travel chile

Top Things To See

2009-10-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Atacama desert

Let the uniquely arid landscape of the Atacama desert sweep you away, with its broad, stark vistas of volcanoes, salt marshes and lakes and abandoned homes of the indigenous Aymara people.

Observatories

Get a glimpse of galaxies far away at one of several powerful observatories situated in Chile, which is famed for its lack of light pollution and clear skies. Collowara Observatory near La Serena is one of the most accessible to the public.

Glaciers

Witness giant icebergs from a glacier cruise, which follows a spectacular route through Chile's Inside Passage, the Beagle Channel and around Cape Horn, passing through glacial valleys (notably at Laguna San Rafael), fjords and past huge icebergs. Passengers can disembark at various points en route, notably at Puerto Natales and on the Argentinean portion of Tierra del Fuego.

Copper mine

Chuquicamata is one of the world's biggest open pit copper mines, administered by the Chilean government copper corporation.

Humberstone

In Humberstone, a deserted former nitrate mining town in the far north of Chile containing rusting industrial equipment and abandoned homes, visitors will feel the haunting sense of emptiness and eeriness.

Check it out on World Travel Guide.

Chilean Cuisine

2009-10-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of Spanish cuisine with traditional indigenous ingredients, with later influences from other European cuisines, particularly from Germany, Italy, France and the Middle East. The food tradition and recipes in Chile stand out due to the varieties in flavors and colors. The country's long coastline and the Chilean peoples' relationship with the sea adds an immense array of ocean products to the variety of the food in Chile. The country's waters are home to unique species of fish and shellfish such as the Chilean sea bass, loco and picoroco. In addition, many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by wine, owing to the fact that Chile is one of the world's largest producers of wine. The countries inmense geographical diversity allows for a wide range of crops and fruits to be present in Chilean food.

Major Crops

Throughout Chile and South America you may find fruits and vegetables that have been cultivated for ages. These agricultural products are appreciated and heavily implemented onto several cooking recipes. They have also been exported around the world as important agricultural commodities. Among the most known are the following:

Olives: Although originating in Europe Azapa olives from Arica are considered a variety originating in the northern region and are widely recognized in Chile.

Chirimoya: a peruvian fruit native to the subtropical regions of the Andes mountains, it is widely consumed and produced.

Maize: Recognized in Chile and Peru as choclo, and in English speaking countries as corn. Maize was a staple diet that prospered in three empires Mayas, Aztecs, and in closest proximity to Chile the Incas. It was also cultivated in varying systematic methods by the Atacameño. Through trade and travel, Maize brought and eventually embraced by the Mapuche and using it towards their culinary arts.

Lúcuma: A subtropical fruit of Andean origin, native to Peru it has grown well for centuries in southern Ecuador and Chile's northern coast. The fruit is very nutritious, having high levels of carotene and vitamin B3. The lúcuma is exported all around the world. It is an important flavor for gelatin desserts such as ice cream.

Ugni molinae: is an endemic shrub native to southern Chile. The Mapuche Native American name is Uñi, and Spanish names include Murta and Murtilla ("little myrtle"); it is also sometimes known as "Chilean guava". It was used among the Mapuche before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is an ingredient used for marmalades and liquor.

Potato: Featured heavily in dishes such as cazuela, the potato native to the Americas, was widely grown in Chiloe Archipelago. The potato is a fundamental product in a wide array of dishes.

Quinoa: grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds and originated in the peruvian Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Certain varieties of Quinoa are harvested in Concepcion, Chile, known as the Catentoa, and the Regalona is abundant in Temuco, Chile.

Seafood

An elemental characteristic of Chilean cuisine is the variety and quality of fish and seafood, due to the geographic location and extensive coastline. The Humboldt current causes a supply of seafood that gathers along the Pacific coast perpendicular to Chilean waters. These include squid, soleidae (sole), albacore, codfish, hake, corvina (salmon), batoidea and tuna. Seafood such as abalone, prawns, clams, crabs, shrimp, oysters, lobsters, percebes, picorocos, and eels are also fished in large amounts. Congridae or in Chile known as congrio can be deep fried in batter, or seasoned and baked. It may also be made into a stew: this popular dish, called Caldillo de congrio, was praised in an ode by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

To keep reading about this topic, visit Wikipedia.

CUECA CHILENA. Traditional dance video!

2009-10-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

Check out more videos of Chile on Youtube.

