One thing we were told about Chile before arriving was that it is a Latin American country with a very strong US American feel to it. And it is true. The second we left Peru and stepped into Chilean territory, we felt the immediate change in the way of life. Compared to all the other Latin American countries we visited, Chile was the most westernised. Cities were clearly richer and more modern. The big supermarkets with a great variety of products and brands were present in every big city.
And for the first time in many months we saw people using a stroller instead of a traditional cloth to carry their babies. The locals all looked so different from each other. Skin colour and facial features would vary as much as dressing styles. A wonderful mix of ethnic backgrounds and subcultures. In places like Iquique people were walking around in wet suits, carrying their surfboards, eating hot dogs at the promenade and going skateboarding. Most Chileans speak very good English, so communication was not a big issue anymore.
We only saw the north of Chile, meaning from the Peruvian border along the coastline and down to Santiago. The landscape was dominated by the vast Atacama desert. There were sections where we didn't see a single shrub or building for hundreds of kilometres.
Another big topic we want to write about are the riots. We were thinking a lot about whether to go to Santiago or not. But first of all, official authorities were saying it was safe if we avoided big squares during the evening. Secondly, we met many travellers that just came from Santiago saying there was no problem in going. Also we had our next flight leaving from there. So after giving it some thought we decided to go and at the end we also wanted to see for ourselves how true the news was.
Our experience was less dramatic than shown in the media. Every day people finished work, gathered at the square and protested peacefully. Then the police came bulldozing in and tried to scatter the masses. Those confrontations were more or less violent depending on the day.
A handful of individuals though were getting out of control and taking advantage of the situation. Shops were being looted,or set on fire. It was very sad to see what some people suddenly were doing to each other but everybody we talked to did not approve of those actions. Many Chileans told us the same: the manifestaciones are their way to express their frustration and be heard by their government.
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Would we go to Chile again? Probably not. If we were to travel to Latin America again Mexico or Peru would be our preferred destinations. We enjoy places where traditions and old customs were easily spotted. Chile was too western for our taste and our wallet.
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