Chile in pictures

3/10/2016

Chile

Chile is strange in that the country is not particularly wide, but is one of the longest north-south countries in the world. This means the geography of the country is incredibly varied. From the worlds driest desert in the north, to the large metropolis of Santiago in the centre and the natural scenery of lakes and mountains in Patagonia in the south. Compared to its neighbours, Chile is also a developed country and this was pretty obvious as soon as I crossed the border from Bolivia.

Chile lacked some of the charm of Peru, the excitement of Brazil or the uniqueness of Bolivia but it was still worth the visit. The Atacama desert in the north was something particularly impressive, just a vast expanse of dry heat.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to visit places such as Valparaiso or Patagonia but in this article I have included a selection of my favourite photo's that I took in the country, pictures that I think can give you a feel for Chile, its culture and its attractions.

Travel advice for Sikhs

As with most of South America (other than my brush with the law in Peru), I experienced no difficulty or issue in travelling through Chile whatsoever. The border with Bolivia was a little problematic with the guards asking for bribes, but this was the same for others in the queue as well, in fact, one Canadian guy didn't have any change on him so I gave him a little.

I found Chileans generally to be a little more reserved and standoffish compared to other countries, a little cold but nothing specific for me (as my friends in Santiago told me).

I had a 15 odd hour bus journey, a domestic flight and an international flight and at no point was I subject to extra checks or anything like that at all.