Getting Used to Clean Air

2009-10-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

The plane ride to Calama is a boys' club; the flight attendants strolling up and down the aisles are the only women you'll see. Calama's a mining town and, therefore, if you've got business there, chances are you're a man. It's the base-camp for the world's largest open-pit copper mine, a massive terraced crater called Chuquicamata, first worked under the Guggenheim brothers' Anaconda Copper Co.

The bus from there to San Pedro was a different deal entirely. The company running shuttles to San Pedro, 120 km east of the airport, didn't have enough passengers to make a trip economically feasible. This was lucky for me, because I took a taxi into town, ate lunch and bought a bus ticket for less money than the shuttle would have cost. No skill, pure dumb luck-especially since the cabbie gouged me out of $2 bucks. The bus, though, took two hours, just like the flight, even though it never stopped.

Now, not to dwell on my health, because I've done that recently in these entries, I went to San Pedro to get healthy, to get pure, clean, dry air. And on the bus, the window wide open and my right arm pinning back the whipping sun curtain, I breathed in that air, looking out on the white rock of the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world. At least initially, I felt better, or at least that there was hope for my sinuses.

The Atacama Desert is just like what you've seen of it in movies, like, say The Motorcycle Diaries, where the young Che walks across a dry, bright desert, flat and extensive with the sun blaring down so hard you squint through sunglasses. It's unforgiving land in the broadest sense of the term.

My bus got in shortly after 2 p.m, and it was the same one I took out 6 days later-on the surface, a newer model, but with the back bumper missing and the fan belt spinning wildly and totally exposed. My plane had left at 7 a.m., forcing me to leave for the airport at 5 (I woke up 5 minutes before the Supper Shuttle came, luckily, because the alarm didn't go off). If I felt healthier, the tradeoff was how tired I was.

Read full story at TravelPod

Wow, Finally!...A Fun Language App

2009-10-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

by lj322

One of the best ways to learn and RETAIN spanish. I've spent 6 years learning Spanish and it just never sticks! The witty banter really helps me improve my listening comprehension.

Check out more on Facebook.

Gorgeous pictures of the country from Flickr!!!

2009-10-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Come see more pics on Flickr.

Seven Great Reasons to Home Exchange

2009-10-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

By Carol Dalton Sebilia

1. World Travel Becomes Affordable. Would you like to live in a Hansel and Gretel fairy tale hamlet in southern Germany or spend a month in a Welsh coastal village in the shadow of a 16th century castle? Perhaps your family would prefer a home on Lake Lucerne near the towering peaks of the Swiss Alps. If wanderlust is calling but you fear the costs and hassles of a family vacation in Europe, home exchanging is simple. It eliminates hotel and rental car bills and minimizes restaurant expenses.

2. Exchanging is a Cultural Adventure. Aside from the obvious budgetary advantages, home exchanging offers a chance to temporarily be a part of a community. Living in a home abroad immerses us in the country’s style of living, forcing us to question some common U.S. lifestyle choices—such as two cars, several televisions, and double ovens. Meeting and interacting with the neighbors is a valuable part of the experience of living abroad, turning vacations into cultural adventures.

When we exchanged with a family near Munich, Germany, we attended the neighborhood’s annual block party. For this weekend the neighbors park their cars on the streets and turn their garages into areas for barbecues, picnics, dancing, and games.

3. Homes Offer Spacious Comforts. Touring can be exhausting when you have to deal with cranky kids and a time crunch. It is relaxing to come home at the end of a busy day, make your own meal the way you like it, and climb into the same bed each night. Traveling with children is not a chore when you have enough room to spread out and get comfortable.

We found ample room near Lyon, France, where we exchanged with a family who had restored an 18th century farm house. After a day of touring and togetherness, our family dispersed as quickly as marbles on a hardwood floor. The younger children splashed in the pool or collected apples in the orchard. Our teenager blared music on her headset in her room while writing letters to her boyfriend. My husband and I relaxed with a glass of local Chardonnay and a country brie in the garden, and planned the next day’s excursion.

4. Choose Your Location. Choosing a central town with good highway access for day trips is helpful. Picturesque locations that are not easily accessible may initially sound enticing but discourage spontaneous side trips.

Locating ourselves south of Munich, off the autobahn, offered us access to a variety of excursions around the compass.

Keep reading the reasons at Transitions Abroad.

Get your chorrillana right, La Chorrillana!

2009-10-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Do you believe variety is the spice of life? If so, then La Chorrillana (also known as J. Cruz) restaurant in Providencia is not for you. The popular local hangout only really serves one dish - (surprise, surprise) - chorrillana. Not for the faint of heart (literally and figuratively) chorrillana is a traditional Chilean dish consisting of a mountainous base of greasy french fries topped with fried onions, egg (either single-fried or scrambled) and finished with an abundance of chopped up steak and sausages. Although it is said to have been invented in Valparaiso only a few decades ago, chorrillana can now be found in every city and at every neighborhood, greasy spoon in Chile.

