Chile is a curious country. Arguably more prosperous than its neighbours, the spaghetti-shaped land is occasionally referred to as the Switzerland of South America. But at the same time it’s a deeply troubled country, and I’m not talking about sexy communist revolutionary wannabes like Camila Vallejo. The thorough searches after we crossed the long patch of no man’s land surrounded by minefields, and arrived at the border, reminded us of the Iron Curtain, and times when freedom was scarce in Eastern Europe. Augusto Pinochet and his coup d’état had turned Chile into a dictatorship for almost twenty years, and it feels like the country still didn’t quite wake up from the decades of brutal repression – the people of Chile are nowhere near as natural, and much more guarded than in Bolivia, or even Peru.
Regardless, it’s a beautiful country with picturesque landscapes, good services, and delicious wine. It made for a great final part of our journey, and good transition back into civilisation. :-) Once again, I’m sharing excerpts from our favourite Alžbeta Lengyelová’s diary.
…find more of “Desierto de Atacama” inside
