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Percy and anyone else - Advice on student travel to Chile please

Percy and anyone else - Advice on student travel to Chile please

Old Sep 17th, 2007, 05:58 AM
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Percy and anyone else - Advice on student travel to Chile please

I truly hate to single out one person to ask a question. However Percy has been very helpful on other topics. I know there are many that can help me with my concerns. Therefore no intent of belittling anyone's advice on the subject.

My daughter has applied for a study abroad program with her university over the winter break. The instructor traveling with them is from her school, therefore I must assume that he/she will certainly have the students safety in mind.

BUT yes, "Percy knows", I am an overly cautious mother. Daughter will be 20 years old at time of travel, and yes she does live on campus a few hours from home. BUT Chile is so FAR away!

SO, Chile has not been on my radar and I have never done any research, why couldn't she have chosen a Central American Country!!

They will fly into Santiago, and will be staying in Valparisio. This is a home stay. Planned excursions include a tour of Santiago, Valparaiso, Vinyard tour, Isla Negra, New Year's celebration.

From the little I have read, Chile has a low crime rate, Dec/Jan is an excellent time to travel, beautiful architecture, beautiful country - but other than that, well I still have lots to read.

Yes, I understand cutting the apron strings and all, but ....
This does seem to be an excellent opportunity.

Her travel background - with me - trip to Jamaica and various typical family vacations. Without me - trip to California (which is nearly across the country from us) with 2 other students and advisor her senior year, snow skiing in Colorada 3 times with church group and various other in country trips(Washington DC, etc.) with honors groups while in high school.

So other than the typical advice of stay with your group, don't go out alone sort of stuff - what advice do you have for me to give her specific to Chile? Or maybe I need the advice, to help me rest with this decision!.

Thanks,

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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 07:24 AM
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Veteran of several trips to Chile here:

No country is free of crime, Chile included, and you need to take the standard travel precuations when traveling there, but I find the country as whole to be far safer than anywhere else in Central or South America. It's Latin America's most prosperous country. Not that everyone lives well, and there certainly are Chileans who are struggling, but you don't see the grinding poverty you see elsewhere.

Valparaiso is a wonderful old port city, built into the hills that climb up from the harbor. Since it's a port city, you do want to be a little bit careful about walking around at night, but with the standard precautions, it will be fine.

December and January will be very hot in that part of the country. Cool clothes are essential.

I have one (and only one) complaint about Chile. A very high percentage of people smoke there, and there is little in the way of concession to non-smokers. There was much talk the last time I was there about implementing laws to restrict places one could smoke, or at the very least, requiring restaurants to set aside a non-smoking section. (Even that's rare.) At the time, all public transportation (planes, buses, subways) was smoke-free, but little else. I don't know if that has changed.

Other than that, I think Chile is a fantastic country, but you are right: it is a LONG way away.
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 07:58 AM
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Hi dfarmer

Well Jeff certainly gave you some good inforamtion.

Valpariso is a port city and it is also the seat of government,(Pinochet moved it from Santiago to Valparisio).

Actually there is a very nice city called Vina Del Mar which is fused with Valparisio(hard to tell where Valparisio ends and Vina Del Mar begins).
Vina Del Mar is the "wealthy area" sort of like the Palm Springs of California.
Both these places are right along the Pacific Ocean

It is a nice drive from Valparisio to Santigo and she will virtually go through the wine country area, with vine yards on either side.

Santiago is a very lovely place and I could live here very easily if I had to.

Your daughter has been around quite a bit and she will be able to look after herself,however she is with a group and an instructor...I REALLY cannot forsee any problem.

Personally I think Chile is safer than any city I can name , and that includes my own!

Santiago is modern also, she will not feel out of place there while shopping and or just walking about.

She is also old enough to sample some of Chile's world famous wine !

"Try" not to worry ,she is going to a nice safe place(Like Jeff said no city is free of crime ),Chile just has less of it.

Yes,I agree,it is a looooog way.
That is the only drawback.
My flight from Santiago to Lima Peru to LA was tiresome but heck its over now and I do not think of the long flight now.

Really,honestly, she IS going to a nice place.....if it was Rio de Janeiro I would say hmmmm!!!

Nice to hear from you

Take care
Percy ( Thanks Jeff)





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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 08:31 AM
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Jeff and Percy - THANK YOU so much! Both of you have made me feel much better about her choice. And both of you are always so helpful.

My daughter was home over the weekend and we talked in great depth about what to expect and what to expect to gain from a trip such as this. I am excited and proud that she wants to travel and learn. But the Mother in me, always protective.

Percy - I do follow the board when I have the time. Summer is just so busy. Once we have a bit of colder weather I am sure I will be back daily. Great to hear from you, too!

