ODDS AND ENDS

7:10 PM

From Philippe yesterday:

$1 equals about 460 Chilean pesos.

Population of Chile: 16 Milllion

Population of Santiago: 6 Million

Santiago has a bad pollution problem because, in his opinion, of the large population and because it is in a valley between the Andes and the coastal range such that it gets very little wind.
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The sheet says there are two others from home. A James Sydnor from Lynchburg. A Josephine Woods from Forest. Dont believe I know either. Haven´t seen anybody yet that I recognize nor met either.
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Keyboard slightly different. Had to ask porter how to do @. It needs ALT 6 4!
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Nice city bus tour this PM. Almost 4 hours. Sun very bright. Rather warm. Lots of old European architecture. Spanish architecture included, of course. Tour guide Juan Carlos. Good guide. Enthusiastic. Couldn´t always understand him, nor could Helen. Both he and Philippe have a sense of humor. Driver: Telemon ?

Made three stops, getting out of bus. Two to take pictures. Presidential palace. Cathedral. Started in late 1600s after the first one burned down following its about 100 years in place.

The other stop was at an expensive, artsy-craftsy gift shop. Work with semiprecious stones. Lapislazuli is a trademark Chilean semiprecious stone. Only other place found is Alfghanistan. Juan Carolos says it will all be used up in 40 years. And other stuff worked on. Blue with streaks of white. Helen bought $301 (yikes!) broach-com-necklace which is a King Tut figure including tiny crafted stones of lapislazuli (blue), jasper (brown), and malakite (green).

From Juan Carlos;

¨Chile¨is a native word from the Quechua tribe. Means far away. (Far away from Lima.)

Average Chilean annual income is $7,500. Except for the very rich, there is no income tax.

Lima was founded in 1535 by Pizzaro, a Spanish Conquistadore. Santiago was founded seven years lated in 1542 by Pedro del Valvivia, a Spanish Conquistadore. We took pictures of Pedro´s equestrian statue. The area was hard to conquer because of its weather and its fierce native people.

Chile is a stable, disciplined country with low corruption. Low corruption has always been true of Chile, especially compared to some Latin American neighbors.

Chile traditionally was into minerals. Coal, salt peter, copper. Under Pinochet Chile got into exports in a major way. Notably wine.

Pinochet is a very controversial figure. As we all know, he was terrible news in the human rights department. Juan Carlos noted that there was always a curfew under Pinochet. But Chile really turned around economically during the 20-year Pinochet regime. Because of the economic model implanted by Pinochet. Before Pinochet, Chile was a very poor country. When Pinochet came in, Chille was in the pits economically. Over Pinochet´s 20 years all economic numbers steadily improeved. Great economic gains were made.

HIgh time to find a place for some supper. Helen says she just wants soup.

Bernie

:-)