Cascadas de las Animas (Wed., 3/11/09) - I am in heaven

Finally we’ve arrived at Cascadas de las Animas! It’s so refreshing to get re-connected with nature especially after two very intensive days in Santiago. Dry air and incredible aroma of pine needles greeted us as we dragged our luggage across a gravel path. How refreshing it is to put on a pair of jeans and not have to worry of what constitutes proper business attire. Just minutes ago we were sitting in a middle of well air-conditioned conference room at the American Embassy in Santiago learning about CONAMA – The National Environmental Commission in Chile. CONAMA is tasked with establishing environmental standards and regulations and setting forth the requirements for pollution prevention measures.  The lecture was quite informative but only here in Cascadas I can fully appreciate how important natural resource protection truly is for Chile.

Chile’s main export: natural resource such as timber, copper, salmon and other agricultural products. Main imports: medical equipment and health related products, construction related products and technology.  So consider how healthcare costs have escalated over the last decade, and you may appreciate how difficult it will be for Chile to keep the country’s international trade in balance.