Thank you both so much for your quick response. If she is accepted, I am certain there will be many questions over the next few months.
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 11:24 AM
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dfarmer:

Another Chile lover here...my granddaughter went off to Mendoza, Argentina for her junior year in high school, living with a family. She was 16 at the time and had a great time of it..she picked up the language very well, after taking two years of Spanish in High School in California.

We have traveled the length of Chile by auto most of the way, and found it to be enchanting, fun, very hospitable and beautiful in every region. Best kept secret in S.A. Shhh.

As Jeff says, no such thing as crime free, but we never felt we were in any potentially threatening situations traveling in a rental car, just wife and me.

Daughter will love every minute of this great adventure.

Stu T. (L.A., Ca.)
Percy is right on about Santiago, and Jeff about Valpo/Vina del mar.
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 12:04 PM
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I agree completely about Santiago. Many on this board rave about Buenos Aires, and with good reason, but I think Santiago deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. Well, Santiago is more subdued than BA, but it's a world-class city in its own right.

I like Chile because it is efficient and orderly. Things just work well there, and in that regard, it's an easy introduction to Latin America. I don't think "efficiency" and "prosperity" translate into "American" though. From the perspective of a U.S. visitor, I find Chile to be quite foreign. The European influence seems far stronger to me than does the American influence. Not a complaint at all. Just an observation. Far more European visitors travel there than North American ones.
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 02:09 PM
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You are right on again Jeff.

In fact the two places I liked best were Buenos Aires and Santiago/Valparisio/Vina Del Mar.

I could live in both of these places but not so for the many other places I visted in South America.

What a nice experience dfarmer's daughter will have in Chile.

Percy
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 09:34 PM
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Spent a week in Chile last month for work. Didn't get to Valparaiso, but Santiago felt very safe and, as other posters have pointed out, much more "European" than the rest of Latin America (Have been to eight other Central and South American countries and have lived in two.) Strong infrastructure - Everyone is punctual, even early! Many fascinating people and a vibrant, intelligent youth culture. I would live there in a heartbeat.

Yes - there is a lot of smoking, shockingly even among the educated and affluent.

I spent nearly two years Mexico and Guatemala when I was your daughter's age and it was without question the highlight and defining experience of my adolescence. Your daughter will have the time of her life.
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Old Sep 18th, 2007, 11:01 AM
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Hello! I am a single female who has been traveling to Chile alone for work for 10 years now. I have been in Santiago, Vina, and Valparaiso and have always felt safe. I think as long as she uses common sense-doesn't go out alone at night, etc. -she should be fine. Chile is amazing and I am sure it will be a great experience for her.

Lori
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Old Nov 2nd, 2007, 02:16 PM
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An update.

We finally got the word and she is going to Chile. Yes, she is excited and Yes, I am stressing!

Airfare is booked, now all we have left to do is PAY FOR IT! SCREAM!
Oh well, I am very proud of her. And as I know all too well - we are only young once.

We will not have the final itineray until next week. I am certain there will be some questions.

Thanks again, I can always count on my Fodor's friends.

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Old Nov 2nd, 2007, 04:46 PM
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That's exciting, dfarmer. Keep us posted.

Chile is a LONG way away, so airfares are high. I know. I know. But it will be a great trip for your daughter.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2007, 07:07 PM
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Hi dfarmer

Yes keep us posted when your daughter sends e-mails from Chile.

I am sure she will love it, just as I am sure you will worry

How is she flying...into Peru and then from Peru to Santiago.?

(Hi Jeff)

Percy
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Old Nov 3rd, 2007, 06:25 AM
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Well, I guess I have to admit that I too am getting excited for her. It is just going to be so darn quiet around here.

Out of the 5 kids between us, 2 are going to be out of the country over the holidays. Step daughter will be in Costa Rica studying and daughter in Chile. We have obviously bred some travel lovers.

Was just reading some new info from the school and daughters trip also includes a weekend in Mendoza, Argentina. So I guess she will be able to mark off 2 more places on her 1000 places!! Man, it sure would be nice to go back and get an extra 30 years or so of travel.

Percy, she flys into Dallas and direct to Santiago, then home through Miami. That will certainly make the trip a bit easier in terms of managing airports.

The group is only 15 people. 12 girls, 2 guys and the instructor.

Will keep you posted. Thanks for your interest.
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Old Nov 3rd, 2007, 07:30 AM
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I've done American's Dallas-Santiago flight three times. It's long, about 10 hours if I remember, but there's really no way around it. Chile is just far away. The Santiago-Miami flight is a couple of hours shorter, so it will seem like a breeze after the trip down there. But it will all be totally worth it.

Hi Percy!
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Old Nov 3rd, 2007, 12:41 PM
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I flew from Los Angeles to Peru and then after about an hour and twenty minutes at Peru airport the plane left for Chile!

You know those long flights are aggravating but only at the time you are doing them.

I had a 14 and 1/2 hour flight from LA to Sydney Australia and then a five hour wait in Sydney to get to Tasmania !!!!

