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A typical opera, in general, consists of 3 or 4 acts. The first act is usually a kind of introduction where key players are introduced. It’s also a chance to get a sneak peak at sinister characters that may come back to play a role at a later time. Act 2 involves some kind ofContinue reading “Starstruck”

As I was packing up the SUV getting ready to leave our little-slice-of-heaven in Santa Cruz, one of our fellow residents in the compound walked by the vehicle and stopped by to chat. It was one of those, “Where are you heading? What’s next?” conversations that travelers like to share.  The previous evening, I hadContinue reading “The Place Where Delinquents Abound”

Chile is a land of epic proportions. It is roughly as long top-to-bottom as Canada is broad side-to-side.   And, just like Canada, Chile offers up grand variances in temperature, landscape, geography, topography, and more. About the only constant here are the 5 standard items on offer at the bodegas, snack bars, restaurants, cafés, and streetContinue reading “The Shire”

Back in Spring, when we (read: Truus) were putting together a plan for our trip to Chile, the subject of Penguins came up. Truus was explaining in great detail about an extra side trip we could do at the end of our stay in Patagonia. It went something like, “when we’re done with the WContinue reading “The Bottom of the Earth”

Inspired by Chaim Potok’s timeless book, the 1981 movie “The Chosen” illustrates the Hassidic Jewish approach to analyzing religious scripture in the pursuit of meaning. The presumption is that names are not applied accidentally. Words contain deeper meanings that can, if interpreted properly, reveal the wisdom of the universe. One passage from the movie hasContinue reading “A Rose by Any Other Name.”

Howie, Truus, and I arrived in Puerto Natales a couple of days ago. This is the staging town for various climbing and adventure travel in Patagonia. It’s a fairly prosperous and busting hub. There are plenty of people coming and going and sharing tales of travel in Chile and the rest of South America. Yesterday,Continue reading “Careful What You Wish For”

Another day, another 320km slog through some of the earth’s least forgiving places. To see this locale, thousands of square miles of the Atacama Desert, is to truly understand the Old Testament God. You know, the psychopath who spoke to Abraham and demanded that he march his son up a hill and murder him, asContinue reading “Tired of the Desert”

San Pedro de Atacama, our mailing address de jour, is the driest dessert in the world. We’re surrounded here by a moonscape of sand-blasted stone, with a foreboding backdrop of parched mountains, and sheer cliffs. The place makes Mad Max’s neighbourhood look like Ferry Lake.  San Pedro (named for St. Peter – patron saint ofContinue reading “The Driest Place on the Planet”