Karate Kid

I ran into a group practicing various forms of martial arts over the weekend. The guy in the back shouted the commands and the rest all jumped.

A Place for a Cat

Taking a rest from the sun near Quinta Normal

The Chilean small business

I’ve long been intrigued by the quantity of small businesses in Chile. This little shops that you past on the bus ride to where ever it is you are going, some of them packed, others always empty. Most you’ll never walk into but in Santiago I’m always aware of their existence.

This fascination has prompted me to walk into them with my camera and explore them visually. Most people are pretty open to the lens, while others or not. Some have suspected me of being some sort of salesman, others simply just don’t care and a few sit and talk to me about their lives.

In any case I haven’t gotten out as much as I would like. I’ve posted two other entries (here and here) on a couple of the places I’ve been to in recent weeks.

A personal post to the world….a wedding in Chile

Last Friday I had the civil wedding (i.e the legal paperwork) with my Chilean girlfriend of nearly four years. When I landed in Chile I knew on October 12, 2004 I knew it would be the trip of the lifetime, but I didn’t know why. At the time I didn’t know how long I would stay. It was an emotional moment and I have to say I feel a bit more Chilean after living it. It was a small event and afterwards we drank too much wine and champagne.

All I know is that I’m very lucky to found the love that I have in this world.

I’ve gotten to know her family quite well and feel completely welcome in their company.

I tried to get my mother involved through a video chat. We chat frequently online and rarely lose the signal. But this day it refused to work. Turns out that shortly before my father passed away of cancer the discussion arose as to whether he could participate in the wedding ceremony (coming later this month) via video chat. He was against it, thought it too intrusive. His presence was strong that day, he was with us I could just feel it.

Chilean researchers turn to Mapuche medicinal plant to fight brain cancer

Last Thursday Chilean researchers annouced they have isolated anti-carcinogenic compounds in a indigenous medicinal plant used traditional to treat an upset stomach that they believe can be used to eventual fight brain cancer in humans.

Led by Dr. Rolando Martinez of the Universidad Austral in Valdivia along with researchers from the Universidad Andres Bello and doctors from the Barros Luco Hospital, the project will move into an advance stage treating lab animals with brain cancer and then humans.

Martinez and his team focused on isolating anti- carcinogenic chemicals in the Leptocarpha rivularis, used by the Mapuche to treat an upset stomach, to attack cancer cells. Research using the plant has shown the natural derivatives force proteins from the cancerous cells to start a process that corrects the infected cell’s DNA. Moreover tests have shown the compound has no impact on healthy cells.

The first two phases of the project, conducted over the last twenty years, focused first on creating brain cancer among lab rats and then treating it with the compound. The second phase then focused on liver cancer among terminally ill volunteers. The third phase will focus on Chilean patients with brain cancer.

Researchers, however, expect more complications from the third phase due to the limited amount of people with brain cancer in Chile willing to participate in such a study.

Leptocarpha rivularis is a plant known in Chile as “palo negro”, stands at a meter and a half and is found in the south of Chile. The plant has been used for generations by the Mapuche people, one of Chile’s last surviving indigenous groups.

Riding a bike in Santiago, Chile

So as my work situation hit a period of change recently I've had the opportunity to work in new areas, one of them in tourism. Specifically I'm giving bike tours of Santiago with La Bicicleta Verde.

The two tours I'm currently working on focus on La Chimba, the area north of the Mapocho, i.e. La Vega, Patronato, etc. The other one takes you through a bit of providencia, parque Bustamante, Plaza Italia, Lastarria, Santa Lucia, etc. Its a very interesting thing to be doing because it forces you to learn a whole lot more about the terrain you are showing to tourists. As a storyteller this gives me another reason to be perusing the internet for odds and ends about these eclectic barrios.

The Big Day

Today is the day. This is a huge election and such a crazy and unstable time. I think Obama is who we need to start the healing process of the last eight years, it won't be easy. It sounds like an awful job to have in fact, but I think he will move us in the right direction.

