Hasta luego: see you later!

So we are at Santiago aeropuerto: Metro to bus estacion then 40-minute bus to airport. Qantas check-in efficient but long, long queues for migracion control & waited half an hour here. We are relaxing in the LAN lounge (as we don't depart until 1:30 p.m. & it is only 11:30 a.m. - so pleased we got the Qantas Club membership before we left; LAN is a code-share partner with Qantas!). Beach Boys playing on the music system in the lounge.

We have really enjoyed South America. Everything went (surprisingly!) according to plan & we have enjoyed the country, the people, the places.

It is interesting (to me - well, it IS my blog!) to reflect on how the reality met my expectations. I was somewhat timid, nervous, overwhelmed before setting off. I think I expected the "wild west", dare I say a somewhat "uncivilised" place.

Well, there were some places that I thought were a bit rough & wild - mainly in Patagonia: El Chaltén & Ushuaia; Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales a bit too.

Rio & Buenos Aires were a bit rough-around-the-edges in parts, but definitely not "wild west" - more down-at-heel: the splendours of a bygone era still in evidence in splashes but now "gone to seed". But cities like Santiago & towns like Puerto Varas were quite well-to-do.

It has been a real 'eye-opener' for me to realise this has been a continent rich in agriculture, exploration, the arts and culture - for hundreds of years; populated initially by indigenous tribes, then from the 15th century, people arrived from all over Europe. Definitely not an uncivilised place. This I think was my revelation - borne obviously out of ignorance; but such is the value of travel.

The people in particular are wonderful, without exception, amongst those we met. It is a very multi-cultural country reflecting the migrations from many places around the globe: early expeditions by sailors from Spain, Britain, France & Portugal; and then the colonizations by the Spanish & Portuguese. All of these with dire affects on the indigenous tribes.

Brazil was fun & colourful. We loved the vibrancy of Rio. And the Iguaçu Falls & Itaipu Dam were wonderful. Itaipu is a showcase of co-operation between two countries: Paraguay & Brazil.

Poor old Argentina, a basketcase economically: it has defaulted 10 times and has long been guilty of economic mismanagement. And the headlines yesterday were: "Argentina's Debt Crisis: Country turns to UN to avoid accountability".

Then there are the controversies associated with the Peróns, both Juan & Eva. It is now more than 30 years since the end of military dictatorship, but democracy has not yet led to stability.

We loved our little diversion from Buenos Aires into Uruguay: Colonia was picturesque & Montevideo was an unforgettable experience with the terrific tango club (milonga) we went to & the wonderful lunch with Kathryn & Regis at the Mercado del Puerto.

And finally, Chile: also with a history of military juntas, it is forever affected by the terrible atrocities & forced expulsions of nationals to all parts of the world to escape the awful Pinochet.

But it is a more stable economy: no 'blue market' for currency here. This is an article worth reading:

http://www.theguardian.com/business/economics-blog/2013/nov/22/chile-prosper-argentina-flounders

Santiago reflects the country's stability & wealth: it is very cosmopolitan, with good, modern infrastructure. It was a great place to finish for us as it is pretty much like a city anywhere in the world and was a good way to transition back.

We loved the beauty of the Patagonian countryside travelling through from Argentina to Chile: the pretty town of Puerto Natales on the Last Hope Sound; walking the 'W-Trek' in Torres del Paine NP was a highlight of the trip; Punta Arenas alongside the Magellan Straits was interesting in a number of very different ways; & Puerto Varas at the start of the Andean Lakes Crossing is a well-to-do, attractive town reflecting the German influence of the migrants who have settled there.

So, all in all, a great trip. Hasta luego (see you later) for now.

News to hand: the Hockeyroos have fought out a 1-1 draw with hosts Argentina in the women's hockey Champions Trophy in Mendoza on Sunday. You may recall we bumped into them on Thursday night when we went out to dinner.

POSTSCRIPT: My Friend contracted Legionnaire's pneumonia somewhere in the last 10 days or so of the trip but was not ill until he came down with a bad dose of the shivers & shakes on the plane home; and 24 hours later was in isolation at Albury Base Hospital being pumped full of antibiotics - and missed his mother's 90th birthday celebration in Melbourne! What a home-coming!