Chile – The South American Wonder.
Chile is bordered by Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and The Drake Passage. The capital of Chile is Santiago. It is also the largest city in the country. Chile is primarily a Catholic country. Although, Chileans also speak Spanish, their Spanish have a different intonation from the common Spanish language. Even visitors who speak Spanish fluently have a hard time understanding and speaking Chilean Spanish.
The famous Easter Island is in the country of Chile. This island is home to the Moai, those big rock statues that line the island’s coastlines. Easter Island is also known as Rapa Nui in Rapa Nui language. Rapa Nui National Park is a World Heritage Site as declared by UNESCO. It is believed that the early inhabitants of Easter Island were the very ones who destroyed themselves. They used up all the resources of the island and were even driven to cannibalism and wars among themselves.
Valparaiso is Chile’s most important seaport. UNESCO also considers it a World Heritage site. Lined with cobbled streets and narrow alleyways, Valparaiso is a rich architectural and cultural legacy. This city in Chile speaks volumes of how the early Chileans lived influenced by the Spanish.
Vina Del Mar Music Festival is the most awaited and most attended music festival in the entire Latin Americas. This music festival started in 1960 and since then Chile has celebrated the Vina Del Mar Music Festival. Vina Del Mar is a beautiful city in Chile with astounding beaches and gardens. It is said that a young Julio Iglesias was launched to international stardom during the Vina Del Mar Music Festival.
The Aymaras and Atacamenans are two of the most amazing groups of native people in the world. They live in the most inhospitable place and yet they managed to survive and keep up their heritage. Some of them live more than 3,000 meters above sea level in the high plateau or at the edges of the driest desert in the world.
These ancient people of Chile have lived their lives virtually untouched by the outside world up to now. They are often herders of Llamas and other cattle and they plant their own food. A few scientists and visitors have been to these villages because of the extreme living conditions.