Argentina vs Chile

Oh I thought there was a war down there

🍿🍿🍿

Argentine men are better looking and more desperate for money. But I think you have to quarantine for a couple of weeks after arriving.

Both are great cities but I prefer BA because I like the cafe culture there a bit more. Almost every corner has a cafe if you are near the center city. Santiago has wonderful food as well but more fish than meat. In Santiago I stay in a hotel in BA I usually do a short term rental. The Santiago airport is much better than the BA airport which is awful no matter what terminal you are in.I jog and both cities are challenging for that.

Valparaíso is lovely, or at least was when I visited years ago.

We took a cruise around South America that ended in Valparaiso, the seaport for Santiago de Chile. The travel agent was Chilean. I said we wanted to stay there for three nights.

She said, "One night is more than enough." She was right.

Buenos Aires, otoh, is a place everyone should see. Beautiful city. Mendoza, too. Argentina has a tragic history - so many lost opportunities - but it's a gorgeous place.

I've been to both cities. If you can only go to one, Buenos Aires would be my suggestion.

Do they still have a Harrods in BA?

Are there a lot of Chilean men on OnlyFans?

Yeah sure. Go on a sex tour while COVID ravages South America. What could POSSIBLY go wrong.

I never mentioned anything about sex R9

I wanna be a part of B.A. -- Buenos Aires, Big Apple!

Another vote for BA for all the reasons other posters have stated

It's a much larger city too-- 13MM in the metro area vs about 7MM in metro Santiago

BA's population is more diverse too, in that it's a mix of various European ethnicities- Italian, Irish, Welsh, German, Swiss, Jewish-- while Santiago is largely Spanish though has a sizable Croatian population too.

One caveat OP: "That Patagonia scenery" is pretty far from either city. You'll want to fly somewhere in Patagonia from Buenos Aires or Santiago-- see link below which I admittedly only scanned, but seems to provide a good outline of your options

The national park started by the Patagonia/North Face people is pretty incredible. The glacier near Torres del Paine are worth seeing. Torres del Paine itself is more intersting to cruise around than hike.

Tierre del Fuego is a little overrated for what it is. I was there for an Antarctic cruise. Ushuaia is expensive and a bit of a tourist trap.

I liked Buneos Aires more than Santiago--more to see. Every Sunday there's astreet market that extends over a mile from the center.

Music for your vacation, op.

Do this:

Tour BA, fly or drive through Patagonia to San Carlos de Bariloche, enjoy the alpine scenery and lakes there, then take a motor coach over the continental divide of the Andes into Chile, specifically Puerto Montt. Check out the volcano there and then fly up the Santiago.

That's what I did and I recall that vacation very fondly.

There are no end of fun things you can do in Bariloche too!

Many visitors enjoy Nazi Hunting.

BA has a number of pickpockets. I know from experience. So beware. Otherwise it's a beautiful city.

Don't forget us!

The Atacama night sky is one of the more amazing things I've seen at night.

[quote]I never mentioned anything about sex [R9]

True. Others did but you did not. However, the point remains that the CDC currently advises against all non-essential travel to Argentina AND Chile.

R20 Honestly, the CDC lists almost the entire world as no-go.

I can’t wait to get to Argentina. I was going to go in 2020 and it got cancelled. Now it’s 2022 - if I’m still alive.

There is no love lost between those two nations.

I know R18 is supposed to be a joke, but he has a point. Take a day trip to Montevideo. There's a ferry from BA to Montevideo if I'm not mistaken. Montevideo has beaches, unlike Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires has lots of hot men.

They both have horrific histories that have not fully been dealt with.

Unlike the USA, which continues to deny and ignore its horrific history in most areas.

Don't get me wrong, I love BA. But personally I wouldn't go right now. The SA continent is where the US was in November, and worse.

Argentina has Iguazu Falls, but that's geographically very distant from BA and Patagonia.

Chile has Easter Island (Rapa Nui), but that would have to be an entirely different trip all on its own.

[Quote]The SA continent is where the US was in November, and worse.

COVID Vaccinations as of last week (% of country population):

USA 45.24%

Chile 44.78%

Argentina 16.95%

Been to both BA and Santiago. Both are wonderful. I would go back to BA first. Wonderful restaurants, a great open are flea/swap market on Sundays. Diverse restaurant scene. BA men are very hot (and they know it). Good dining in Santiago; although most local (i.e. not Italian/French) restaurants in Santiago are Peruvian food and chefs. Valparaiso is a great day trip from Santiago. You can get a driver and guide from a hotel at a reasonable rate. It has been several years, I would gladly revisit both.

