We pulled into the Chilean version of a wild west town, San Pedro de Atacama, without incident but given the late hour, the saloons would have to wait. We were staying in a hostel so it was almost inevitable that the drunken kiddies would keep us up even later- we were just starting to drift off when IT happened. The earth moved... and kept moving. A massive earthquake (magnitude 8.2) struck near Iquique some 500 kms from where we were but it sure seemed more lik...

The skies of central and northern Chile are known around the world for their sharpness and clarity, thanks to the fact that it only rains about 60 nights a year. And given DH's fascination with all things shiny and sparkly, we knew we had to make our way there.On the way, we stopped in at the coastal city of La Serena (with a claim to fame as a summer beach escape). We didn't have any specific plan and started questioning our decision while checking into ...

As I try to finish up my blog post from Valparaiso, I need to be somewhat sensitive to the tragic events currently being visited upon this coastal Chilean city. Fires are raging through this UNESCO World Heritage Site and are the worst since a fire in 1953 wiped out most of the city. Already, 16 people have died and more than 3,000 homes have been destroyed (so far 11,000 people have been evacuated). The fire began a few days ago in a forested area above ramshack...

So what do Canada and Albania have in common. Aside from outstanding hockey teams (?), they are two of four countries singled out by Chile for a very unwelcome entry fee (a substantial $132 each for Canadians). This steep cash grab is disguised as a reciprocity fee given that is roughly equal to the visa fee Canada charges Chileans (I couldn't verify this but I think this fee must have been put in place shortly after Andres P and Lorena O evaded border author...

Unless you happen to be geographically-challenged Deb P, who is likely convinced that Easter Island is one of the islands in the Toronto harbour area used for an annual kiddie hunt for egg shaped chocolates and candies, you are likely familiar with the iconic image of the massive stone heads that stand as silent guardians on this island with three names- Easter Island, Isla de Pascua, and Rapa Nui (the Polynesian name and the one commonly used by the locals). The...