RN Rio de Los Cipreses: Great place for trekking in Chile

Over the weekend Caro and I went to Reserva Nacional Rio de los Cipreses, located just to the south of Santiago. I was quite impressed by the park. It features a long trail going from the entrance to the very end with numerous extensions along the way. There are several high mountain peaks that can be climbed. A relatively flat trekking that can be done through the valley plus glaciers, waterfalls and lots of green. I highly recommend it as a long weekend getaway.

Above: the town nearest to the park, Coya, is an interesting little place. Many of the political flyers leftover from last weeks election were still up. Including this one, Por el Huaso que quiere

They have been reintroducing Pumas to the park and have some sort of protection program going. We didn't get to see one though.

Plenty of quality hiking and the trail I think could be done on a mountain bike as well as long as you don't mind hauling it over rivers.

Some great peaks line the borders of the park.



Pure campo as you drive into the park.

We both had a great time....highly recommend the getaway!

50 Cent in Chile

As luck would have it I ended up at a 50 Cent press conference (no, I'm being serious here).

I'll admit I don't have any of his music in my iTunes, but you can't deny that he is a big name so it was interesting to be right in front of him. I was expecting someone a lot more aggresive, but in person he seemed pretty laid back and interested to be in Chile.

He's performing in Chile and Colombia, which he said were the two countries in Latin America he hasn't been to yet or had any of his albums go gold or platnum. There was a good show out of tabloid press, TVN, CQC, etc. The Chilean press seemed very fascinated with some of his eccentric requests. What I heard there (before his entry) was that he needed 20 black and 20 white towels....he asked for lots of mirrors in his room? He ate his chicken with no skin on it? It was a very strange voyage into the curiousities of the farandula focused media in Chile.

Then he talked. He doesn't really understand what they are saying in most reggaetone songs, but he understands the rythms. He came to Chile because he wants to say he has been everywhere. He writes his lyrics about the violence, the streets because expressing the experience through music is a peaceful way of dealing with it. That's the kind of statement I would say bullshit if I read it but hearing someone say it and mean it was something different. The guy next to him had an Obama hat on, which got a bit of attention as well, and 50 said he wanted a president white, black, just a president that is a good president, but the other guy was all about Obama.

I asked him if he liked Chilean girls. He said he hadn't seen any that would scare him away.

There were some other questions, there was a sort of hesitation but interest between the Chilean press and the three man group. Then Caiga Quien Caiga, which if you've ever seen the show you know how they are, gave him some gift and asked him for one in return (a T-shirt or something), but they were so serious. It was very weird of them to be like that, maybe I just didn't get the joke. That's happened before.

Municipal Elections in Chile

On Sunday Chileans went to the polls to choose their mayors and city council. Municipal governments are quite important in Chile since there is no real regional (or state) power, just the city and central government. Therefore many decisions about everyday life (from zoning to taxes, recycling, adult education, cultural events, etc) are passed on to the municipal government.

Moreover the elections this year drew a lot of attention as they serve as a sort of barometer of how people might vote for the presidential elections to be held next year.

The overwhelming consensus that one can glean from the municipal results is that the right wing is much stronger today. Bolstered by corruption and transparency scandals, a lack of leadership, a disastrous transportation system, the Alianza, made up of Chile two right wing parties the UDI and RN, seem to be in their best position to actually win their first presidential election in decades.

The incumbent government, the Concertación (the coalition), is a grouping of three center to center left parties (the DC, PS and PDI). The coalition was formed in 1989 when Chileans voted Pinochet out of office in a nationwide referendum. However as years have gone by, the need to unite against the military and Pinochet (who died in 2006) and the effect of being in power for almost 20 years seems to have weakened the coalition as an institution.

