Do finger in Chile

Rémi fait du stop, Iquique, Chili

You won’t spend to much time asking yourself how to go South in Chile, you have to take the bus.
Buses are usually cheap comparing to Europa (4 dollars a hour),but they rocket sky during summer vacation (January February), when Chilean flood all the country.

That’s why we decided to travel more cheaply by hitch-hiking. Here it’s called “hacer dedo”, which means literally “do thumb”.
We were a bit sceptical at the beginning, particularly the first day, after 3 hours of waiting under a powerful sun.

Nevertheless “hacer dedo” is quite effective and we were able to do 500 km a day. Moreover Chile is a country designed to hitch-hike because there is only one main road going North to South: the Pan-American road!
More than the savings, we met varied sympathetic people : truck drivers transporting minerals, family, young electrician, manager. Mostly truck drivers, welcoming us for a few hours in their “home”, as we were set on their bed, talking about Chile.

It’s hitch-hiking that we discovered the proverbial Chilean generosity: a lot made detour to drop us in he best spots.

Conclusion : this is really worth it, and if you have time and speak few words of Spanish, try it, you will meet nice people in safe conditions.

8 comments for “Do finger in Chile”

  1. Je recommande personnellement exactement la même chose en Grèce, dans le Péloponnèse…

    Les gens vous invitent même chez eux passer la nuit!

  2. Fabien a raison. A Mikonos ça marche aussi. On dort peu et on a les traits un peu tirés le matin.

  3. Remi, may I suggest you behave next time like Claudette Colbert hitchhicking in “It Happened One Nigh” by Frank Capra (NewYork-Miami french title).
    Romane, let’s try and sit on a bench like Clark Gable!
    Keep us informed on how both of you have been successful with new thumbing attempts.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claudette_Colbert_in_It_Happened_One_Night.jpg

  4. @babo : I already imagine Remi wearing a beautiful skirt! Sure it will work! But truck drivers could let me on the roadside! 🙂

  5. @romane. Maybe. But you would stay on your bench, “thinking to yourself what a beautiful world…”

  6. Rémi, déjà tout petit, quand tu jouais aux petites voitures, tu aimais surtout les camions (vroum, vroum). Je vois que cela continue. C’est certainement pour ne pas contrarier ce penchant que Romane t’a laissé lever le pouce !

  7. Les camionneurs sont bels et bien les (presque) seuls qui s’arrêtent!
    Bon on en a vu quelques un de bizarre, dont un avec une arme, mais toujours très aimables

  8. Bonjour
    Je suis actuellement au Chili et je voulais justement me lancer dans l’aventure Autostop.
    Mais étant tout seul je me posé la question, au niveau sécurité. Bon je suis un grand garçon (29 ans) mais je préfère ne pas me lancer à l’aveugle.
    Pensez vous qu’il y ai plus de risque que dans d’autre pays.
    Et l’avez vous tentez dans d’autre pays d’amerique du sud ?
    Merci d’avance !

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