Chile is a land of natural extremes, as befits a country squeezed between sea and volcanic mountain ranges, a country more than 2,000 miles long and often only 100 miles wide or less.

In 2006, I joined my fellow travel writers from SATW in an exploration of Chile, ticking two destinations off my life list: Patagonia and Valparaiso. They could not be more different. In Patagonia, the wind is a constant companion: in this photo, it's holding me up. Valpo feels Mediterranean in climate and sensibilities; the stacked-up homes on the hills reminded me of Greek villages.

During my time in Chile, I also had the opportunity to take two bus tours (with a goodly bit of walking) and strike out on foot with friends several times to explore the districts of the capital city, Santiago. I found the city to be very European in its sensibilities, the citizens gathering in coffeshops for discussion and eager to talk about the arts and politics.