So, any final thoughts on Chile?

So glad you asked. Actually, yes.

1. Chile is a very safe country to travel in. I never once felt jeopardized or alarmed, and found the people in Chile more than willing to help out a foreigner who doesn't speak a lick of Spanish. Always travel smart, of course, and use common sense.

2. Chile has a little bit of everything. We hope to come back someday, because we never made it north of Santiago. Just didn't have time. But I would love to come back to visit San Pedro and the Atacama desert, and to see the moon from what is reputed to be the clearest sky in the world. I'm glad we were able to visit the massive glaciers in Patagonia, climb a stinky volcano in Pucon, and find ourselves surrounded by art and beauty at every turn.

3. The Chilean bus system is awesome. It is always on time, (if your bus is scheduled to leave at 9:30, you better be on the bus before the doors close at 9:28. 9:30 is when the bus pulls away from the curb!) the buses are clean and comfortable (just don't sit in the back near the restroom) and there is a bus scheduled to go pretty much anywhere in the country that you want to go. I'd say it's on par with the Swiss trains. But way cheaper!

4. I wish I had learned some Spanish before I went. Not that it was that difficult to get around, but I felt like I would have been able to attain a different level of intimacy with the culture of Chile if I could have understood the language and expressed myself a bit more fluently. But as it is, I did learn a little "Chilean." (Apparently, Spanish in Chile is quite different from Spanish Spanish.) Bueana Dia. (they drop the "s"). Gracia. Cuanto cuesta? (very important). Quisiera comprar..., Donde esta...

5. I did learn some things about myself as a traveler. When we first lost our luggage at the beginning of the trip, I was so bummed that I had to stop and ask myself why I was so bummed. When I did that, I couldn't think of a good reason. It wasn't like I "needed" anything in my luggage for immediate survival. Everything I really needed was in my backpack. When we made the decision to go on with our trip without our luggage, I suddenly felt quite free. There's nothing like walking into the Punta Arenas airport, where everyone else is decked out in Northface jackets and hiking boots, wearing just my flip flops, sweat shirt and yoga pants. I actually think that the experience gave me a new perspective on what I think I need when I travel and what I really need. It was nice to be able to walk into town completely unencumbered. When we finally did get our luggage delivered to us, it took a while to get used to carting it around!

6. I've always enjoyed traveling with Jack. Even though he doesn't think about the trip until he actually steps onto the plane (unlike me, where I have the details planned out for months in advance), he's adaptable and quick, and when I stop thinking about things, he takes over and makes the decisions that I haven't even thought about. I like it that when he senses that I'm becoming salty (that's what he calls me when I'm pissy), he knows exactly how much to chatter to keep the mood light, and when to be quiet and let me brood, and when to snap me out of it. I love how we can share the same enthusiasm about exploring new things and that we're changed by each trip we take together.

7. Every year, I think that maybe this year will be our last big trip for a while, that maybe this will be the trip to get out of my system so that I can just settle down and enjoy my blessed and comfortable life in Seattle. And yet, I can't. I have such a roamer's complex. I know that traveling is a luxury, and that these days, it's even poo poo'd in some circles as being un-environmental and selfish, unless you're doing a missions trip or building stuff along the way. As much as I admire missionaries and folks who go on volunteer-based trips, I still find that there is purpose in traveling for the sake of traveling. It's a way to broaden our own perspectives on what life is and expand our views of the human experience. It's a way to reach out to people in their own homes, to challenge ourselves outside of our comfort zones, and to stretch our imaginations and views about the vastness of the world that God created.

We ran into a bus load of school children in Valparaiso, who became really excited upon seeing us, and began yelling out "Konichiwa!! Konichiwa!!" Well, not being Japanese, of course, I was irked a little bit at first. But then, I thought, how would they know? It's not like they have so many experiences with Asian people that they could tell the difference. So I said back to them "Konichiwa," which made them cackle, and then I said "Hola," to which they responded back enthusiastically, and then I said "Hello, I'm from America." There was a moment of silence, before their teacher spoke up and said, "Ah, Americans."

It's a small thing, but I like to think that maybe, just maybe, there was a lesson there in cross-cultural dialogue.

Anyways, the logistics:

-LAN was the airline that we took from Dallas to LA, to Santiago. I'd recommend it. Alcoholic beverages are still free on LAN, whereas they now cost $$ on American Airlines international flights!

-The airline we flew while in the country was Aerolineas del Sur, which also goes by the name Air Comet. It was cool. Easy enough to book on-line, low fares, and the flight attendants have these funny, 1980's, futuristic-style, fluorescent green, leather jackets as part of their uniforms. I wanted one.

-We took a whole slough of buses between cities, all of which were nice, timely and well-priced- like $6 person for a 4 hour trip. Not bad. Our favorite was probably the overnight JAC bus from Pucon to Santiago, for which we booked the "salon cama" or sleeping car, and slept like babies for 10 hours in comfy seats that leaned all the way back. These seats cost about $35 per person.

Places we stayed:

-Natales Hostel in Puerto Natales. I'd say skip it. It was REALLY cold, and the rooms didn't feel totally clean, plus, it's a bit far from the bus station. Free Wi-Fi.

-Outsider's Inn in Puerto Varas. Cute, low-key, friendly hostel in the center of town, free internet. Only 4 rooms?

-Geronimo Hostel in Pucon- we were there for only 1 night, but the hosts were extremely helpful in booking our volcano excursion, even though we arrived so late, the room was clean and cute, in fact, it really felt much more like a hotel than a hostel. Free Wi-Fi.

-Hotel Orly in Santiago- Quaint, boutique hotel with a lot of character, but also full of American tourists. Great neighborhood, close to the subway and tourist center, nice breakfast, free Wi-Fi. The staff was a tad brusque, but whatever.

Go to Chile! You'll love it!

Where to next? Well, aside from France NEXT WEEK, I have to say that my first taste of South America was a good one. I'd love to head back there sometime, maybe to Peru and northern Chile? Any suggestions?