Around
the World in 4000 Days
Around
the World in 4000 Days
| South America (1999/2000) | ||||||||||||||
| Why did we travel to South America? | |
| After we had visited all other continents within 7 years from 1980 to 1994, we wanted to see this sub-continent, too. For 7 months, we planned to visit at least the southern nations in the Andes: Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.We were mainly interested in the landscapes and wild animals in the Andes, in Peru also in the Inca culture. Of course, we also hoped for good encounters with the people in order to learn more about their life. | As usual we drove with a well equipped camper. We can live in the nature and take many things for our life with us. For various reasons, we shipped our camper from California to Chile - a good choice. We soon gave up our final destination "New Year in Tierra del Fuego" because all the travel reports about the long drive through Patagonia were rather discouraging. Therefore, we had more time available for the beautiful nature further north. And we made side trips by plane to the waterfalls of Iguassu, to the Galapagos Islands, and to Bogota, the capital of Colombia. |
| Chile (January 2000) | |||||||||||||||
| Entry: | For the vehicle no "Carnet de Passage" and no "Libreta"
is required. In the northern regions the vehicle may stay 180 days in the
country, in southern regions only 90 days. No fruit and vegetables can be brought into the country. |
For most nationals the entry permit is stamped into the passport right at the border. |
| Money: | For 1 US$ we get about 527 Pesos. ATM machines are widely available. The highest amount to draw is 100,000 Pesos, it can be repeated according to your personal limit. |
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| Prices: | The price level is about as high as Florida in the USA. Cheaper are meat, fresh fish, local cheese, buns, some vegetables and fruits, public transport and taxis. |
Big Supermarkets are about 20% more expensive, small "Supermercados" much more expensive than in the USA. |
| Fuel: | Is readily available. The prices for 1 liter are: Super 283 bis 306 Pesos, Diesel 190 Pesos (Santiago) bis 202 Pesos (Iquique) und 250 Pesos (Carretera Austral), per gallon between US$1.45 and US$2.40. |
Propane for gas cylinders is available in every major town (about US$ 0.40 per pound). |
| Internet: | Internet shops are available in every major town. Entel has one terminal available even in small towns. | One hour surfing costs from US$ 2.50 to US$ 6.00 . |
| Rental cars: | Very expensive everywhere, cheapest are pickup trucks. | Campers are not locally available. |
| Travel guidebooks: | We highly recommend the series "Guia turistica de Chile" from Turis Tel, 3 volumes in Spanish: Norte, Centro, and Sur (each about 5000 Pesos); excellent road maps (incl. free camping places), city maps (incl. hotels), route descriptions, actual prices, updated every year - nothing can compete (it is very usefull, too, to improve your Spanish). | Very usefull is the "South America Handbook", it is updated every
year. Disappointing is "Chile" from Lonely Planet. |
| Roads: | The road classification in the "Guia" is mostly correct. The Panamericana is completely asphalted to its very end at Punta Lapa on Isla Grande Chiloe. On various sectors a road tax is collected. At Copec service stations clean showers are available. New is the asphalt road from Arica to La Paz. |
The Carretera Austral is mostly narrow, but good gravel with few
corrugations. Parking areas along most roads are very scarce. |
| Camping: | Campgrounds are very expensive: from US$ 6 (rare) to US$ 42 per
site (for up to 6 pax). As there are hardly any campers or RVs in Chile,
camping in National Parks refers normally to tent camping. Highly recommended is the "Camping" guide by Turis Tel (maps, descriptions, prices, all in Spanish). |
"Freedom camping" is very easy in the North, otherwise places are hard to find due to many fences, but we always found a nice place somewhere in the nature. Tent camping in the wild is strongly discouraged due to the Hantavirus. |
| Hiking: | We were very surprised that hiking (for 1 to 4 hours) is not very common and not much supported even in the national parks although trekking with full gear for several days is quite popular. Chile has too many dead end roads. | If there are paths they are not well maintained (often due to much water) and lack good signposting. |
