Chile and Argentina are both defined by their shared border of the Andes Cordillera, that jagged mountain chain that runs down the spine of southern South America and affects the two countries in climate, history, politics and attitude.
On the Chilean side, the mountains are omnipresent. The country is so long and so narrow that the Andes seem to both protect and isolate the Chileans.
On my recent jaunt to witness Harvest 2012, South American style (discussed in part in my last column here), I got the sense that Chile has emerged from dominance by Spain, Peru, military juntas, aristocratic cabals and dictators to become a peaceful, prosperous, democratic nation. A week visiting Santiago and the surrounding countryside gave me the snapshot impression of Chile as a laid-back, cheerful, generous place with... more
On the Chilean side, the mountains are omnipresent. The country is so long and so narrow that the Andes seem to both protect and isolate the Chileans.
On my recent jaunt to witness Harvest 2012, South American style (discussed in part in my last column here), I got the sense that Chile has emerged from dominance by Spain, Peru, military juntas, aristocratic cabals and dictators to become a peaceful, prosperous, democratic nation. A week visiting Santiago and the surrounding countryside gave me the snapshot impression of Chile as a laid-back, cheerful, generous place with... more
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