The World By Road

TWBR Guides and Insights:  slightly random, somewhat subjective but always helpful. 

Besides the mack-daddy’s of land masses, Chile is probably one of the most recognizable countries on the map due its considerably bizarre shape.  It’s long and narrow-4,300 km (2,672 mi) long and on average 175 km (109 mi), to be exact-and bordered almost entirely by the Pacific or Andes.  With that, along with the driest desert in the world at it’s far northern end, there is unbelievably wide array of activities to pursue, not to mention its capital city of Santiago is a cultural mecca.  

We had the pleasure of zig-zagging it’s seemingly never-ending border with Argentina roughly 7 times to make sure we left almost nothing out.  

ACCOMMODATIONS

Explora is almost regarded as a national treasure throughout Chile.  There are actually three locations now, one in Torres del Paine in Patagonia, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and San Pedro de Atacama in the northern desert.  All of which are impeccably equipped with a vacation concept that needs to be repeated the world over.  Here, they take all-inclusive to the finest level of the word with gourmet foods and drink, stylish amenities and personally tailored tours.  Perfect for honeymooners, families or just a friends’ getaway. 

NaviMag is one of the most popular ways travelers of all backgrounds and budgets experience the majesty of the Chilean fjords.  The NaviMag has a monopoly on taking passengers aboard their cargo ferry so do keep in mind that the attraction is on the scenery outside and not the inside.  But the camaraderie aboard given the situation is one you wont soon forget and is worth every penny (and the meals included, just bring your own booze). 

Luz Azul is the place to stay if you’re not used to the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle.  The atmosphere is incredibly chill almost 24 hours a day.  It’s cool, calm and clean and Juanne, the owner, will make sure to help you out with whatever you may need.  

Casa Roja is the party hostel that every city has.  However, this might just be the party hostel for all of South America.  The whole property now takes up almost half of the city block and houses its own sushi restaurant and backyard equipped with tiki bar and swimming pool and it is also big enough that you don’t notice that almost everyone else has also been there for over a week.   They’ve got it all–except for the calm and quiet part (it’s even quite clean) so if you’re into that, book well in advance. 

San Alfonso del Mar is where the middle class to wealthy invest their timeshare money.  In order to get a stay at this place which is home to the world’s largest swimming pool (!) you must resource a real estate company that can lease you a unit.  But again, it’s a must due to the worlds largest swimming pool where you can take out sailboats and kayaks, get PADI Scuba certified, or jump on one of the several floating trampolines–all with the Pacific Coast in the background to watch the sunset.

EATS

Coming from Argentina, or perhaps anywhere else in South America, Chile at first appears to be a breath of fresh air when it comes to a greater variety of selection.  However, you soon learn that unless you’re in Santiago, that it’s just the same ol fare in disguise.  Some things Chileans bring to the table are actually even more loaded with cholesterol–consider the “super pancho”–a near foot long hotdog, tucked in a thick bun, but which you cannot even see due to the 2 cups of guacamole smothering it inside, and if that weren’t enough they have taken to making it extra ‘super’ by drizzling a ribbon of mayonnaise on top.  While you can still find fresh juice and vegetable stands throughout the bigger cities, the unbelievably vast majority of street and snack foods are far too incomprehensible in terms of absolute garbage to even warrant giving them a fair taste.  

To be fair however, the main dishes are hard to disappoint albeit their simplicity and the greatest culinary addition that can be found north to south is the Plato del Dia (or Menu del Dia as you will sometimes find it).  Beginning every day at lunch time, you will be hard pressed not to find a restaurant that will not be offering some variation of the PDD (as we like to call it).  They are essentially set menus with an option or two and always including either a drink (coffee, juice or tea) or a desert  or when you’re lucky you will get both a drink and desert on top of your appetizer and entree.  Most places will offer a vegetarian option among the starter and entree courses, but any vegetarian option will most likely be a standard pasta where the protein dish will be meat and some sort of starch.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how seriously some restaurants take their PDD’s and how satisfying and impressively delicious they can and will be…Buen Provecho!