Chile's Patagonia is its southern lake district, which is home to descendants of many German immigrants dating back to the 1850s. The town of Frutillar was founded in 1856, by Christian Winkler, Wilhelm Kaschel, Heinrich Kuschel, Theodor Niklitshek, Christian Nannig and Adams Schmidt. The town is on the banks of Lake Llanquihue, which was likened to Lake Geneva as a way to attract these German settlers.

Isn't Chile the most prosperous country in South America?

Frutillar is indeed charming and very German. Both gorgeous.

Very DL to assume that OP is planning to go right now, in the middle of Covid, rather than in a year or two from now.

Many of us have been planning the vacations we want to take, with the understanding it may be a while before we can actually go

Both are beautiful cities but BA has definitely more charm and hotter men. I have never been cruised by this number of hot men in the streets and cafes as I have been in BA. I say this and I treveld around the world and consider myself average. The only thing I liked more about santiago was the mountaines in the backdrop of the city. I love this feature, but it's only me.

Both were victims of Operation Condor, another murderous campaign run by the US in developing countries.

I love how they call that part of the continent the southern cone.

argentina looks gorgeous.

[quote] I was there for an Antarctic cruise.

Tell us about the cruise please, R13.

Why is Chile named after a pepper?

The cruise was wonderful, although the first/last couple days can vary alot depending on the weather and, in general, so so can the overall experience. We had good weather except for one day toward the end. During the day, there would be 2 outings--usually one more water bound and the other land bound. The food was excellent as were the sessions led by naturalists. I went with Quark, which generally get good reviews. The number of people on the continent is regulated, so big boats usually provide little if any time on land, because they have too many people.

What is the beef between them about R23?

[quote] The number of people on the continent is regulated, so big boats usually provide little if any time on land, because they have too many people.

I hope you're talking about Antarctica and not South America.

R42, the usual -- territorial disputes. Also, I think Argentina was not happy that Pinochet's Chile sort of helped/took UK's side during the UK-Argentina Falklands War.

Fun fact: both countries share the third-longest border in the world.

^ MIND. BLOWN.

Why don’t they spell it Patagoña?

R46, good question!

This article makes Chile sound amazing.

Buenos Aires for the steamy hot guys. And only $20 gets you any of them. Just walk along Santa Fe Ave.

R49 must be ugly.

Just an easy option, R50.

He'll end up in U-r-gay because he wants to watch Montey Videos

I spent a week in BA in December of 2019 and then left on a cruise that ended in Santiago. Lots of great scenery (penguins! glaciers!) on the cruise. BA was nice and easy to get around. One of the shore excursions on the cruise took us to Frutillar (as mentioned above) and Osorno (the volcano) and its lake. Incredibly beautiful. And you realize how narrow Chile is -- we had only driven inland for around an hour and we were very close to the border with Argentina.

[quote] Why is Chile named after a pepper?

Stop erasing Transwomen of Color R40

Chile was named by Isabella da Flava, a transwoman of color and enslaved African on one of Vasco de Gama's ships.

When she saw the harbor at Valparaiso, da Flava stated "Two snaps, you know this here country is fine, chile! Momma gives this place two snaps!"

The sailors were charmed and began to call the new country "Is fine, chile!" which got shortened to "Isfinechile" and then finally just "Chile,"

But when the story reached the ears of Father Pedro Rodriguez de Martinez y Rubio, the newly appointed Archbishop of Santiago, he insisted that da Flava's "sinner" influence be erased and rechristened the country with a two-syllable name, "Chill-lay"to avoid any association with Da Silva.

Chile isn't chilly--as a rule.

That story brought a tear to my eye, R54.

Which one is the movie "Death and the Maiden" supposed to be based off of again?

These two countries are now at peace, thanks to papal mediation. They were bitter rivals for decades with the Beagle Channel dispute being referred for arbitration to both Edward VII and Elizabeth II; both awards were, on advice, favorable to Chile. Chile was friendly to the UK in the Falklands War because if Argentina had won in the Falklands, Argentina was going to invade Chile next. That is what comes of having criminal generals in charge: Galtieri and Pinochet, both of whom were supported in Operation Condor by the US.

R58, they do maintain a contentious football (soccer) rivalry though!

Examples of their men sides by side.

Soccer unites everyone, even as they are killing each other thanks to Dr Kissinger (also a big soccer fan). R60, DL kaftan queens wouldn't like anything uncut.

This thread reminds me of the scene in Motorcycle Diaries where young Che + friend try and romance two Chilean girls.

I just love how the mention of intact on this board makes the thread go quiet: R61.

Ask Evita.

This trip will never happen.

They all have long, dripping foreskins............

Chile isn't chilly

In the summer, no it's not.

It's chilly in the winter

When Chile should be hot.

R67 is, like most would-be poet laureates at DL, a lost cause.