Photo by Mauro Tapia

La Chorrillana’s parent restaurant, J. Cruz (called Jota Cruz), in Valparaiso is widely believed to have invented the chorrillana, making the 60-year-old restaurant a famous landmark there. In light of J. Cruz’s decades-long success in Valparaiso, the owner’s son expanded the family enterprise to Santiago, renaming his version to La Chorrillana.

Read more about La Chorillana at Santiago Magazine.

CHILE - In Close Contact. Check out this video!!

2009-10-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Nice pics of the country!! Many tourists show Chile is alive!

Go to Youtube to watch more about Chile.

Public transport in Santiago de Chile

2009-10-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

For tourists, it is very important to have the information on how to move from one place to another in an unfamiliar city. In this article there is general information of the transport system of Santiago - the capital of Chile.

From the main airport of the city there are several companies that offer shuttle bus, minibus or taxi, more info here: http://www.aeropuertosantiago.cl here you will find prices and the different options for how to go to the city.

Taxis: All taxis have meters and charge from a base rate, that increases as the number of meters traveled. They run 24 hrs.

Metro de Santiago: The city of Santiago has an extensive underground network, consisting of 5 lines. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 06:00 am to 11:00 pm. Saturdays from 06:30 am to 10:30 pm., Sundays and holidays from 08:00 am to 10:30 pm. The tariff system is buy ticket Unitarian Multivia Card or Card Bip, whose value changes according to time travel. These can be purchased at all ticket offices of the metro network. (www.metrosantiago.cl)

Urban Buses: There is a large interconnected network of public transport and with these you can access all sections of the city of Santiago. (www.transantiago.cl). The ticket is paid in automatic collectors with a special card (tarjeta Bip.) The automatics collectors are mounted on each bus. This card can be loaded at the box offices of Metro de Santiago, Servipag and Centers and authorized locations. In the center of Santiago has stops properly marked, and its hours of operation are:

Normal Hours: 5:30 to 1:00 pm., Monday through Sunday.
Evening Services: 1:00 pm. until 5:30 pm. (At this time are kept in operation night services only).

More info on public transportation, visit Total Chile.

Iphone Spanish Classes. Video of Bueno Entonces

2009-10-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

You can watch more videos on Youtube

Chile, Chile Lindo. Beautiful Country

2009-10-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Check out these images on a video!!!

And more videos of Chile, go to Youtube.

Chile President Bachelet Approval Gains To 76% In Sept -Poll

2009-10-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

SANTIAGO -(Dow Jones)- Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's approval rating rose to a record 76% in September, from 73% the previous month, according to an opinion poll published Wednesday by conservative polling institute Adimark GfK.

The pollster noted that no Chilean president has ever obtained such a high approval rating and that only a year ago, just 42% approved of Bachelet.

"That 76% of the population says it approves of her presidential performance is something never before seen in Chile's political history," Adimark said in its poll.

Her disapproval rating, meanwhile, fell to 16% from 19% the previous month.

Adimark attributed Bachelet's record approval rating to the perception of how she and her cabinet have handled the economic crisis and also to her "warm and spontaneous personality."

Of all the members of Bachelet's cabinet, Finance Minister Andres Velasco has the highest approval rating, at 67%. In last month's poll, Velasco obtained a 64% approval rating.

The government as a whole obtains 64% approval, up sharply from 57% in last month's poll.

In January, Chile unveiled a $4 billion fiscal stimulus package that included direct transfers to lower income families. Most of these transfers were made in March. In her annual May 21 "state of the nation" speech, Bachelet announced additional transfers to lower income families.

The stimulus package was financed with funds from one of the sovereign wealth funds where the government saved the windfall from high copper prices in recent years. Chile is the world's largest copper producer.

Websites for an overview on visas and work permits in Chile.

