CHILE: LAND OF CONTRASTS
A picture tells a thousand words, so we are showing you this spectacular country through the lens of Jocelyn Pride.
A picture tells a thousand words, so we are showing you this spectacular country through the lens of Jocelyn Pride.
Wrapped in layers of beauty, goodness and tradition, Chile is like delving into a surprise package filled with mystery and adventure. A slender ribboned landmass stretching from the driest desert on the planet, through jagged mountain peaks touching painted skies, along ancient trails through primeval forests dotted with towering volcanoes before melting into the Pacific Ocean in a whirl of glaciers, icebergs and islands. The end of the earth. An inspiration for past and present day explorers, writers, artists and dreamers. And after a political history as chequered as its landscape, the Chile of today is a stable haven for travellers.
Capital city Santiago provides easy access to Chile and in fact the whole of South America. Don’t be in a hurry to leave this beautiful European-style city that is juxtaposed with the ruggedness of the countryside. Meander the cobbled streets, delve into the vibrant arts scene, dine on creative cuisine and sip the famed Chilean wines (or better still take a day trip through the vineyards).
The second largest city, Valparaiso, is a 90-minute drive from the capital. Perched precariously on earthquake-prone hills rising straight from the ocean, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed village is a labyrinth of alleyways, lined with a fruit salad of architectural treasures from manor homes to sea shanties.
Although the landscape will leave you breathless, it’s the Chilean people who’ll touch your heart. Listen to stories of bygone times, ride across the windswept plains beside a gaucho, share a cup of mate (a caffeine-rich infusion of dried leaves and yerba mate plant) with a local or learn the secrets of fly fishing. Laugh, dance, sing. Be enriched. •
*Jocelyn uses a Canon 5D Mark iv body and shoots most of her photos on her favourite lenses, the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 zoom. In 2015, Jocelyn was named Photographer of the Year by the Australian Society of Travel Writers and was also a finalist in 2016.