The dogs of La Serena

Jane used to want to pet every dog in town. Now she is a little more selective.

While there is much to love about La Serena, there are two things I don't like; graffiti, and "la magia" de los perros. You can find them both just about everywhere you look and walk.

They say the graffiti is an imitation of what Chilean youths perceive as cool American culture through the lens of contemporary film and music videos. It really makes the city look more dangerous/ghetto than it really is. Seeing the colonial architecture marred by all the tagging, combined with the security bars on every driveway and window in town, was a little unsettling when I first arrived. You get used to it after a while. Too bad.

Dogs and cats here aren't spade and neutered. When unwanted they are set free to do their thing on the street. I've heard from a few locals that stepping in the "magia" brings you unexpected "plata" or wealth. Ross is still waiting for the big payoff on his misstep back in August, but since then he has found about 300 pesos on the ground while walking with más cuidado.

los perros= the dogs
magia= our euphemism for caca
más cuidado= more care