Category - Travel

Land of Fire
Travel

Land of Fire

I am looking at a naked man. He is crouched on the ground, his arms wrapped around his knees. His black hair is styled in a bowl cut. He has a wide, broad, honest face without a hint of shame or dishonesty. He is petite — no more than five...

March 29, 2013
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2 min read
He Really Likes Rabbits
Travel

He Really Likes Rabbits

We are on a bus tour. A nature guide is telling us about the local flora and fauna in Torres del Pines. “Juanacos,” she says. “They’re those cameloid herd animals that look like llamas.” The elderly gentleman in the...

March 26, 2013
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1 min read
Travel

The End of the World

Today, I’m standing in front of the “towers” — the three wide, flat blades of rough rock that give “Torres del Pines” its name. At 8,000 feet tall, the towers are roughly the height of an 800-story skyscraper. At their hilt, they burst up through...

March 25, 2013
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6 min read
Chacabuco
Travel

Chacabuco

“Try it,” Manuel says. We’re in Chacabuco (say, “cha-ka-BOO-ko”). I am in love with the name of this port. It makes me think of fine wine (“I’ll have the 2009 Chacabuco”) or a rich dessert...

March 23, 2013
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3 min read
Travel

Volcano

We stand on uneven ground. Blisters of volcanic rock punctuate the rock beneath our feet: basketball-sized domes of long-cooled lava worn smooth by the sensible shoes of tourists. Cracks and fissures lace each mound. In these, spatters of grey...

March 23, 2013
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3 min read
Sometimes, Free is a Good Price (Spicy Chile Tours)
Travel

Sometimes, Free is a Good Price (Spicy Chile Tours)

They’re very popular these days, in almost every city we visit: “free” walking tours, usually conducted by enthusiastic young locals. (Tips are encouraged, and, in some cases, expected.) Here in Santiago, Kenna at Casa Moro steered...

March 17, 2013
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2 min read