If you’re heading off on a South American adventure then you’ll definitely be using the extensive bus network to get around due to the limited rail and hire car options on the continent, and relatively expensive flights. Long distance or short distance, each bus trip will undoubtedly be an experience in its own right. We had some great fun on buses, saw some amazing sights and met great characters, but we also had plenty of less positive experiences too! Each country does it slightly differently, but by asking a few essential questions at the outset you can save yourself some money and a whole world of pain!
Tag Archives: Chile
Man’s best friend
1 Jul
It’s estimated that there are 2.5 million stray or ‘street’ dogs living in Chile at the moment, with half of those in Santiago alone. Many of these animals are unwanted pets and their offspring who have lived their whole life as strays and others are considered to be pets but are allowed to roam the streets and return home when they feel like it.
Valparaiso – the bohemian little sister
27 Jun
” Valparaiso how crazy you are, how mad, crazy port, what a head of hills, unkempt, you never arrive to brush your hair, you never have time to be dressed, always life caught you by surprise, death awoke you in a night shirt.” Pablo Neruda
48 hours in Santiago
22 Jun
Before we reached Santiago many other travellers and even some residents had warned us that Chile’s capital, can feel a little drab, unexciting and lacking of a cultural identity in comparison to its Latin American counterparts such as architecturally impressive Buenos Aires, height defying La Paz or naturally beautiful Rio De Janeiro. However, we thought we’d see the city for ourselves and we’re really pleased we did as we discovered a safe, clean, quirky and very friendly city. We had just over 2 days to immerse ourselves in Santiago life and this is how we did it.
The best things in life are free
20 Jun
So the song goes, and we agree – we always get a small sense of satisfaction when we get something for nothing and these freebies can vastly enhance the quality of your trip whilst helping to save some cash when you’re on a tight budget. From our travels so far we’ve been able to put together the list below of what items we’ve got for absolutely nothing, where you might find similar items and why they were so useful.
Staring into the mouth of the devil – Pucon
15 Jun
If you can hike up it, jump off it, raft on top of it, swing from it, bike down it or climb it, they’ll have it here in Pucon. This small but perfectly formed town has earned itself the title of Chile’s adventure capital and rightly so as the range of adrenaline rushes on offer is endless. The landscape is extremely varied offering lakeside beaches, forests, waterfalls, hot springs and volcanos. The town is admittedly touristy but utterly charming. The town has been constructed on an easy to navigate grid system with Avenue O’Higgins filled with shops, restaurants, cafes and tour operators running through the town centre.
Volcanos, lakes and waterfalls – Puerto Varas
7 Jun
Puerto Varas was our first stop in an area called the Lakes District which spans the very North of Patagonian Chile and Argentina. The defining feature, as the name suggests, is an abundance of lakes which were created millions of years ago by melting glacial waters. A concentration of towering volcanos run along the border and form a striking sight amongst lush, green hills and valleys. Puerto Varas lies on the shore of Llanquihue lake and offers breathtaking views of snow-capped Volcan Osorno, one of the Southern Chilean Andes most active volcanos. Continue reading
Chiloe – exploring Chile´s largest island
5 Jun
Chiloe is an archipelago of 40 islands off the coast of central Chile, the biggest of which is Isla Grande de Chiloe. The island is very green and fertile with rolling hills and views down to the sea – for us the island bore a strong resemblance to Wales, especially the rain we encountered! The East and West coasts are very different – the East is sparsely populated and filled with wild sandy beaches backed by dunes and temperate rainforests, while the West is home to the majority of the island´s population with several major settlements, countryside cultivated for farming and many islands and inlets sheltered from Pacific storms. Island life has strengthened cultures and traditions on Chiloe with many local superstitions and elaborate stories of ghosts, fairies and witchcraft being lapped up by the tourists.
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Featured posts
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Torres del Paine – the ‘W’ trek
Visitors from all walks of life converge on the small hamlet of Puerto Natales to visit Chile’s and perhaps the Continent’s number one national park – Torres del Paine. Located in the Southern Patagonian ice fields at the end of the Andes, the park offers diverse wildlife and incredible mountain scenery, glaciers, lakes, rivers and […]
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