Chile: conclusions and tips

 

 

• 17 days + 38 days;

• traveled by plane, bus, car, speed boat and ferry;

• 4 + 4 Chilean stamps, 1 Easter Island stamp;

• 3 days to get to the End of the World;

• 4 days without night;

• 5 National Parks, 5 + 7 days hiking (not enough);

• 3 to 3 Pablo Neruda’s houses visited;

• 1 sock lost somewhere between Chile and Argentina;

• End of the World, checked;

• best fire works in South America, checked;

• mythical Magellan Strait and Beagle Channel, checked;

• Moais and oldest mummies in the world, checked.

 

What I liked MOST

• Wild nature, great treks and hikes;

• The most beautiful flight in the world (Santiago – Punta Arenas);

• The power of Nature at the End of the World, I could have all seasons in one day!

• Gaby’s cuisine, she is the best!;

• Red wine (and terremotos, lol).

 

 

What I liked LEAST

• Chileans are (still) very disorganized;

• Sailing Magellan Strait on a small boat;

• CONAF;

• Too long bus drives;

• Valparaiso’s pickpockets.

 

Useful Information :

• Puerto Williams can be reached by a 3 days ferry and by plane from Punta Arenas and by speed boat from Ushuaia in Argentina. The speed boat option is easily booked online from home. From the Punta Arenas options most of the times your guesthouse in Punta Arenas or Puerto Williams can help you with that;

• Bed bookings for Torres del Paine W Trek must be done in advance, especially during high season (Dec to March);

• Booking through hostelworld or booking adds 10% to the final price. Try to book directly with the hostel;

• When booking directly with the hostel, sometimes they ask to pay the first night in advance and give you their bank and account number. It is very easy: go to that bank and say you want to pay X pesos to that account. Take a picture of the bank receipt and send it to the hostel, booking done!

• A bus drive from Chile to Argentina  (or Argentina to Chile) is cheaper if done with a Chilean bus company;

• Traveling long distances by night bus can save one night of hostel. Two categories of buses: semi cama and cama (larger seats);

• My best bus company was ETM (it was suggested it to me for my trip Temuco – Santiago), the semi cama bus was just fantastic. Tur bus has the cheapest prices but it was told me their buses break down quite often. I took them for two short drives and were not very comfortable (plus we always departed late). Cruz del Sur was OK.

 

Some Chilean Expressions to survive :

• Ya! : the equivalent to Spanish “vale”. Say it all the time and you will be fine;
• Si po: a kind of affirmation;
• Cachai? Cachan?: do you understand?
• Al tiro: right now;
• Colectivo; shared taxi. Every colectivo has a precise destination;
• Lucas: thousand pesos. 5lucas means 5000pesos;
• Filete: very cool;
• Harto; much, many, a lot of;
• Pasarla chancho; to have a great time;
• Tener caña: hungover;
• Picada: a thing good and cheap:
• Schoperia, schop: brewery, pint;
• Pololo, polola: boyfriend, girlfriend;
• Gua gua: baby girl.

 

My Chile Pictures :