I Live In Chile

(Revised & Updated February 2014) I Live in Chile. ¡Viva Chile! I am fascinated with, and deeply in love with Chile (encantado & enamorado). That will be the main aim of this book, namely, to share my life in, and my love for, this beautiful country, my beloved Chile. In doing so, you must realize that I am no tourist, I LIVE in Chile. I can only talk about those things which have had a significant impact on me, personally. I give you history, food, culture, language, landscapes, music, song and dance. I allow you to see Chile in a whole new light, through the eyes of a foreigner who loves living in Chile. I wish to share "my Chile" with you, much as one would share a bottle of fine wine with a friend. A glass for you, and a glass for me. ¡Viva Chile! Cheers!
Chile can be intoxicating to the senses, just as the wine is intoxicating if one is not careful. It is wise to experience her slowly, to take your time, again, as with a bottle of fine wine. Your enjoyment of Chile will be increased if you approach your relationship with her in this manner. Smile at Chile, and she will smile back at you. Walk with Chile, and she will walk with you. Dance with Chile, and she will dance with you. Sing with Chile, and she will sing with you. Chile has the driest desert in the world (the Atacama) in the north and the coldest region in the world in the south, the Antarctic. In between there are beaches and mountains, vineyards and forests, countryside and sprawling cities.

To this, add the traditions and culture of Chile, her cuisine, a hearty South American food, the land itself with her recurring natural disasters, and finally, the people, who never cease to amaze me with their resilience and ability to withstand earthquakes, tsunamis, storms and volcanic eruptions., My amazement borders on the incredulous, even after 12 years living here. Chile, as I have come to know her, is a mystical place, a magical place, and yet a melancholy kind of place. She is all alone at the end of the world. She is like a beautiful woman at a royal ball, so marvelously dazzling and charming that no one dares approach her, leaving her to be admired from a distance, and to go home alone, again...

So you see, when you are in Chile, there is no need to hurry.

It is a place that time has forgotten.

And when time has forgotten itself, one day can last forever, or only for a moment. Enjoy the moments that you have in Chile, make them last as long as you need them to last. Your moments can be magical moments in this beautiful country. Your moments can be unforgettable moments in this beautiful country. Once you are here, whatever happens to you, whatever you do, is like nothing you have ever done or seen before. I know this because, "I live in Chile". This is my life experience. ¡Viva Chile!

Be purposeful in what you see and do while in Chile. Take the time to feel the sun and the wind and the rain caress your skin. If you do this, you will remember how Chile has made you feel. Then, when the time has come for you to return to your country, you will go happy, and at the same time, feel sadness that you must leave her. Parting can be bittersweet, emotions mixed, yet with memories that will remain vivid for a lifetime...