The future candidate with the most momentum today is Sebastian Piñera, a billionaire from the RN party. The prevailing logic states that if he is so good at business, he must be good at running a country as well, right? I get a bit nervous when I think of billionaires (and all of their assets) being trusted to run the country in a way that is best for the general good of the country not just good for their business interests. These people get to where they are by following their own vision, but does that vision include everyone else?

I definitely think that the Concertación is in a very weak position and some change would be good for how business is done at a government level. However I have a hard time being as outraged at the Chilean government as most Chileans, but that’s because after watching Bush dismantle my country and take the world along with it in a bloody, criminal fashion, some light corruption scandals and a poorly envisioned public transportation system seem like a paradise.

In any case watching the municipal elections as a foreigner is always a bit puzzling and interesting. The main strategy to get elected is create a large, up to 2 meter tall sign inverted V shaped sign with your photo and a catchy phrase (or not). Something like, “we are with you.” Then reproduce that sign a thousand times over and set them right next to each other on the street. I find it hard to believe that it really influences people, but I guess in some sort of way it must. In any case it’s a boon for street dogs (hence the photo) and teenage vandals that poke out the eyes and color in the teeth.

Better late than never....

So I wanted to get a post up last week....but didn't get around to it.

Last week on Wednesday October 15th I turned 30 years old. Quite the milestone, its hard to believe how time has flown by, especially since I arrived to Chile in 2004. That was the other milestone, on Oct. 11th I hit my four year mark in Chile. A week of reflection and a bit of celebration was in order. On my birthday I went to what is my second soccer game ever and my first in Chile against their arch rivals, neighbors and a historically very successful team, Argentina. There have been quite a few occasions where people have asked me if I wanted to go or that I had considered going, but it never happened.

Never seemed like the right time.

The wait paid off. Chile played their best and beat Argentina 1-0. Really should've been at least 2, or even 3-0. They really did beat Argentina. This is the biggest thing that could happen to the Chilean national team. Winning the world cup would only be bigger if they had to beat Argentina to do so. Moreover, Chile has never beat Argentina in a world cup elimination round, and it has been 98 years since they beat them in any situation at all (i.e a friendly match).

Radiohead in Chile?

That's what the rumor is. There was an article in El Mercurio as well as talk in Argentina about a Latin American tour.....I sure hope so. Supposed to be in April or March 2009 and would be in the SandeaApoquindopoquindo stadium.

Oktoberfest in Chile

So its about time for the 2008 Oktoberfest that will take place just outside of Santiago from October 30- November 6. Its an excellent opportunity to try the growing selection of Cerveza Artesanal. I went two years ago and was quite impressed by the number of breweries on hand. This year there are supposed to be around 30 micro brews and the event should see some 40,000 visitors.

Prost!

Change

Damn it’s been a long time since I updated this blog. A lot has happened since I updated this blog. A period of pretty intense change has struck my life, some of it very welcome, some of it surprising but in the end probably positive and some just plain difficult and painful.

Some of the change is still coming and very good. I will get married later on this year. (Actually I still need the official date from the Municipal government here, but the registro civil continues on strike, grrrr). This is a positive change and one that is planned and welcomed.

Other changes are also brewing. I have been working for a year as a telecoms analyst, researching and writing in-depth market research reports on subjects like machine to machine technologies in Latin America, the rise of smartphones, prepaid vs postpaid mobile subscribers and WiMAX, etc. However the company downsized and rather quickly laid off almost half of its analysts, myself included. So this change has been unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. Sure I will miss the stability and paycheck that this job provided. But it is also an immense opportunity to expand my focus to new areas and expand my craft past just writing. More to come on that one as it develops.

But then there are the changes that we all know will come to us one of these days but that are completely unwelcome and painful: the loss of loved ones. My father fought a long battle with cancer. First it appeared as colon cancer and after a major operation and intense chemo session he recovered. Then several years later it returned as prostrate cancer.

