Chile: first impressions, attack of the completos

We bookended Chile in 3 days: from the northernmost city to the southernmost city (flying, thankfully).

But the really story was written by completos. Completos are extremely popular snacks here: hotdogs smothered with heaped piles of avocado and mayo. Our stomachs thus far have been as iron, and we laughed as we strolled Arica's beach front consuming all we saw. Popcorn? Of course! Pizza? Sure! Completos? CONSUME.

Not our best idea. The completos had their revenge, and we've spent the last two days recovering.

But back to facts and interesting history.

Arica, Chile's northernmost city, is known as the "city of eternal spring". It's a coastal desert city, so the temperature is sunny every single day but not too extreme. The last time it rained was May 2013.

We stayed at the Sunny Days hostel, custom built by a generous New Zealand host to cater to the backpacking crowd, a great place. We climbed El Morro, the bluff overlooking the city, saw the sights and hit the beaches. Plus the completo incident.

Arica used to be part of Peru until the War of the Pacific in the 1880s. For a number of reasons, Chile invaded Antofagasta (Bolivia's port on the Pacific) and Arica, and even occupied Lima. End result was nitrate-rich territory added to Chile and a landlocked Bolivia (although Arica guaranteed as a free port and Chile built a railroad to La Paz). A strange war and worth the Wikipedia read.

Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city, is almost the opposite of Arica. Cool and rainy, it feels very similar to Alaska. Penguins, whales, etc are all allegedly close by. Punta Arenas was founded on the shores of the Strait of Magellan to enforce Chilean sovereignty in southern Patagonia, and grew wealthy and famous for shipping (due to Cape Horn), then sheep farming, then petroleum, and now Antarctic research and tourism.

Chile has been hugely different from Peru. Noticeably wealthier and more expensive, lots of joggers, less honking, and the cars stop to let pedestrians cross, which we can't get used to. Out of the corner of your eye the flag looks just like the Texas flag.

Tomorrow it's on to Puerto Natales, to start our W Trek in Torres Del Paine on the 24th.