And Yet The World Didn't End

One of the unexpected aspects of staying in a hotel high in the Andes was the ready availability of a local treatment for altitude sickness (and headaches, and fatigue).

Coca leaves are not generally available in Chile - you have to go to really high altitudes, in areas where they're also considered a sacrament. But just as at sea level, it's the alcohol that gets locked up. The President of Bolivia attempts to explain why western drug policy toward the coca leaf is absurd; but although he's right, I doubt his opinion will have much impact.

(If you want a first-hand description of coca chewing, sorry, I guess I'm too much a product of our 'war on drugs' culture.)

Where Have All The Agents Gone?

It's a good question. Seth Godin's correct that differentiation is key - if you wish to survive as a travel agent, stock broker, real estate agent... you need to find some way to either justify your commission or fee.

I recently took a trip to Chile, made much better by the advice of Ellen Craig, who unabashedly bills herself as a "luxury travel consultant". She helped us find and stay in properties we were unlikely to either identify or choose on our own, and those properties proved to be excellent to amazing.

Here, differentiation is the price point. But if you're planning a fifth anniversary trip (as we were), maybe it's time for some self-indulgence.