I remember when he told me about it, I almost left Chile right away. I think about now how different the last few years would’ve turned out had I done that. I stayed because he wanted me to continue with what I was doing and I didn’t feel finished. We communicated via email and video chat on a regular basis and all my free time I could muster was spent going back to the states to visit him.

In that time I managed to get into journalism as a reporter and then got the job as an analyst, which gave my father and I, who was a journalism professor for over 30 years not too mention an editor, photographer and writer in the past, a whole new dialogue. I never really thought that was the path I would go down when I came to Chile. But it worked its self out somehow. So despite the distance I think we were able to develop the relationship even a step further. Many people, especially Chileans, have really questioned why I would be in Chile if my father was fighting cancer. But this development of a common trade has put us closer in mind than we ever could’ve been had I moved physically closer to him by going home.

Over the last year (since August 2007), I have been able to make four trips home. I have been able to bring my Chilean fiancé Caro to Iowa City on three occasions now. The urgency that the cancer created really made it a priority to get home when it was possible, sometimes it was my job that brought me back, other times it was just to visit. I can honestly say that I think we made the most of it with the two and a half years that we had.

But of course we knew that there was a day coming where things would change, and like clockwork that day came, and we lost my father last month. I got to be there for that and share with my family. We had a great service for him, surrounded by the people he influenced over the years as a friend, father, teacher and advisor.

But now that I’m back in Chile, the full magnitude of these changes is becoming clear. I don’t fear it, as long as I’m being proactive in embracing new possibilities. In trying to develop my professional and personal selves actively and not dwelling too much on the weight of the situation.

And what better time to be back in Chile than in the spring time when the mountains are green and still have snow but the weather is nice?

World Press Photo

I went about a week ago (maybe it was a bit longer than that) to the World Press Photo. This is the third year I've seen it. In Santiago it usually passes through the Centro Cultral de Las Condes. The place gets some good shows but this is one of my favorites. The photos are very good, very serious and can be a bit overwhelming. They go to show you how watered down our newspaper images are, and how powerful photography is as a story telling medium. This year my favorite was a series of photos taken in the moments before and after a suicide bomber attacked Benazir Bhutto. There is one of her adjusting her veil in the last seconds of her life that is simple but very very powerful. In any case if you aren't familiar with the World Press Photo and you like photography or the news its worth checking out.

Santiago places: Bar Constitución

So last weekend I made it out with Caro to Bar Constitución, located in Bellavista along Constitución (the street parallel to Pionono where all the nicer restaurants are). The place has gotten a fair amount of attention and attracts a mid twenties and younger crowd. The bar itself is set up nicely, although the wall that faces it is made of crappy unpainted wood that doesn't mix with the rest of the place. It has a DJ stand and the place fills up quickly after 11pm. The place even has some good microbrews hard to find in most bars...Mestra, Kross, Capital....all a plus.

Everything seemed nice upon walking in, but it all went down from there.

Service in Chile isn't very good in general, but this place was an extreme. The service was horrible!

The waiter took forever to even bring a menu...the first round took quite a while...the second one I had to get up and ask if I could just walk around the bar and pour myself a beer..then they just stopped attending to us at all...and it has that stupid system quite popular in Chile where you pay in one line and then go to another to get the actual drink. Then when we finally got the bill they over charged us. Plus while I was at the bar just trying to get them to bring more drinks the staff was running around with all these bills all confused like they had lost someone's tab or something. It gave the impression that there was no manager and never had been one.

So its a place that has potential as long as you don't require food or drinks!

Olympic Gold Medals: Extracted from Chile

So this news is a bit old but I found it pretty interesting anyways. The medals that will be used for the upcoming Beijing olympics were made from metals in Australia and Chile. In fact the gold medals, all 2,000 of them, were made from gold extracted from Escondida, a gold mine located in the Atacama desert. The metal was then refined in China for their final form.

Interesting tidbit of albeit trivial info, something to pull out at random moments in cocktail parties and quite elevators.