2009-10-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

The embassies and consulates listed below will be able to provide more detailed information:

U.S. Embassy in Chile, www.usembassy.cl
Av. Andrés Bello 2800 - Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Tel: (56-2) 232-2600; Fax: (56-2) 330-3710

British Embassy in Chile, www.britishembassy.gov.uk/
Avda. El Bosque Norte 0125, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Tel: (56-2) 370-4100

Canadian Embassy in Chile, www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/chile
World Trade Centre Building, Nueva Tajamar 481, North Tower, 12th Floor, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Tel: (56-2) 362-9660 ext. 3340 and 3341; Fax: (56-2) 362-9393; stago-cs@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Embassies of Chile in English speaking countries:

Embassy of Chile in the USA, www.chile-usa.org
1732 Mass. Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 785-1746; embassy@embassyofchile.org
Consular Section: Tel: (202) 530-4106 and 530-4107; Fax: (202) 530-4145; consulado@embassyofchile.org

Embassy of Chile in the UK, www.echileuk.demon.co.uk
12 Devonshire Street, London, W1G 7DS, U.K.
Tel: 44-20 7580 6392; Fax: 44-20 7436 5204
embachile@embachile.co.uk

Embassy of Chile in Canada, www.chile.ca
50 O'Connor Street, suite 1413, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2, Canada
Tel: (613) 235-4402 ext.117; Fax: (613) 235-1176

Check out more embassies at Transitions Abroad.

Vibe won a trip to Argentina thru a Bueno Entonces contest. Check out her experience and reviews

2009-10-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, San Telmo...

Before I move on to telling you all about my time at the in-laws, I need to tell you about San Telmo how I love San Telmo and how I haven’t spent enough time there. Sundays in San Telmo are lovely.. they get a bit touristy but the street music and street theatre are just really charming. There’s a student orchestra that plays in the middle of the street in Defensa and I can listen to them forever.

San Telmo is very very tango, has gorgeous antiques and an antiques market on Sunday, but also a shop where I found my new favourite bag, made out of a recycled inner tube. It’s made beautifully and the strap is made out of a bicycle inner tube. Love this stuff, and goes well with my crazy bag collection.

Read full text at beadventuresinba.blogspot

Reviews of Bueno Entonces Spanish Classes

2009-10-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

I gave a generally positive review of “Bueno Entonces” in Episode 23. I purchased another couple of episodes and my impression still stands: they are surprisingly well-done, professionally polished and entertaining…. the way these little episodes are set up really give you a feel for the way Spanish is structured. Additionally, I have to add that Jimena’s voice acting is superb. Seriously, she plays the “straight-man” role really well. Es decir, el personaje que hace de serio en una pareja de cómicos. I’d definitely recommend that you check these out—and if you’re on your way to Argentina, they are a *must.* It’s one of the very few resources out the that gives you a feel for the way people speak in Buenos Aires.

Fun, dynamic, and effective Spanish lessons

by Smirkypants

More of this review at buenoentonces.com/blog

MAP OF CHILE

2009-10-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Check out this and more maps at national-anthems.net

The General Linguistics Method for Teaching Foreign Languages

2009-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Created by linguists, teachers and students from a half-dozen countries, General Linguistics developed Bueno, entonces… to incorporate all the best elements of the software and audiobook language learning methods like Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone that have been around for decades.

We mixed the comprehensive learning material of the audiobook courses with the addictive, fun and universally beloved format of a television show to create the Bueno, entonces… series. Each of the 30classes is 30-40 minutes long, proven as the perfect length for a language course - long enough to cover vocabulary and grammar topics but short enough to keep you interested the whole time. The challenging fast pace and edgy, entertaining style of Bueno, entonces… will keep you coming back for more.

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous. Bueno, entonces… infuses a witty, engaging storyline into the learning process - and by following along you absorb more Spanish, morequickly than you ever thought possible. By the end of the 5-week, 30-class series, you
will be speaking and understanding native conversational Spanish!

Bueno, entonces… incorporates the following 5 principles to make learning Spanish fun, painless and effective:

1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging With Wit and Charm.

If you are not engaged, you are not going to learn or remember anything. Learning doesn’t have to be boring — remember your favorite teachers? Well, wait until you meet David & Jimena…

Read more about the Method at buenoentonces.com/blog.

One semester of Spanish

2009-09-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is so much fun. Check it out!

VISA TO CHILE

2009-09-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

As regulations are subject to change at short notice it is advisable to check with the Chilean Consulate for the latest information. At present, a visa is not required by the following:

(a) nationals of EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and US for a stay of up to 90 days (except nationals of Greece, who can stay up to 60 days);

(b) nationals of Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Grenada, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Surinam, Switzerland, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela and Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) for a stay of up to 90 days;

(c) nationals of Peru and for a stay of up to 60 days;

(d) nationals of Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia, Singapore and Zimbabwe for a stay of up to 30 days;

(e) transit passengers continuing their journey on the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding required travel documents for onward destination and not leaving the airport transit lounge.