The fish market in Santiago is certainly not to be missed.  It opens early shortly after the first catch and therefore closes early around 5 at the very latest.  Weekends at the market can become an absolute mess and more overrun with tourists than any other day of the week, but weekends also provide excellent people watching and a deeper insight to Chilean culture as a whole.  Everyone is present at the fishmark, from the sea-weathered galoshes wearing fisherman, to those strolling through on their own to a big extended family out for lunch.  One of the only things you need to know is to definitely order the Ceviche. Ceviche, historically originating in Peru (and an official Peruvian dish) is seafood that has been cured in lime juice and special seasonings, with peppers and onions added.  It is always served with bread or cracker with which to pile bites of ceviche.  Generally the seafood is a ‘mixto’ of white fish, but can also be found as simply shrimp or calamari ceviche).   There are several sit down restaurants within the market, but the best bet is to saddle up at one of the few bar/diner style counter service stalls to really get yourself in the mix.  

Pisco is the “official” drink of Chile…and like Ceviche, this title is also shared with Peru.  Pisco, a type of brandy, is rarely drank by itself and thats where the Pisco Sour comes in.  It is a tangy mixture of pisco, fresh lime, well beaten egg-whites to a fine froth, and topped with cinnamon.  Sounds bizarre, but they are quite refreshing, delicious and if done properly the bartender is able to make them strong without you knowing it until they’re already down the hatch.  Pisco is also ordered with Coca Cola and such, the drink is simply called Piscola.  You won’t be able to leave the country without trying both. 

Check out Chilean news and events on Chile’s all English radio station, STGO.  

RANDOM INSIGHTS

Puerto Natales, as the main jumping off point for both Torres del Paine National Park and the NaviMag to-and/or-fro Puerto Montt, has become a happening little town.  Not only will you find all the gear you may need to replace or stock up on for any adventure excursion, but there are also plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants.  However, the weather in and around this area is some of the most unbearable on the planet!  The wind is fierce and rarely lets up and as such is constantly moving through streams of spitting rain that can and does come hard and fast–as soon as it lets up and the sun breaks, it is back.  You should know this as far as setting up your campgroud goes and absolutely make sure that when either camping in town, or camping the ‘W’ circuit, that your tent is double-staked down, or even with all your gear in it, it can blow you away! 

Santiago, due to it’s position in a valley for it’s size, is known to have some of the worst smog and pollution in South America.  If you arrive at the wrong time of the year to experience the worst of it, you could be turned off from all things Santiago.  Winter is generally the worst, where Spring can be positively beautiful with gorgeous flowers and tall trees to make you forget you’re in one of the biggest cities on the continent–especially in Providencia neighborhood!   It should be noted that beautiful springtime weather brings out even the most amateur of pot smokers in all public parks.  It will not take long for you to realize that almost every group, or individual, around you chatting and lazing in the sun are partaking in a shared-or solo-joint sesh.  That being said, it is far from legal and you will also see arrests taking place.  

The Metro in Santiago is amazingly efficient, clean and oddly orderly.  The trains come so often that no one is running to catch them (the ‘no running’ signs might have something to do with it) and there are even misting fans and televisions in all major stations.  You receive your BIP card at the top of all platforms, declare the amount of money you wish to add towards credit then simply follow the crowd and place the magnetic strip at the designated point of the turn-style for it to deduct your fare (fares vary during peak hours).  You absolutely need a BIP card with ample credit to ride the buses as coins will not grant you a ride.  Rush hour can be tricky and while the trains are constant, it is very possible you will have to wait for the 5th or 6th train to come through before you can manage to get aboard.  And although the majority of Santiguinos are very polite, there is always standing aggression and windows of opportunity for your belongings to get lifted if you’re not vigilant.