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Smart Talk

The dictatorships of either Augusto Pinochet (on the right) or Salvador Allende (on the left), about whom opinions are passionate and vary widely.

How great a time you had in Argentina. Chileans can be a bit touchy about their internationally acclaimed neighbor to the east...

...And their other neighbors-Peru and Bolivia-with whom they had territorial clashes in the nineteenth century.

Sex or toilet humor, without prompting-despite its modern gloss, Chile is one of the more conservative countries in Latin America.

Pisco as a Peruvian drink. Though it really is, the Chileans consider the liqueur to be a source of native pride.

Diversionary Topics - Chile's rolling hills; its wineries; and the cleanliness and modernity of Santiago.

Tipping Etiquette

Restaurants
10% tip included; can add another 5%; nicer restaurants may also charge a 5-7% cubierto (a sit-down charge).

Hotels
Concierge - $20 up front for extra-good service, porters - $1/bag, doormen - a few dollars for hailin a cab, cleaning staff - $2/day at the end of the stay, preferably in person or marked in an envelope.

Guides & Drivers
Tip guides $10-25/person/day, tip drivers $5/day; in cabs, round up the fare.

Dollars Accepted?
Yes, but they may be harder to spend than the Chilean peso.

*Camping trek -- Extra staff such as a cook should be tipped $5/person/day.

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