Where I Stand — Brian Greenspun: A real beauty of a trip

Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000 | 10:14 a.m.

Brian Greenspun is editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

There is so much to write about. But it will just have to wait until I talk about Chile.

The first sign that I was gone a bit too long from work was when I returned Monday to a locked office. The only person at the Sun with a key was Mike O'Callaghan, who seemed to relish the idea that I could only get in with his "permission." The office-opening ceremony was prolonged by the lecture on promptness and responsibility. It was obvious to me that Mike's kids had been ignoring him lately.

I tried my best to distract Gov. Mike with stories about our trip to Chile. He listened attentively for about a minute and then said on his way out the door, "Write it!" So, here it is.

It might have been another decade or so before Myra and I made our way to South America because, although it is a part of the world I have longed to see, it was not high on the priority list with so many other countries we have not yet seen. That is why we have Andre Agassi to thank for making it possible.

Had it not been for Andre's generosity in gathering the community together for his annual Agassi Foundation dinner, Myra would not have gone crazy in bidding for a trip to some high-desert retreat in the northernmost part of Chile. Her successful bid translated into much-needed funding for many needy children's causes in Clark County, as well as a re-prioritizing of our travel plans. In short, Chile went from middling to high on the list of must-see countries.

Thank goodness, because I am here to report that the long, skinny country of Chile -- well-known today for the Pinochet problems -- is amongst the most environmentally pleasing places on earth. From the high desert (which looks a lot like a trip to Lake Mead, without the vegetation) to the southern end of the hemisphere approaching the Straits of Magellan and Antarctica (which looks a lot like the glacier ranges of Alaska with a few dozen Lake Tahoes thrown in for good measure), Chile is easily one of the most beautiful spots on the globe.

Of course, no country remains beautiful for long if the people who live there are not. That is not the case in Chile. I cannot recall one incident in which the people of Chile were anything but warm, friendly, appreciative and most willing to help Spanish-challenged tourists at every opportunity.

There are spectacular mountains, deep blue and glacier green lakes, raging rivers flowing west from the Andes creating whitewater rafting second to none, and volcanoes, active and ever-smoking as if they are just getting ready to rumble. There are geyser fields at 16,000 feet that are as unspoiled as any imaginable yet far more accessible than our own Old Faithful. And there are snow-covered mountains in the Andes range that offer clear lake fishing, top-quality skiing and climbing opportunities that rival anything in this country.

In short, the 4,000-mile-long country of Chile, which stretches along most of the Pacific Coast of South America, offers a kind of scenic beauty that is enhanced by the fact that most people in this world have not yet heard about it. Plain and simple. The fact that very few tourists outside of South America are familiar enough with Chile to have descended upon it in unmanageable numbers remains its greatest asset. Soon, however, that will change. It has to because that is the nature of things.

And in some ways, it can't happen soon enough. For what Chile has in abundance -- natural beauty -- it lacks in the sophistication needed to keep it pure and available for generations to come. They would do well, the folks responsible for preserving all that spectacular scenery, to learn from countries like the United States when it comes to making sure that tourism enhances, not destroys, their gift of nature. We have seen it come to pass in our own country as people flock to see what everyone is talking about, only to destroy or harm it by their sheer numbers and, even, negligence.

I will not soon forget the look on our travelling companions' faces, Marilyn and John Moran, when they saw a tour bus drive right up to the edge of an incredible geyser pool at the very top of the Andes. Forget about the probability that the van could plunge into the boiling hot water seeping up from the depths of the earth, scalding and killing the tourists crammed therein. What about the wanton destruction of that which has taken nature thousands and millions of years to create? What will future generations be able to see when carelessness and lack of concern have allowed the beauty to be debased?

If ever I welcomed government intervention with its rules and regulations designed to preserve for others what we can enjoy today, it was at that point when I searched for someone, anyone, to shoo those people away from danger and away from doing great damage. I knew it before but it made very common sense to me then. There is a role for government beyond raising armies and collecting taxes!

There is so much I can say about Chile but don't have the space to do it justice. The good news is I have pictures. Hundreds of them. I also have stories which I am willing to share, if you have the time.

I have the time. My publisher has chained me to my desk.