A Chile Shaped Chili

I've always wondered if Chile's namesake came from the fact that it is long and skinny. Not unlike a Chili Pepper. Then Dave ever so crudely bashed the idea to smithereens, reminding me that those who named Chile (a) don't speak English, and (b) spell the country's name differently. I still wonder though...

After living in relative comfort on pocket change in Bolivia, we were brutally awakened to the fact that Chile is in fact NOT Bolivia and prices reflected this. I'm sure there is some economic vocabulary word for the enjoyment that one gets by saving money and getting to do something cool, and therefore the opposite is also true. Case in point, while we walked around the driest desert in the world in Valle de la Luna near San Pedro de Atacama, seeing some of the most amazing countryside in the world, I couldn't help but give it a lethargic ¨yippee¨ and get easily distracted by all the other tourists that could not take enough tacky pictures of the lamest things (including themselves). I know, I know, I know! I am guilty if this as well, but at this time I couldn't help but feel sorry for all of the friends these people have back home that will have to sit through all the awful pictures (and video is worse) as these people share their trip and experiences. To my friends and family I apologize now, well in advance.

I realized though that I can't blame them. They are trying to appreciate the small time they have to appreciate the masterpiece that this country side is. The fact that they show up, say ¨yep this is cool¨, take the tourist photo, mark it off the list, and get back on the bus to go to the next place on the list is too critical. Especially when I considered the fact that I have traveled for almost three months since finishing Peace Corps so to some degree this slump I appear to be in should be normal. The more time one spends admiring something the less impressive the next thing gets. It's like walking through the Louve, the Vatican, or the Smithsonians. Eventually everyone gets to the point where they go, ¨Oh, another masterpiece, who wants a beer?¨

But then I remember what my other options are. Suddenly I feel like I may have missed something, maybe I'll go back for a second look.