Aneya: Lider and Clinton

Bachelet and Clinton, on local Chile TV
The bread aisle at Lider, completely empty.

So we went to Lider again yesterday, to pick up a few essentials (ie booze) and we were shocked to see the bread aisle completely empty! And the water! The big, 5 gallon jugs were all gone, leaving only a few bottles con gas (with bubbles) and a few, 1 liter regular bottles. All the toilet paper was gone as well. The rest of the store was pretty well equipped, plenty of pasta, plenty of booze, plenty of frozen food, but still, it was a shocking sight to see.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was here yesterday, and right when we turned on the TV we saw the above imagine. Clinton kept asserting what good "friends" she and Bachelet were, but the Chilean president looked uncomfortable, stressed and sad, she looked like she really didn't want to be there. At the end Bachelet cracked a smile when Clinton handed her one of the satellite phones she'd brought, but still, things were obviously tense. We were hoping to spot Clinton near the government building here in Santiago, but the guards informed us her visit was "suspended". Oh well.

-- Aneya