| Hotels: | A simple room in a city costs from 4000 Pesos per double room. The youth hostel in Santiago costs 12000 Pesos for two. |
A nice cabana in the countryside goes from 15000 Pesos (with 4 to 6 beds). |
| Food: | Chile is not known for high cuisine. Meals are not very expensive. Within the country there is no restriction for transporting fruits and vegetables any more. In Fast Food Restaurants you can eat for 500 Pesos ("Completo" = hot dog with lots of mayonaise) up to 1300 Pesos (1/4 chicken with fries). |
An "Almuerzo" (lunch menu with soup and/or dessert) is served
in simple restaurants from 1500 Pesos. Cheap are salmon dishes and smoked salmon in Chiloe. In better restaurants it may pay to check the bill carefully. |
| Shopping: | "Supermercados" sell provisions - great in Ekono in towns, very wanting and expensive in small shops in the south. At the Carretera Austral tires cost twice the price of the ZOFRI in Iquique. | "Pan amasado" (delicious buns) are made fresh every day, signs are everywhere. |
| Chileans: | Only seldom Chileans approach us friendly. They do answer our greeting, but do not take the opportunity to communicate with us. If we access them and ask for help, they are always very helpful. | Young people greet us older folks surprisingly friendly. |
| Attractions: | We were very impressed by the volcanoes in the Lake
District and near San Pedro de Atacama in the north, and by the
glaciers that are world class, too. We liked most (from north to south): + Lago Chungara (on 13,900 feet a.s.l.) with the volcano Parinacota in the background, + San Pedro de Atacama with a fine view of 12 volcanoes in the Andes, a very good museum, + the Valle de la Luna at full moon, + the small church in Chiu Chiu, + the volcano Llaima in the Conguillio National Park, + the volcano Osorno from all directions with thousands of beautiful foregrounds, + the unique Penguin Islands near Ancud (Chiloe) with Magellan and Humboldt penguins, + the hanging glacier Ventisquero Colgante, discharging ice towers thundering down a huge cliff, + the glacier San Rafael, that can only be reached by an expensive boat trip. |
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| Bolivia (November 1999) | |||||||||||||||||
| Entry: | For most nationals the entry permit is stamped into the passport right at the border (30 or 90 days). We had to pay a kind of exit tax of 10 Bs. | For the vehicle no "Carnet de Passage" and no "Libreta" is required. The temporary entry form is issued at the border in customs for 90 days. |
| Money: | 1 US$ equals ca. 5.90 Bolivianos (Bolis). There is no black market. Dollars can be bought in banks. |
At ATM machines of "Enlace" cash can be drawn with a VISA or Mastercard (max. 800 Bs.). |
| Fuel: | 1 Liter Super costs 2,73 Bs., Diesel 2,83 Bs. There are sufficient petrol stations YPF in all towns, in Sucre only one with diesel near the bus terminal. | If possible only "Filtrado" diesel should be bought, except in Uyuni it is everywhere available. |
| Roads: | There are road taxes and taxes at district boundaries from 2 to 10 Bs. |
| Peru (September 1999) | |||||||||||||||||
| Entry: | For most nationals the entry permit is stamped into the passport right at the border. | For the vehicle no "Carnet de Passage" and no "Libreta" is required. The vehicle data are entered into the computer at the border in customs (takes about 30 min.) and a sticker is attached to the windshield. Fumigation costs 8.40 Soles. |
| Argentina (January 2000) | |||||||||||||
| Entry: | For most nationals the entry permit is stamped into the passport right at the border. | For the vehicle no "Carnet de Passage" and no "Libreta" is required. The temporary import papers are issued at the border in customs. |
| Money: | 1 US-Dollar = 1 Peso | The price level is extremely high, at least 50% higher than in the USA. |
| Ecuador (March 2000) | |||||||||||||
| Money: | Since January 2000 the US-Dollar is the official currency. | It was converted at 1 US$ = 25000 Sucres. |
| South America (1999/2000) | |||||||||||||
| Some thoughts |
Travelling through these South American countries we felt that nearly all
of them are sitting on a volcano. |
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