Note: Nationals of the USA, Canada and Australia entering Chile for touristic purposes will be charged a processing fee payable on arrival and in cash only. For nationals of the USA the fee is US$45, for nationals of Canada, the fee is US$55, for nationals of Mexico, the fee is $15 and for nationals of Australia the fee is US$30.

Continue the article at Allo Expat

Tourism in Chile

2009-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Check out the great places you can visit!!!

To watch related videos, go to Youtube.

Osorno Volcano, Puerto Montt, Chile

2009-09-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Osorno Volcano is a 2,652 m (8,701 feet) tall conical stratovolcano lying between the provinces of Osorno and Llanquihue, in Los Lagos Region of Chile. It stands on the southeastern shore of Lake Llanquihue, and also towers over Todos los Santos Lake. Osorno is known worldwide as a symbol of the local landscape, and is noted for its similar appearance to Mount Fuji.

Osorno is one of the most active volcanoes of the southern Chilean Andes, with 11 historical eruptions recorded between 1575 and 1869. The basalt and andesite lava flows generated during these eruptions reached both Llanquihue and Todos los Santos Lakes. The upper slopes of the volcano are almost entirely covered in glaciers despite its very modest altitude and latitude, sustained by the substantial snowfall in the very moist maritime climate of the region.
See more of these pictures at Flickr.

Money & costs

2009-09-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Costs

Chile is not cheap by South American standards, but is more economical than Europe or North America. Prices can double during the late-December to mid-March high season, but travel just before or after the official season and you'll most likely score bargain accommodations. Internal flights devour travel funds at any time of the year.

Shoestring travelers should budget around US$25 per day for food and lodging, though with determination - camping or staying in hostels, eating in markets - you could cut that to below US$20. Surprisingly cheap and ridiculously filling set lunch menus are served by most restaurants - even expensive eateries have very affordable lunchtime deals.

From about US$60 per day you can wine and dine well and sleep in cozy accommodations. Families can enjoy excellent deals in fully equipped cabins wherever Chileans like to spend their summers. Spend more than US$100 per day and you can enjoy luxuries that would commonly cost you double that in North America or Europe.

Tipping

It's customary to cough up an extra 10% of the bill as a tip in restaurants, except in family-run places, which rarely expect a tip. In general, waiters and waitresses are poorly paid, so if you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip, and even a small propina will be appreciated. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you may round off the fare for convenience.

Read all info at Lonely Planet

About Chile

2009-09-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

It just doesn't cut it to call Chile a land of contrasts - this is a land of extremes. It's a preposterously skinny tendril of a country creeping 4300km around the foot of South America: while Arica basks in tropical heat at its tip, Punta Arenas shivers at its icy tail just short of Antarctica. Nowhere else can you stand in the world's driest desert (near San Pedro de Atacama), gaze at snowcapped peaks then turn your head to see cool Pacific rollers creaming inland. Follow Chile's jagged Andean backbone of towering mountains south and you'll pass through the ancient forests of Parque Nacional Chiloé, the rich vineyards of Talca, past shimmering lakes and immense plains, to stumble upon the exquisite labyrinth of fjords, islands and milky-blue glaciers that make up Southern Patagonia at the end of the Americas.

Opportunities for outdoor fun abound. Fancy climbing an active volcano? There are 50 to choose from. Prefer running white-water rapids or paddling through ice-carved fjords? You'll be spoilt for choice. Come looking for adventure and you could hike, bike, ski, surf, swim, horseback ride and even paraglide your way from desert to ice fields. But you don't need to sweat it to enjoy the best of Chile. You can soak in hot springs until your skin wrinkles, ogle at glaciers crumbling into the sea, stargaze alongside top international observatories, ponder the ancient mysteries of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) or soak up the urban buzz of Santiago or Valparaíso.

Continue reading, at Lonely Planet

Chile Travel Guide Directory

2009-09-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just pics, but nice ones!

5.2-magnitude earthquake shakes center of Chile. 10/27/09

2009-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

An earthquake measuring 5.2 magnitude on the Richter scale shook on Friday the central zone of Chile without reports of victims and material damages so far.

The Seismologic Services from the University of Chile reported that the earthquake was registered at 11:47 a.m. (1547 GMT) on Friday and its epicenter was located in the sea, 87 km north to Valparaiso and 25.8 km deep.

Meanwhile, the National Office of Emergency said the earthquake had an intensity of 2 degrees in Mercalli Scale, which has a maximum of 5.

The earthquake affected regions of Coquimbo in the north, Valparaiso in the center, Metropolitana de Santiago and O'Higgins in the south.

Be updated with People's Daily Online.