So, after Mendoza I headed on a day bus over the Andes Mountains, to the far far away land of Chile. We went from heat to snow in a few hours, the drive was amazing and I was glad for once to be on a day bus and not a night bus...
This however is not a story with a happy ending. We get to the border crossing, think 1940´s Russia. I´d heard stories of hours of delays because the people at the border move at about 2miles an hour despite bus lined outside. We were lucky, only one bus in front of us. So we pile out the bus, que to get stamped by Argentina, then que to get stamped by Chile. Then go into a big cold room, line in front of long tables, for our hand luggage. A cup is handed around by an inspector for us to put money in... hmm... professional. All our under carriage luggage is taken off the bus and scanned, then put back on the bus. Then one by one we get our hand luggage scanned... And mine beeps.
They had very little english and ask to look in my bag. I open it, and before they even look, they ask if I have any fruit. I said yes, an apple, which I´d intended on eating and had forgotten was there. Suddenly things get very serious... ´do you have any other fruit, seeds, any fruit its very important´. I don´t and don´t understand what all the fuss is about. People get called over, they confiscate the fruit, everyone else is back on the bus.
Tip for anyone at border crossings with impending trouble... Don´t make jokes, even if your only there over an apple. They take their jobs very seriously and didn´t find it funny when I suggest I just eat the apple...
Instead I was questioned, for an hour... over an apple.
They found someone with slightly better english to translate for another women. She told me in this case they must follow a procedure and I must come into a room with them. At this point I got worried, strip search crossed my mind. Instead they slowly fill out three forms, in which I tell them why I had the apple, why I didn´t declare the apple, why I was in Chile what I do for a living, etc. She explained to me that they have to protect the agriculture of Chile, that the apple would be burned... They filled out the forms, translated what was written, basically a story of why I had the apple, how much it weighed, etc. which I then signed. After an hour of questioning, with the bus waiting, it was getting a little funny, until they let me know I had a 200 US dollar fine. Not funny. They wanted me to pay then, but I didnt have the money, and was a bit suspicious, so instead she gave me an address in Santiago to pay. I stormed back to the bus.
So the question now is, do I pay the fine, or do I go mexican style and make a break for the border... theres a slight risk of being arrested but I´m going for the latter.
The next day at the hostel I explain the story to the hostel owner and ask his advice. He became my hero. I showed him all the copies of the forms they gave me, and he says he´ll ring them for me, and thinks its ridiculous. They tell him that usually people don´t get fined over something as small as an apple, and I have 10 working days to pay the fine. Also, there is no computer system to show that I have the fine when I recross the border, its all done in good faith. Plus I can appeal the fine. All good. So my new hero Juan, says he wants to write a letter to the head of the Agriculture department and appeal it for me, because he is not happy with it at all, saying its bad for tourism that they behave like this. I agree. He write me the letter and then translates it for me, telling me he´s added a few slight fabrications! So now I was harassed at the bordered, bullied into signing document I didn´t understand, That I threw away seeds and fruit before the border but thought that one piece of fruit would be ok. Legend. I´m still in Chile, crossing the border into poor Bolivia on Thursday. Wish me luck!
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