I don't give it second thought now
but if I start thinking about it , then yes it was a loooong flight!

I felt closer to North America when I was in Chile maybe because it is just down below us ...But...

when I was in Australia , I really felt like I was a million miles away !!

Please keep Jeff and I posted.
Take Care dfarmer
Percy
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Old Nov 3rd, 2007, 06:10 PM
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You don't say where you're located, dfarmer, but I think you get a better sense of how far away Chile is if you look at a globe, rather than a flat map. Not only is it a long way south, it is east of the U.S. east coast. That adds to the distance too, certainly if you are coming from somewhere like LA, as Percy did. That's why the Dallas flight is a couple of hours longer than the Miami flight.

Chile is a fantastic country, and I never regret spending that amount of time to get there.
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Old Nov 3rd, 2007, 06:47 PM
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Yes I also looked at the Globe when I went to South America, and it was hard to believe that Rio de Janeiro was under Greenland !!!

I am guessing but I think dfarmer is in the Philadelphia Pa. area

Just guessing .

Percy
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Old Nov 3rd, 2007, 10:15 PM
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Oh D, I know how you are feeling. I cried for a year when my son went to college in northern Ohio which is only 4 hrs away. Not only did she leave you to live on a campus a few hours away but now she is going to Chile! That is a lot for you to deal with the first year.

I have been to 20 countries now and I am so happy when one of my kids gets to go someplace because you learn so much from each place but- you never stop worrying. I went to Europe for two weeks for the first time with a friend when I was 19. I came back very changed and I have carried those changes with me my entire life. I never dreamed I could like history until I actually saw where so much of it happened. My son will be off to Ireland for Christmas this year and I will still be nervous for him but also thrilled. His girlfriend's sister lives and works there. He will learn so much more about that beautiful country than I did.

This will be a wonderful opportunity for your daughter. A chance of a lifetime possibly. Why not someplace closer???? The world is a lot smaller place these days. I met a couple from the next town over from where I lived while traveling alone on a train from the White Cliffs of Dover to London.

I am glad to hear that she is doing a homestay. It is such a wonderful opportunity to really get to know people from another country. She is really on a good will mission as it goes both ways. We had a homestay student from Argentina stay with us about 17 years ago and we are still the best of friends. He actually came back and lived with us for another month and then again for 6 months. We have been to visit him and his family and he has been back to visit us recently.

It sounds like your daughter has done enough traveling to know how to behave. I am sure you have done a wonderful job with her. She will be fine and so will you. Sounds like you are getting some wonderful first hand advice on travel there.

Hope you haven't had too much trouble with the drought down there.



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Old Nov 5th, 2007, 01:39 PM
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Hey all, maybe strange question - but any thoughts on the type family she might want - family w/young children, family w/university age children, young couple, widow woman, couple no children. She has a housing questionaire to complete and all the possibilities have an appeal to her. Can anyone throw out some pros and cons? or thoughts that we have not considered.

Jeff, As one might suspect, I keep a globe on the shelf above my desk. Always dreaming. But you are exactly right, when you look on the globe instead of a wall map it does put things better into perspective.

Sorry, Percy, I must have developed a northern accent on my last trip up. I guess I better start saying ya'll more often, draw my words out a bit, or possibly get into a conversation about grits!! Yep! southern girl here. Tennessee.

Sue, glad you chimed in here. Always appreciate your words of wisdom. Great to hear from you. As for the drought - oh yeah, it affected us big time! First a late freeze and then the 100 year drought. It was really, really bad for all of the farmers around here.

I do know this trip will be a changing event. Truthfully in my head I know how wonderful this opportunity is, but being a Mom, I guess I was born to worry.

I keep trying to stay out of her decisions. But there are so many trips I hope she is able to take part in. Of course Costa Rica. But there are 2 trips to Belize that will work with her degree, one is at an archeology site for a 6 week program and one is on one of the Cayes for I believe a month to study biology. Now those 3 trips are worth considering going back to college!

Thanks everyone!


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Old Nov 28th, 2007, 06:15 PM
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This will be a wonderful opportunity for your daughter, and Chile is a great place for study abroad programs. The people are friendly, the climate (especially during winter break) is wonderful. Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar are both ocean front cities with Vina being more of the tourist resort area and Valparaiso being more commercial. A home stay makes her experience even more personal with a greater idea of "real life" in Chile. As to the type of household, IMO the best situation is more like what she is used to. If she is not used to small children, they may be annoying. If she is used to children, their added activity may make her feel "at home." From experience, be very careful in the sun in Vina in Dec. My son got a good sun burn under an umbrella from the reflecting rays off the beach. As a Mom, I also worry when my children travel, but the benefits far outway our concerns. Some of our favorite travel experiences happened during our Chile trips! It will be a great experience for your daughter, and the internet is great for staying in touch!
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