Chile

(All Chile Entries)

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Cemeteries and Penguins in Southern Chile

April 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

I was doubly blessed that Christmas Eve. December in the Southern Hemisphere is a time of lingering twilight and balmy summer air, or what passes for “balmy” in southern Chile. I was in Punta Arenas, where the Chilean Andes meet the Straits of Magellan.

The first surprise of the day was the Cementerio Municipal, a walled, flower-riot of a gem where the paths are marked with street signs. Los Gladiolas and Las Margaritas (the flower, not the drink) speak to the beauty that lies therein. Family members were... [Read more]

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My Last Day in South America

August 22, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

On my last day in South America, I wake up to the calm sound of rain falling atop the metal roof.  Two days before I was tanning on a cushioned lounge chair along the water of Mancora Beach, Peru my mind dizzied, almost drunk, on sun and relaxation. But now I am in Quito, Ecuador on a rainy morning and my mind is dizzying from the prospect of leaving this great continent.

As the rain taps, I work to fall back asleep,... [Read more]

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Sandboarding Epiphany in Chile

July 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

Sitting at the top of a sand dune, with board attached to my feet, wind and sand pelting my face, looking out at the alien terrain reminiscent of Star Wars, is when I finally realized how damn lucky I am.  Maybe it was the altitude or maybe it was the exhaustion from trudging up the steep sand, but something finally jostled me and opened my eyes. 

Here I am sand-boarding in the San Pedro de Atacama in the Northern deserts of Chile. ... [Read more]

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The Grandness of Valparaiso

July 21, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

I was once lured to read Isabel Allende’s novel Daughter of Fortune upon recommendation, but never got more than forty pages in. Though I stopped reading, I still remember the magical description of a bustling port city at the turn of the 20th century. Allende’s  heroine runs about a city built along hills and terraces that look out onto the sea, and from her description I knew Valparaiso was a city I had to see.

The night I arrived it was late and pouring rain, but when I woke the next morning... [Read more]

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Crossing the Andes

July 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

I was in Mendoza, a desert in the west of Argentina that is now wine country, taking tours of vineyards and wineries and tasting the local Malbecs (Argentine wine). I was having a lovely time, but all I could do was stare off into the distance to the jagged Andes that ran to the west. 

There they were, the second highest mountain range in the world and so close. And to think just west of the mountains was Chile. Chile was not in the plans, but the snow-capped mountains calling my name. On the wine tour was an... [Read more]

Previous Chile Stories

(All Chile Entries)

Travel News from Chile

Hidden Paradise in Chile

The Nomads of the Seas expedition cruise begins its second season offering its passengers the opportunity to travel across new territory and impressive scenery, previously explored... [Read more]

Boundless Journeys Savings

June 27, 2007 – STOWE, VT — Boundless Journeys offers more than 30 worldwide small-group, active adventures. Following is just a small selection ― for full details,... [Read more]

Absolute Best: Chile

ABSOLUTE TRAVEL’s experts share their 5 favorite things to do in South America’s skinniest country

Though Argentina... [Read more]