One thing that you will need during any amount of time in Chile is toilet paper.
Despite what you may have learned in Spanish class, toliet paper in Chile isn’t called papel higiénico. (Although if you call it that, people will generally understand you.) In Chile, toliet paper is called confort or papel confort.
This is because the first toilet paper to be commercialized in Chile was by the brand “Confort.”
The word confort comes from the Spanish verb confortar, meaning “to comfort”.
You can often buy confort by the roll at street markets called ferias or at the corner store. You’ll enjoy a large collection of confort options at local supermarkets.
To help get you ready for your toilet paper adventures in Chile, check out Margaret’s insights about when to bring your own TP in Chile.
Other than the cultural guide, didn’t
you have a Chilean language (indigenous
sayings) book available ? M-
@Mike – The “Chilenismos” book isn’t mine but I highly recommend it. It has very thorough coverage of Chilean slang and Spanish. You can find it on amazon.com
Hi I have a question.. They often use the word “piola” and it seems to have heaps of different meanings wich confuses me..
Help?? 😀
Miriam
@Miriam – If you know some spanish, there are some good definitions here:
http://www.mainframe.cl/diccionario/diccionario.php?palabra=piola&accion=Buscar
It can mean: silent, keep a secret, relaxed, etc.
Your confort/toilet paper article made me smile.
When we did the driving down the Pan American highway thing, stopping off at every tourist attraction, I was surprised (at first shocked!) that when you went to the loo you had to ask for the toilet paper. It was not in the banjos.
I’m quite old and have lived through newspaper then really hard scrathy toilet paper in England and France, but it’s always been there are arm’s length 🙂
So my advice is think ahead when visiting cascadas between Vina and Pucon.
@Anne – good point. definitely ask before you go in!