Day 3: Nov. 15, 2008

Today was a day to explore the beauty of Chile -- via an all-day horseback riding trek high into the Andes. After just an hour's drive, we arrived at Cascada de los Ánimas in San José del Maipo. The Cascada de los Ánimas is a nature refuge and outdoor adventure spot situated along the Maipo River, which roars through the Cajón del Maipo due to the high volume of summer snow melt. It was a beautifully sunny day with clear views of the Cordillera de los Andes, which, as you can see are still covered in snow. One of the highlights was seeing three condors -- sometimes circling above us and, when we got to the summit, below us.

The day was not apolitical, however. Grecho, our guide, Juan, the taxi driver, and José and Denís -- a merchant marine and his wife, a biochemistry student from a city three hours to the north of Santiago -- all had plenty to say about the current state of politics in Chile.

"Yes," said Juan, on our drive to San José del Maipo, "that is the stadium where General Pinochet emprisoned many during his overthrow of Salvador Allende in 1973." He agreed that it was terrible, but, on the way back, when asked his opinion of the current government and that of Pinochet, he was quite frank that on many levels he preferred the 18 years he spent under Pinochet. Pinochet, said Juan, "got rid of the [juvenile] delinquents, and sent all the homosexuals to an island...If you didn't agree with him, you had two choices: leave or [he made a cut throat motion with his hand across his neck] or he would kill you." He concluded with his observation that it was those who left under such circumstances that spread "such bad things about Pinochet."

Hmmm.