Well, folks, my canyoneering trip didn’t cure my fear of heights, nor my fear of deep water… But it was certainly an experience.

For one thing, our bus broke down on the way to the Vincente Perez Rosales National Park. That wasn’t a good sign, but once we got to our destination - a couple hours later than expected, mind you - things were looking up.

But then we had to hike for about a half hour, up hill, in a wetsuit.

I’d though I’d left hiking behind in Pucon, but that was not to be… It was well worth it, though. The cool waters were quite refreshing, though the thought of sliding down a three-meter waterfall didn’t sit well with me.

And my impressions didn’t improve as we went along.

It’s okay, you can call me a chicken. I am… And I tried to let my mind wander to other things besides white water and rapid currents.

Like all the “Se Vende” signs we saw on the way to the canyons. “Se Vende” means “For Sale.” Massive amounts of farmland are up for grabs just an hour south east of the fun touristy town of Puerto Varas. You can pick up a parcel of land for between $1,500 and $4,300 an acre.

Then you can buy a pre-assembled home for a cool $12,200. Continue Reading »

Aside from copper and wine, Chile is home to some of the most amazing scenery in the world.

I should know… I spent seven hours hiking up one of Chile’s most well known sites: the Villarica Volcano.

It is THE attraction in Pucon, and, pardon my French, it kicked my ass.

We hiked up 1,300 meters, but actually walked seven kilometers to get to the top, and the crater was enormous, even though we could only see part of it. The really spectacular part was the views from the top. You can actually see four lakes, one being Lago Villarica, which I told you about in the last posting.

The views were absolutely amazing. Life-changing, almost.

It’s not hard to see why so many people flock to Pucon for this scenery.

Tomorrow, I leave bright and early for the next stop, Puerto Varas. It’s sort of the “next” Pucon, but with even more lakes. I’m due to arrive at about 2:00pm local time, and that’s where I’ll drop my next line.

Until then, enjoy this view from the top of Villarica…

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I’ve been knee-deep in researching the energy ties in Central Asia. This area has become a hot bed for investment and news is swirling around just how much natural gas is in this region.

Let me spell it out for you: Russia ships nearly two-thirds of all its natural gas production to Europe, and one Central Asian country, Turkmenistan, helps fulfill its contracts.

But if Central Asia countries start making deals with Europe over Russia, Russia will be left out in the cold.

I don’t think that’ll happen though. You see, Russia’s got a contingency plan. It just met with Iran and Qatar to firm up an energy deal.

First let me explain the tug of war…

The Caspian Sea energy nations met last Friday in Azerbaijan. At the top of the list for discussion was the signing of a declaration to limit Russia’s monopoly over export routes to Western Europe. Now, results showed that there are some countries unwilling to sign the declaration, but the fact that a declaration was even up for discussion is promising for some.

This is big news particularly for the European Union.

For years now, the EU has imported 40% of its natural gas from Russia. These imports make up 25% of the EU’s total natural gas consumption. Those are extremely high numbers and the European Commission wants to do something about it.

“This is a problem we must address. We must shield European citizens from the risk that external suppliers cannot honor their commitments,” EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barosso told reporters from RussiaToday.

We all know that Russia is more than willing to turn of the tap. With Russia as the single largest supplier of imported gas, the EU is seeking diversity in its energy imports. RussiaToday notes that this will be accomplished a number of ways, from opening up a new North Sea offshore grid to new projects in the Mediterranean.

So where does that leave Russia?

Continue Reading »

Right now, copper spot prices are an anemic $1.65 per pound. That’s an amazing drop from above $4 back in June.

And yet, one Chilean copper mine is actually expanding.

The mine is called Dona Ines de Collahuasi. It’s Chile’s third largest copper mine and is located in an historical copper mining area. Back in 1880, a large, high-grade copper and silver vein was found. It’s one of the world’s largest copper resources.

Right now, the mine produces roughly 440,000 tons of copper a year.

But the mine has just approved a $64 million project that will increase annual output by 30,000 tons. And that’s just the first expansion.

At the end of the first quarter of 2009, a $750 million expansion plan will boost production to 650,000 tons a year. After that expansion is complete, the mine intends to increase production to a full one million tons of copper a year by 2014.

That’s an astounding move.

Continue Reading »