Punta Arenas, one of the world’s southernmost cities, and then proceeded by bus

to Torres del Paine National Park, where we anxiously awaited our first glimpse of the majestic and craggy "towers" peculiar to that segment of the Andes. Unfortunately fog obscured our view of the mountains so our sightseeing focused on waterfalls, caves, and other attractions which were more or less at ground level. At night the fog froze on the vegetation, making for a veritable "winter wonderland." One morning that the temperature had descended to O EF. Fortunately our bus was equipped with snow tires.

Many sheep are raised in Patagonia, and their shepherds on horseback are very interesting characters. The way their sheepdogs "work" and corral the sheep is amazing. Flying to/from Punta Arenas over the Andes is an awesome experience! The occasional peak rising above the limitless fields of snow and ice makes a mere human seen very insignificant.

Our accommodations throughout were excellent. Our hotel in the National Park, the Hosteria de las Torres, operated on generators which were turned off at midnight and each room was supplied with a battery-powered backup lantern. The food there was outstanding - everything from roast turkey for dinner to delicate pastries for breakfast. The Chilean cuisine is not as spicy as Mexican food, and seafood is abundant everywhere. Salmon, sea bass, scallops, crab, and shrimp are featured on almost every menu. And the Chilean bread is unusual and delicious. Salads consist of mostly tomatoes and avocados. The Chileans are inveterate wine-drinkers, and we were treated to a tour and sampling at the Concha y Toro winery in the suburbs of Santiago.

I’ll be going back to Chile to enjoy the lake crossing between Puerto Mont and Bariloche, Argentina - but you can bet it won’t be in the month of May!

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