We were very impressed, not only by the modern infrastructures, but by the standard of living of the people. Compared to most of the countries on our trip, where travelers and tourists consumed nature, activities and experiences without any locals around, in Chile, wherever we traveled, the Chileans were traveling too. They seem to have a sport and leisure oriented culture, whether white water kayaking in Pucon or trekking in Torres del Paine National Park.
Our very first impression, however, was the capital: Santiago. We suffered some bizarre culture shock, where every day something seemed to remind us of being back home. Like in Portugal, we were now in a Latin and Catholic culture. The characters were the same: Men permanently planted at the Plaza de Armas, only getting agitated when commenting soccer games and bikinis on the newspapers� front page. Women, agitated most of the time, sighing at every turn and pleading to the Virgin Mary to help them get through the day. Mustachioed waiters serving at their own pace. Se�oritas in lycra animal prints, mini skirts and platforms, rebelling against (but soon to become) the short and sturdy matriarchs, heavily busted, and squeezed into tight knitted tops in gray hues or flowery blouses with shoulder pads.
In the parks, intimate meeting place for men and women, it was hard to draw a line between kissing and heavy petting. We felt so prude when we blushed at these explicit signs of public affection, but realized it was just a habit we were no longer used to. In Southeast Asia you just don't do that and in Anglo-Saxon cultures you restrain yourself.
Another thing we smirked about was the obsession with 'boletos' in Santiago. To buy a bottle of water you have to go through three different counters: first stating your request and receiving a boleto, a ticket indicating what you want, then on to the cashier to pay, cancel the first boleto with a stamp and receiving a new one to pick up your bottle at the third counter, where they cancel all previous boletos and give you a receipt. All business transactions require this bureaucracy and shame on you if you were to leave your last boleto in the shop. You must take your receipt out of the establishment. Probably the most ironic part is that in smaller places only one person, jumping back and forth and canceling and writing herself new boletos, services all these boletos and counters.
From Santiago we first went to the Lake District in South-Central Chile. Under the smoking crater of Villarica Volcano we hooked up with Pamela, a dynamic Chilean who was our teacher for three very long and wet days in the art of white water kayaking. As a double bonus we practiced our Spanish as she explained how to �read the river�, �make the paddle our best friend� and �always lean against the water�. We thought we were pretty cool when we first tried this exhilarating sport in New Zealand, but forgot that we were led by a guide in a tandem kayak. On our own, we spent most of the time upside down, bottom of the boat facing the sky, our helmeted heads facing the rocky bottom of the river. This was a good pretext to learn the Eskimo roll, a maneuver you do with your body and paddle to get a glimpse of the sun again, before you turn over the next time. Pamela said it was all �a play between the hips and the head�, like a Latino dance. So after a lot of salsa and merengue under water we mastered our rolls and could proceed down the rapids.
In Punta Arenas we reached the most southern spot on the whole journey. With Antarctica not so far away, we were thrilled to visit 60.000 penguins on Isla Magdalena. We loved these creatures so much that we bought a little replica and named him Pingo. This fluffy animal was to become our third travel partner during the following months. We rented a car and took Pingo on deserted roads up north to the most magnificent landscapes Patagonia has to offer: Torres del Paine National Park. In-between lakes, majestic mountains and glaciers we found more wildlife: guanacos, �andus and condors.
From Patagonia it was a long flight up north to Antofagasta where we had a date with Hedda. Hedda is Jonas' Swedish friend with whom he went to college in Vermont. She came to join us for our travels through Bolivia and Peru. If you want to know more about Hedda, click here. Before crossing the border on our way north, we spent some time in the driest desert on Earth, a brutal change to the cold in Patagonia. Surrounded by bizarre moon landscapes and volcanoes we took a dip in the thermal baths and had a lot to chat about since our last meeting in the summer of 2000. We could have stayed in Chile for another two months, but it was time to move on.
photos from
Chile
