Hello, Vagabonds! Welcome to the Atypical Vagabond. Here I will discuss with you information on Countries’ tourism and immigration policies for expatriates.
The first country I will be highlighting is Chile. Located south of Peru and West of Argentina, Chile has 2888 miles of coast land. The Pacific Ocean is the main body of water abutting this coast land. The landmass is approximately twice that of Montana.
The primary language spoken is Chilean Spanish. Many native Spanish speakers from other countries have difficulties communicating with Chileans. While there is a gulf with sharing, the ability to convey thoughts is surmountable.
The government in Chile is a Republic. In 1980 the current constitution was ratified in a national referendum. The first two decades of the new Republic had a transition from the previous Pinochet dictatorship. Since 2000 Chileans have embraced a much stronger democratic process. Issues within the current constitution created economic progress for the wealthy and less opportunity for the poor. As a result, Chileans voted to rewrite their constitution. In the Spring of 2021, they will vote on ratifying a new Constitution.
My wish for this blog is an absence of political debate. However, I believe it is relevant to discuss the current events involving Chile’s constitution. Depending upon how the politics surround this issue could affect those intending to expatriate to Chile.
ECONOMY
Copper mining was Chile’s primary export. Chile has had booms and busts tied to copper mining. More recently, Chile has become a significant exporter of agricultural products. Grapes, fish, wine, and wood are Chilean main international exports. The major export partners are with the United States, China, and Japan.
The primary import need of Chile is petroleum products. This need is obviously for transportation in Chile. The three major import partners are the United States, China, and Brazil. Thus, gasoline in Chile is expensive.
Cultural Attractions and Climate
There are a total of 16 different regions in Chile. Each area has unique cultural attractions and climates. The climates vary significantly between latitudes. I will examine these specific attractions when discussing each providence. Chilean temperatures range from the arid Atacama Desert, the semi-arid wine country, the wet river region of Valdivia to the cold alpine areas in the Andes and southern Antarctic areas.
Transportation
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago is where international travelers arrive. Here you can rent a car, catch a taxi or bus. Navigating to the rental car lot is tricky. The airport has a shuttle from the terminal to the rental car lot. If Santiago isn’t your final destination, you can fly to nearly all 125 Chilean airports. Traveling to Arturo Merino Benítez Airport would facilitate travel to any region in Chile.
While technically illegal Uber/Lyft drivers can be found in Chile. I highly suggest not using these apps from the airport because taxis are relatively cheap.
Expenses – Healthcare, Internet, Hotels, and Food
The medical facilities in Chile are some of the best in South America. The WHO ranks Chile’s healthcare system at 33rd out of 190 countries. If you plan to live in Chile for an extended time, prepare to spend around 7% of your income each month on health insurance.
As with most international travel, you can use your compatible cell phones in Chile. If your cell carrier requires a SIM card, you can swap out SIM cards to get phone and data coverage. Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport has booths selling SIM cards and cell phones. These items will be more expensive, but the option is there if needed.
Movistar, Claro, Entel, and Virgen are the primary cell providers. At the airport, I paid around $15 for a 1 GB plan. Waiting to travel into Santiago, one could buy a similar cell plan for $5. This plan lasted me three weeks of travel.
Hotels in Chile can range between $50-250 per night. The most expensive lodging is in remote locations with high-end accommodations. Median-priced accommodations are around $125-$150 per night. In some regions, the only housing is in hostels. Airbnb is also a great way of finding great lodging. For those looking at traveling through Patagonia, they should expect to do some camping.
In Chile, you won’t find a Costco or IKEA. Supermarkets such as Lider (Walmart owned), Superbodega Acuenta (Walmart owned), or Jumbo are in bigger cities. There are also markets and smaller neighborhood stores to get groceries in smaller towns. Tottus (Flabella owned) is another supermarket. Flabella was awarded a contract to put in an IKEA in 2021 and should open up later this year.
Every restaurant I visited was delicious. Most meals ranged in price from $5 to $15 per meal.
If you have information that I can, feel free to leave a comment below. Feel free to ask any questions, and I’ll answer them for you.
