The Countdown Begins ...

Hola todos! There are now 30 days EXACTAMENTE until I leave for Santiago, Chile and the excitement is starting to kick in! My guidebook has been read then re-read, pages marked and places starred, and youtube has been taking a hammering from my constant 'Latin America' searches. The pre-flight wait is a time of preparation for most travellers and I am no exception, but one thing i have noticed is the lack of material out there. Chile, despite being a country of some 16+ million people & home to some of the worlds natural wonders (i.e Torres del Paine National Park & the Atacama Desert-driest in the world) boasts only one definative travel writing guide, Sara Wheelers "Travels in a Thin Country", which is now a decade old. I could find only one youtube video worth noting, by Jellystone7, which was good as it gave me a glimpse into local Chilean life and the usual touristy sights, and Tony is an immensably likeable host.

This lack of material has shown me that Chile is still a relatively undiscovered gem for the West, and that such an absence may see my travel experiences more needed.
Some quick facts on Chile:

RELIGION - 89% of the country is Roman Catholic
CAPITAL - Santiago de Chile, home to nearly 5 and a half million Santaguinos in the greater metro area.
LANGUAGE - Spanish
MONEY - Chilean Peso
EDUCATION - 96% Literacy rate
GEOGRAPHY - It is 4300 km long and just 175 km wide (on average), and includes the Andes mountains.

And:

* Under the influence of the Church, divorce was illegal until 2004 and abortion is still illegal.

* The indigenous people are called the Mapuche and their language is Mapudungun. Aymara is also spoken closer to Peru.

* Chile borders three countries: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. It is one of only two countries in South America that do NOT border Brazil.

* Chile had to endure a 17 year military dictatorship between 1973-1990 that left more than 3000 people either dead or missing. Many people will remember Pinochet and the news headlines.

* Easter Island (home to the famous Moai) belongs to Chile. It is the most isolated place in the world. Chile also owns a piece of Antarctica.

* There are 2000 volcanoes in Chile, of which 50 are active.

* The national dance is the Cueca (see photo below) and is learnt at school and danced on Independence Day.

* Valparaiso, known as the Garden City, hosts the largest fireworks display in all of South America. This occurs over New Years Eve.

* Chile is the sixth largest importer of wines and vineyards dot all around Middle Chile. It is also the second largest exporter of salmon in the world and one of the leading in copper production.

* 2010 was a dramatic year for Chile headlines -
The August 2010 mining accident occured in San Jose mine, in Northern Chile. Los 33 (the 33) were trapped 700 metres underground for 69 days, and their rescue attracted worldwide coverage.
Also in 2010, was the sixth largest earthquake ever recorded, whose tremors were felt as far afield as Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina. 370,000 homes were damaged and 525 people lost their lives.

* The first Nobel laureate in literature in Latin America: Gabriela Mistral
followed years later by Pablo Neruda. Both poets, both diplomats for their country.

* Chile is now the richest country in South America.

I have long been fascinated by all things latin so this trip marks something very special for me. My adoptive family are Venezuelan, my best friends Chilean and my boyfriend is of course, a native Santiaguino. I am nervous about my level of Spanish (id say my vocab is good but my grammar is very poor) so i am very excited about being forced into communicating and (hopefully!) improving! That said, Luis sent me an invaluable book called "La Otra Patita" - a guide to Chilean slang which has made my head spin :-/ I expect that the first few months shall be nerveracking as i attempt to get over my shyness and general unease of speaking a foreign language, and perhaps even pure terror as i try to navigate the hectic city streets and equally impossible tv shows, but i know i will get there! Additionally, there is the added strains of trying to make friends and impress Luis' family ... !

Thirty days is not long! If anyone has any sights to recommend/tips/things to avoid please get in touch and let me know! I can be found on couchsurfing.org and on Facebook. I expect that this shall be a blog to amuse me only but you never know. I am so excited i can hardly wait ... VIVA CHILE MIERDA jajajaja!!