Auctioning Lost Luggage

Every wonder what happened to that bag that continues to circle the baggage claim belt?...round and round it goes while you start to worry whether the (American) airlines has again lost your luggage.

Well if it goes unclaimed long enough in Chile, they will auction it for charity!

I have to say I was surprised by it all. It was auctioned, as I understand, by LAN Chile and the airport and the earnings went to support an NGO that builds houses for poor people.

The suitcases were sold of course without knowing what was inside. Seems like such a curious event, just imagine what you might find folded/hidden/stuffed/vibrating/nicely wrapped with a bow in that suitcase.

The Flower Lady: A Slideshow Story

So I've been wanting (and others have urged) to put some of my photos together into stories as a slide show with a narrative and everything...so here is a little test run of some photos I took a month or two ago in the Plaza Ñuñoa. Hope you like it.

Back in Chile-Back on the Blog

So its time for one of those I haven’t updated the blog for a long time type entries. It just seemed to get pushed further down on my list of priorities. I’ve been busy, I’ve been traveling, yadayadayada

I made it to Iowa to see the family. It was flooded, very flooded. But the weather was wonderful. It was nice to wear shorts and a short sleeve shirt. I also got to see the fourth of July for the first time in a long time…I think its been about four years now. Last time I was completely sick of all the flag stuff, all the patriotism, it just made me sick. This time around after not living in the US for three and a half years there was something nice about it, go figure. I even got to light off some bottle rockets with my brother.

So we’ll say that I’m back on the blog, there will be entries again, and again. Or at least I hope so.

What about the pets? Update

Thought I'd just add something to my post from yesterday....The pets (a hundred of them or so at least..they say there are 500 more still behind) have been rescued. From the photos in the press it looked like all dogs. I'm sure we'll see this on Animal Planet or something.

Chile in Headlines: What about the pets?

So its been well over a week since Chaiten, a volcano in the far south of Chile, started bellowing ash, smoke and lava. The town, which holds the same name, has been evacuated, the last member was just recently pulled out. But recently there has been a fair amount of attention on "what will happen to Fido?" What about the pets?

The government said late this weekend that it would allow a small group to enter the restricted area to feed the animals, but hasn't authorized actually pulling the animals, estimated to be aruond 1,400 strong, out of the area.

Now my guess is that they don't want to add to the logistical nightmare they are already facing with just the people. Adding dogs to the living space, not too mention the bill, would just be more than the state had in mind.

But it does raise some interesting issues. Is a dog a member of the family? Who decides this? How can the state punish people for poorly treating animals if it doesn't care for them in times of need?

I guess the cynic in me says, if the discussion is surrounding what to do about pets, then things are going pretty well for a natural disaster. But then, what about Fido? Will he be left to just eat pigeons and lap dogs?

El Regalon

After an extremely filling meal at what might be one of the best restaurants around Santiago...Calypso, Caro and I rested in a field behind the eating area (the food is rich and the wine is strong so they have some comfy chairs and hammocks to rest in)...we were visited by a large but friendly dog.

A spot to enjoy

I felt going to the archives and pulling up something from the past.

From Termas Geometricas which is just north of Villarica. The place is stunning, with a very nice infrastructure that flows perfectly with the narrow canyon, waterfalls and massive green plants that form the nature around it. Not to mention the 17 naturally heated pools that it has. A true gem.

Although a lot has happened here in Chile over the last 9,000 years:

There is one thing that has never happened.


Pic from National Geographic (who else would have it)

Until this last week. On May 2 a Volcano in the far south -Chaitén- blew its lid. After a couple days or so of puffing smoke ash it has started to spew fire and ash, as in the photo above, mixed with lightening. Yesterday saw some of the biggest explosions yet.

The event is nothing minor, ash has reached as far as Buenos Aires and forced the evacuation of the entire area. Luckily there aren’t any major urban centers nearby. But on the news I saw a dog left behind, lying at the front door of his house with a sad face.

