I wasn´t sure, but I was pretty sure that we were traveling around one world. But that was not the case. In fact, we were traveling around two worlds. The first one and the third one. And it was not until we were back in the former, that I remembered the difference.

That is a bit of an untrue statement, Chile isn´t a First World Country, but it is damn near close (in political actuality) and Chileans won´t let you forget it.

Entering the city of Santiago provided feelings of awkwardly familiar, unfamiliarity. I wasn´t sure where we were. As Buenos Aires is the European City that ended up on the wrong side of the Atlantic, Santiago is the American city that ended up on the wrong continent.

This is a very disappointing reality to face…the influence for which I am not sure. Does Santiago wreak of American Gringo-ism because it desires to be such…or does it do so naturally. Either way, Chile does not embrace it´s cultural ancestory as it´s neighbors to the North  do (Peru, Bolivia)….so much so, that it nearly rejects it.

Beautiful as it is geographically, in its determined quest for first world status (currently ranked 38th in world for developing nations) the country exploits the very natural resources that gives it, its identity…sound familiar?

I feel as far away from home as I ever could in a country that appears to be the most like home. That is strange statement to make.