Our Chile Summary

So, since I have been asked multiple times whether I liked Chile and the trip at all, (Greetings to Mrs. Dr. B.😉 and Anja H.) the blog posts apparently raise such doubts, I have to write a summary at this point and enlighten you about it. (This was of course discussed on the last evening during our last very delicious meal (Ceviche and more) with Helmut).
The first blog-writing insight: Writing in a slightly ironic tone about successes and failures and even annoying parts of the trip is just more fun and may entertain you better!? 😊 The swooning and enjoyment is not really my thing!

And that brings us to a first insight into Chile: Many Chileans can do exactly that wonderfully!

Attention: (something completely new ;o)) I often felt very 'German' and we Germans are quite sober. I envy the Chileans for their enthusiasm and relaxed warmth. Everything is bueno, muy lindo, super rico... you are immediately embraced, warmly hugged and welcomed. I would like to have a bit more of that too! They are also super, super polite. Permiso here, Permiso there. We did not perceive any such thing as a competitive mindset at all. For example, if we were not quite happy with the 'offer' in a store, we immediately received a recommendation for something else. Nobody ever tried to take too much money from us or tell nonsense. Many were so generous. All agreements always worked reliably and punctually. I enjoyed that and I try to take that with me into everyday German life.

And the punctuality thing is already one of the clues that Chile is not such a 'typical' South American country. (If you can judge that as a European at all.) This initially caught me off guard. Ill-prepared as I was, I assumed it would be more similar to Cuba, Guatemala, etc. But over time, I really liked this aspect of Chile.

I wrote to my Chilean friend that I was surprised how 'western' Chile is. She couldn't make anything of it. ;o) But when it comes to: fashion, music, furnishings... It surprised me how similar the 'trends' are over thousands of kilometers. There was Wi-Fi everywhere, everything ran on WhatsApp, Airbnb, Netflix in the accommodations... One part or rather a consequence of this was that we were practically constantly in contact with home, could read news, make phone calls... One can find that stupid for such a trip or even want it differently (we talked about this a lot too. In the past or in Cuba, of course, it was a different way of traveling) in order to immerse oneself deeper into the country. I can say for myself that I really appreciated the contact with all of you and that I found it enriching to be able to tell, report, share pictures right away.

Chile! What else is 'hermosa'!? The landscape. The diversity and the difference across the many kilometers of this elongated country: desert, hot springs, geysers, rocks, mountains, sea, green forests, lagoons, volcanoes, snow, fjords, glaciers, being at over 4,600 meters altitude and by the sea... Experiencing all of this in 7 weeks was really impressive. You have seen the pictures. And as I said, swooning is not really my thing, you just have to believe me!

What else have we learned? Despite all the similarity to Europe, we noticed that there are other ways of organizing things than what we are used to. We spend hours on the internet trying to rent a car, book transportation, figure out a way. We are waiting for someone to answer our email, send an offer, answer the phone. That's not the Chilean way. It doesn't work like that. Emails were mostly not answered, sometimes only after days. The Chilean way is about direct communication: You simply approach someone and ask, and then everything is already flowing! Quite simple actually!

I am also impressed by their entrepreneurial spirit. Of course, it often grew out of social necessity. But it has already made me take notice here in Germany and was also found everywhere in Chile. Many are very creative and find many ways to earn money for themselves: from the artist who prints magnets for souvenir shops to the juggler in front of cars on the street to all the vendors with sweets in parks, squares, in front of the supermarket.

And then there are the many small encounters that made these 7 weeks special: the visit of Patricia's family in San Antonio, the evening with Paula and Jochen and their boys in Santiago, the food and conversations at Rock Fish, the excursions with Alejandro, the German emigrated family of a music professor we met at the foot of Villarrica, the evening with a Chilean-Romanian couple at the hostel in Puerto Varas, the encounters and conversations on the boat trip, the hitchhikers we gave a ride, the two Swiss ladies over 75 we met on a hike near Punta Arenas, our hosts in El Calafate and Valparaiso, ... And there are probably many things I have forgotten to report.

Overall, we really liked the 7 weeks. With the knowledge we have now, we would certainly plan some things differently, avoid mass tourism in some places, ... So, if you also want to go to Chile: we are always available for consultations.

We always felt safe, enjoyed the time. It felt like a vacation, but it was a good start to the sabbatical year.