Ed Brill

Home, disoriented, exhausted after three weeks of travel, putting the pieces together for the days and weeks ahead.  I had a great trip this week, very productive in building and furthering relationships with customers, partners, and IBMers.  And we did manage to sneak in a little bit of time for some sightseeing -- a side trip before leaving to the Casablanca Valley wineries, and Valparaiso and Viña del Mar on the Pacific coast.

From what little I saw, Chile is a beautiful, vibrant, and innovative country.  The business centers in Santiago are modern, busy, and full of success.  The people were universally friendly, I felt safe, and it was easy to get around in Santiago.  Foodie-wise, I had some great meals.  Basically, I ate either seafood/fish or steak the entire week.  Local delicacies like corvina, Conger eel, macha (razor clams), and Ecuadorian shrimp were everywhere, and the grass-fed native beef was excellent.  Empañadas, of course, were also a treat, and the fruit, including local native "tuna" (nopales), were new treats.

My IBM colleagues took great care of me from arrival onward, and business partner DyDeCom was integral to the success of the entire week, professionally and personally.

Even now that I've visited more than 50 countries, Chile adds to an ever-growing list of "places I want to go back to".  I get asked from time to time whether my preference in my personal time is to stay home or whether I travel for vacation.  The answer is simple -- there's a whole world out there to explore, and as important is it is to have a sense of place at home, I will always choose that exploration when possible.  This was only my 4th visit to South America, all in the last ten years.  There's much more to see -- and I'll be back.