I was lucky enough to see a different Volcano, Llaima, erupt in January, near Temuco. But this is something much bigger, and notable, since it has been dormant so long. It makes you wonder about those four or five dormant monsters on the edge of the capital.

Catching a Taxi at the Santiago airport- what not to pay

Today El Mercurio reported that airport authorities will be darkening all of the glass around the doors where passengers enter the main terminal from the arrival area to combat “pirate” taxis that have charged up to 200,000 Chilean pesos for a ride to the city. For a bit of context, hiring one of the official airport taxi chains costs between 12,000-15,000 pesos depending on how hard you push for a bargain and where you are going.

I don’t know who these foreigners are that arrive so completely clueless as to what the going rate of a taxi ride is from the airport. Ripping off arriving visitors at the airport is a con job performed round the world. So if you are coming to Chile, save yourself the headache and just hire an official taxi or a “transfer” shuttle bus.

Although probably perfectly legal, the price inflation also applies to hotels. I went to meet someone passing through Chile at their hotel -The Sheraton- just yesterday. I took a cab from Ñuñoa and paid about 3,500 pesos. When I was leaving I asked the hotel staff how much a hotel taxi would cost to the same place: 7,000 pesos...double the price!

Remembering the heat

Seems like quite a while now that I didn't hesitate to put on shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. Those days have slipped by a bit too fast and now the cold winter without good inside heating looms.

It all makes me feel a bit dreary, especially since I'm pretty reduced in movement thanks to a sprained ankle sustained in a basketball game.

In fact we even had rain just yesterday. The seasons move forward, the stories coming from family in the US is now of spring, its warming up there after a long nasty winter. So bring it on now, I got out my thick wool sweaters and wear them all to often, and winter really hasn't even fully began.

The N95 street view: Gotta light?

A friendly light at the local shoperia.

So I took this with my Nokia N95...I sometimes forget that my phone has such a good camera, so in order to force myself to use it a bit more I'm going to start posting some shots from the "street" view using the phone. Hope you enjoy.

The Junk Food Alternative

Along one of the main arteries in Santiago Leonardo opened a shop about three years ago. He owned the building so its overhead was low. So he took aim at what he thought was a problem in Chile: too much junk food.

Soy mayonnaise, peanuts with salt, with garlic, hot pepper, even healthy dog food for the family pet. Everyday you can find him manning his post, watching the street, speaking to the occasional visitor, trying to bring a bit more health to the Chilean diet.

Chilenas en China

My Chilena goes China in Shangai.

Taking Flight

The textures in this photo were what caught my eye.

Five Years

Nothing to do with Chile, but worth mentioning anyways. Its been five years since the US invaded Iraq. Feel safer?

Reuters has put together a multimedia site telling some of the stories that its staff has experienced and witnessed over these last five years.

Contemplation

What is he thinking about?

Show up early to get a parking spot

As with all parking always best to have a reserved spot.

Dusk hits Algarrobo

As the sun slips past the horizon the sea comes inland while the moon rises. What in the afternoon was a peaceful rock to sit on and enjoy the sea air is now feeling the full brunt of Pacific waves.

Chile In Headlines: Chile cracks down on Gringo "illegals"

The Chilean Interior department has deported three US citizens for working illegally in Chile as fly fishing guides in Aisén, located in the far south of the country.

According to a report in Emol the three gringos didn't have a work permit and weren't paying taxes either.

This comes right after the same department wrapped up an amnesty campaign for Latin American foreigners, granting thousands of visas to Peruvians, Ecudorians, Brazilians, etc, but not to US citizens.

Algarrobo: A Place of Love and Heineken

Need I say more?

Ok...but only because you insist....

Made it to the beach, the salty air refreshed me once again, in a little nook where things are almost ideal...or at least close enough.

Chile In Headlines: Wal-Mart in Talks with D&S

So just last week D&S and Falabella officially dropped plans to merge their operations after Chile’s anti-trust commission rejected the proposed merger.

