Over the Andes

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The Andes is a mountain range stretching the entire west coast of South America, a length of about 4,500 miles. This travelogue takes a flying trip over the Andes from the west coast of the continent, specifically Viña del Mar, a wealthy residential resort town just outside of Valparaíso, Chile, to the east coast, specifically Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before the trip, stops are made in the Chilean Lake District, and at Osorno, which is the crowning glory of the Andes' peaks. The flight takes off from Santiago, Chile over lofty peaks as high as 18,000 feet, which requires the plane's passengers to use the oxygen masks. The Andes is filled with natural mineral resources, which are not mined to great extent due to the rugged and inhospitable terrain. The final destination of Rio has its own interesting mountainous terrain, the most famous peak known as Sugar Loaf. A metropolis of approximately two million inhabitants, Rio is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and is a mixture of old and new.