The grumblings of a traveller series is back, with its sights firmly set on Chile, our 3rd country on the South American continent. So, what was it that irked us about this long thin contender? Here are the 10 worst things about Chile.

1. Dog gangs. We are mostly talking about Valparaiso here, but our canine buddies seem to be a bit of a problem in Chile. Mean looking stray dog gangs rule the streets, chasing cars and barking incessantly. From the safety of our rented apartment in Valparaiso we watched a particular pair of marauding dogs terrorise the area, christening them Trouble and Strife. We also found ourselves followed for about half a mile by what can only be described as dreadlocks with legs!

When you are in a dog gang you can sleep anywhere

Don’t cross him

Trouble and Strife causing um, trouble and strife

Dog pile

Shopping centre delinquents

You will always be accompanied by a dog

Ambush

2. Dog poo. Where there are dogs there is dog poo. A lot of it. Need we say more?!

3. Really Chile? WTF?! Thanks very much for having an 8.3 earthquake whilst we were in Valparaiso…whilst Jess was in the shower…and then having unending aftershocks leaving us in a state of nervous anxiety! And if that wasn’t enough a tsunami hit the nearby coast wreaking havoc.

This is not something we are used to!

4. Lack of control in the greengrocers. Dear Chilean greengrocers, we like shopping in your small independent family run business rather than the supermarket, so please let us choose our own tomatoes and squeeze the avocados, why do you force us to ask you for everything rather than packing our own basket?!

5. Confusing system of paying. Why is it so difficult to work out how to go into a shop and perform a simple consumer transaction? Have we got this right, can someone please explain? Get a numbered ticket, wait in line at the counter, place the order but they hold ransom until you go to the till with a piece of paper, make the payment and then go back to the counter with the receipt so that they will release your stuff!

Your icecream will be melted by the time you’ve worked out how to pay

Only the cat knows what is going on

6. Bread, bread, bread, bread, bread, bread, BREAD! Far too much of it, we are getting fat! We did like your deep-fried doughnut filled with custard though.

Old bakery

Goodies

7. Unfriendliness to tourists. If Bolivians seemed grumpy, then Chileans could at some times seem hostile. What was that about, Che Guevara wrote in his Motorcycle Diaries that Chileans are very welcoming!

8. Lost distance buses. Chile, you are seriously lagging behind in the long distance bus stakes. Firstly try cleaning them once in a while, and why do they always have to stop 20 times to pick people up and 10 times for police controls!

9. Territorial disputes. This might be a bit of a controversial one, but it seems like Chile has a bit of a reputation for scrapping over land. But, OK, maybe Easter Islanders can’t be trusted to be independent, maybe Bolivia didn’t mind that you took its entire coastline and maybe Peru didn’t want its Southern territory anyway.

10. Wind in Patagonia. OK, so we knew Patagonia would have a different sort of climate, but all that wind?! We wouldn’t normally mind, but it did cause us a 9 hour delay because our Patagonia Fjords cruise couldn’t dock in Puerto Natales.

Should have stayed in the car!

It’s windy, it’s cold, I’m stuck on a boat and I don’t like it

Keeping a brave face in spite of gale force winds

Don’t worry Chile, it’s not all bad, we did write you a Top 10 as well, singing your praises!