I said it would be good for Chile, good for small business, but if Wal-Mart buying D&S and entering Chile is the alternative…then hey bring on the merger!

Citing "industry sources" El Mercurio reported that D&S and Wal-Mart have been in talks since “shortly after the merger ended.” Not that entering the market would be easy. US retailers have failed before trying to get into Chile. (JC Penny and Home Depot for example) But Wal-Mart partnered with a successful local firm? Could get traction.

The news has already caught people's attention: the Santiago stock exchange suspended trade on D&S' stock until they clarify what is going on. D&S was quick to deny the rumors, but it was enough to raise at least a few eyebrows.

Riding with the furious

This week was the monthly ride of "Ciclistas Furiosos," in which a couple hundred bike Fanatics get together and ride down the streets during rush hour. It was a nice ride that went into some of the older parts of Santiago where I wouldn't even think of riding at night alone. It brought out all sorts: hippies, kids, office workers, dogs, and even a rat.

Chile In Headlines: Energy Crunch

Chile's government has been forced to take measures in order to ensure that its electrical grid can supply enough energy to meet demand. Rainfall shortages have meant that its hydro electrical dams haven't been able to produce enough electricity to keep up.

The government has created a special commission to deal with the problem. They have created a list of things people can do to decrease their own consumption: use energy saving light bulbs, shut off the computer when you aren't using it, don't defrost food in the microwave, among others. The congress has also passed a law requiring electrical companies to invest and use renewable energies as well.

The crunch has also meant several controversial dams projects will also get the green light from the government. Despite the measures taken, authorities still won't rule out that mandatory blackouts could become necessary in the not so distant future.

Late Night Liquor Store

In the Headlines: Bond comes to Chile

Soy Bond, James Bond....

James Bond will be coming to Chile to shoot the latest flick "The Quantum of Solace." 007 starts shooting on Monday, March 10 and will spend most of his time in the north near Antofagasta.

According to an article in El Mercurio they will shoot a couple of fight scenes that involve two Land Rovers and also film at the Paranal Observatory.

Beach Dogs

Living the hard life of a beach dog.

In the Headlines: Retailers drop merger

Today two of Chile’s largest retailers Falabella and D&S dropped plans to merge their operations into Latin America’s second largest retailer after it was rejected earlier this year by the country’s anti-trust commission.

The merger would have created a Chilean Walmart with a whole lot of power to influence the price of everything from food to domestic electronics to clothes and furniture. Falabella is a department store, something like Sears, and D&S owns one of the country's largest supermarket chains: Lider.

Critics argued it would destroy small businesses and give the company too much power over its providers, while others said it was necessary for the consolidated firm to compete internationally.

I think it is a good sign since it gives more opportunity for small business, there are so many ma and pa stores that would suffer from the conglomerate coming together.

Born to Ride

Nothing could stop this little guy.

Santiago places: La Feria

So over the weekend I made it to this place: Club La Feria. Located in Bellavista it has been described to me as the best place for electronic music in Santiago, and a really good club. Add to that the 6000 peso entry (the mid tier places usually charge around 3000 pesos and give you a crappy rum and coke) that comes without a free drink and I got my expectations up for something really nice.

The pluses of the place: The DJ knew how to DJ, how to do a transition (no trance followed by AC/DC which can happen in a place with a “typical” Chilean DJ, no 80s music..etc). The place had a fairly interesting look to it as well. The bar tenders could make a drink and take money. (Many places have two separate lines, one to pay one to get your drink), and they also were more like bar tenders, if they saw you needed something they came to you.

But the negatives: Needed something more visual, I think they have a TV, but for a place where the DJ is center stage and all he is doing is pushing play on the laptop, video is important. The drinks were a bit expensive 3500 for rum or vodka, 4000 for whiskey, 2000 for a bottle of beer, and it was very small.