I have not been to BA, which is famous for all it's strengths and charms. I have been to Santiago, which was lovely and pleasant, with good food, but it felt sleepy and unremarkable, a smaller city.

I know a woman who pronounces Chile like child minus the D.

R54 The African Slave Trade never happened in Chile, chile.

This drone footage makes Argentina's landscape look rather epic.

[quote] poet laureates

Oh dear

BA does have gorgeous men, though almost all of European resentment. Little indigenous or African influenced looks locally. Most Latinos I know from the Caribbean or Mexico HATE Argentinians who they call racist and elitist. It’s been a decade since I was last in BA but I hope they finally let go of the male mullet, the horrible 90s look that didn’t seem to fade Amon Argentinians.

^^ autocorrect hell. Not European resentment but European descent, which does cause resentment among other Latinos.

[quote] famous for all it's strengths

Oh dear

Autocorrect, R75, or Freudian slip correct?

Far too much gets blamed on autocorrect.

Argentina resents Chile's economic success.

Much of our produce comes from Chile in the winter. If you want summer fruits like grapes, peaches, nectarines, etc. in December --they're probably going to be imported from Chile.

Actually, "European resentment" is a bit too much on the nose.

I didn't like Santiago, it was sprawling, crowded, shabby, full of traffic and homeless, all the ills of big cities... but then, I'm not a big fan of huge cities and actually preferred the Atacama Desert. Anyway, Santiago is not beautiful, but it was positively stuffed with eccentric architecture and terrific restaurants. Every restaurant we went to was fantabulous, and I had a sip or two of pisco sours and they were so tasty they were a huge challenge to my sobriety!

Anyway, the alpine scenery of the southern Andean Alps can be found in the borders of both nations, but it's all a thousand miles or more from the big cities. Do you want to hike, ride, drive around, climb the mountains, be driven around, or look at it from the deck of a cruise ship, OP?

Santiago skyline with backdrop of the Andes.

Why does no one talk about Paraguay? Is there no there there?

Chile had a gay concentration camp.

The Nazi's had more than 200 jails/torture centers in a country about the same population as Pennsylvania.

I recommend the series Hunting Hitler to learn more about S.A. Nazis. It's fascinating.

R84, good question. You never hear about Paraguay.

Lots of Mennonites in Paraguay.

What's there to do in Paraguay? Is it an off the beaten path type place that's worth a visit because it's largely ignored, or does it deserve to be ignored by tourists?

One of the world's largest seasonal wetlands is partly in Paraguay, the Panatal wetlands are so big that they extend into Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. If you're a birder, naturalist, or wildlife photographer, you might want to have a look for hycacinth macaws, jaguars, tapirs, giant anteaters, etc!

I have no idea what city slickers might want to do in Paraguay.

Why is it that the northern countries of South America are such a crime and corruption riddled mess, while the south is relative well off?

I know Madouro causes a lot of problems that sweep over to the neighboring countries, but what else causes the unrest? Is it drug trade, socialism, foreign meddling?

[Quote]Why is it that the northern countries of South America are such a crime and corruption riddled mess, while the south is relative well off?

Tropical Climates->Less Clothes->More Fun & Trouble

"Why is it that the northern countries of South America are such a crime and corruption riddled mess, while the south is relative well off?"

Well, the existence of the Coca plant, which naturally occurs in northern South America, might have something to do with the crime and corruption.

What R92 said. Coca only grows spectacularly well in the Andean parts of Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. The US's consumption of and failed "War on Drugs" doesn't really help things. Colombia has made improvements though.

Chile!

[quote]Why is it that the northern countries of South America are such a crime and corruption riddled mess, while the south is relative well off?

Oh that one's easy. Oil corrupts everything.

The Fabulous Five: How Foreign Actors Prop up the Maduro Regime in Venezuela

“The Venezuelan crisis long ago stopped being a local issue. It became a regional issue and it is now an issue with diverse global implications. Understanding the influence and interests of other countries in Venezuela is a necessary condition to finding the way for a successful transition to democracy in the country and a route to lasting stability in the region.”

The Maduro regime would not be in power today were it not for the support it receives from its five key allies: Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Turkey. These states provide varying degrees of financial, diplomatic, and intelligence support to the Venezuelan regime. Some of these states have maintained close ties with Venezuela since the early years of the Hugo Chávez presidency. Others have emerged as new lifelines amid mounting international pressure. Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Turkey each have distinct financial and geopolitical motivations for propping up the Maduro regime and thus merit specific and nuanced policy approaches.

South American teal estate agents always suggest Paraguay as the place to still get good deals if you're looking to invest, before it's "discovered" and becomes hip.

I wouldn't say no to a condo in BA's Edificio Kavanagh

I would've thought the Evita building was more your style, R98.

Are they at war?