Some other things to note that are different are as follows:
There is litter about but it seems that the further South I go the less there is.
There are definitely some very poor people here too (like other countries) but, agtain, the further South I get, the less there are (or at least they are far less visible)
There are no steel bars on the house windows.
There are few padlocks on farm gates.
There are hundreds of college students hitch hiking around their country for their vacations.
... It seems that Chilenos are not afraid of each other like all the other countries Ive been through since leaving Canada (yes I include USA in the list of countries that "live in fear")... Well, they are certainly not too afraid of other people attacking them or stealing their stuff...
How Civilised! :)
I like it. I like it a lot. It reminds me of Australia twenty years ago.
But it is expensive. And it is quite cold now.
The days have been getting longer by the day... Every day I go south seems to add about a half hour to the length of the days!
And another thing... In the North it was just desert, desert, desert.
But for the last couple of days in a row, I seem to go through about three climatic zones in a single day. Its as if the country is trying to make up for the lack of change in the North... Its got to get from super arid desert all the way through to sub-Arctic by the time I get to Tierra del Fuego, so I guess it makes sense.
The orchards and Vineyards I was in yesterday gave way to green corn fields and then ripe wheat fields. Now I have moved on to the lake district and there is no more cropping. It seems to be a region of dairy grazing and forestry (logging). And there are some lovely large lakes in the area, accompanied by beautiful conical snow capped Volcanoes.
... But its national vacation season and as lovely as these places are, they are packed full of local tourists and Ive decided to "not hang around" and am continuing on South.
Ill have a longer stay in the lakes district on the other side of the Andes in Argentina on the way back north.
Thats it for now... Its 7pm and broad daylight :) ... And I should go find somewhere to have some food and then go find a place to camp.