So if you really want to dance to some electronic music it is worth it, but just make sure to bring enough cash.

In the Headlines: Bachelet calls on Colombia to explain itself after weekend attack on the FARC in Ecuador

So the political drama unfolding between Colombia and its neighbors has been at the center of attention in Chile, where the country’s President Michelle Bachelet called on the Colombian government to explain its actions following an attack on FARC rebels that spilled over into Ecuadorian territory.

According to a report on El Mercurio’s site, Bachelet spoke with other leaders in South America and is ready in intervene as an intermediary to resolve the conflict. She called it “worrisome” and said that Colombia owes Ecuador an explanation as to how and why it crossed into its territory.

If you missed it, Colombia bombed a FARC camp located about 2km into Ecuadorian territory on Saturday, killing the FARC’s #2 man: Luis Edgar Devia, aka "Raúl Reyes." The FARC have long been suspected of hiding out in Ecuador and Venezuela to escape the Colombia military.

The attack generated strong reactions from Hugo Chavez, who has recently clashed with Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe over negotiations to free FARC held hostages. Chavez warned Uribe that it would be war if he did the same in Venezuela started amassing troops at the border. He also accused the US as having backed the attack as well.

Colombia had a shot at one of its enemy’s at it took it despite the potential fall out that we are seeing today. Authorities in the US have accused Venezuela of providing shelter to the FARC to conduct their kidnappings and use as a corridor for drug trafficking, something Chavez has denied. Granted I wouldn’t expect Colombia to take any aggressive action. Let’s hope cooler heads prevail at this point.

Center of the Community

Heading towards the mountains in Chillan there are a surprising number of Evangelical churches. Many are like this one in the photo, small little shacks that draw the local huasos to worship. There are hardly any real towns in this area, just roads with houses, farms and shacks on the side. The nearest town is basically an intersection with a couple stores and a restaurant. So this little church is the closest thing to community for miles and miles.

The only other establishment is, of course, a liquor store across the street.

Linares Chile by Night

Night time hits in Linares, Chile where Carolina and I were stranded due to what we now (almost a week alter the fact) know was probably due to a bad batch of oil. So part of the engine nearly caught on fire and the whole car shut down while we were going about 120 Km/hr.

Luckily Carolina has one of these roadside assistance insurance plans. They came to the rescue and put us up in a (crappy) hotel with a view of the center of town, La plaza de armas de Linares…imagínate!

It’s a lot like many small Chilean towns that I’ve had the chance to see. For some reason I thought of Salamanca, where I stayed over the course of 20 weeks while teaching English at a copper mine a little less than three years ago. For some reason though the place was pretty lively, not in a New York sort of way, but rather in a lets get ice cream or pizza or beer kind of way. Plus every single teenager was in one side of the plaza, while the older youth of Linares gathered around the perimeter of the place listening to music in their cars. But no one was doing the time honored activity of “crusin the loop,” despite the fact that this plaza, well actually any of them for that matter, seems built to do circles round.

So we saw it for a second, and then returned to the fourth floor of the crappy hotel (where I should say the clerk had a porn movie going on in a small TV below the counter. We couldn’t see it, but we could hear it, real classy place, but free) and I watched the flow of people and cars pass by the strange wolf or dog statues they had in each corner of the plaza. Why they were there?...A mystery.

a midnight scene under the moon

Facing the Andes under a full moon as the generator hits the bottom of the fuel tank the pool took on an almost mystic quality. The moon was bright enough to draw shadows beneath the trees and light my way.

Best friend for five minutes

One of the things I enjoy about wandering around in Chile is that you meet lots of random street dogs. Some of them are in a sad state, some of them are as free and as happy as doggedly possible. This guy was somewhere in between.

Fresh Fruit

Along the highway are tons of these small fruit stands where you can walk away with boxes of fresh and extremely cheap fruit. We came across this one en route to a mountain cabin in Chillan.