El Chapo: the drug dealing hero

Everybody loves an underdog, it doesn't really matter wether they are right or wrong, it's just fun to watch someone beat all the odds. El Chapo is by no means a good person, he is responsible for thousands of death (either directly or indirectly) and he is responsible for the drug addictions of even more people. He was (or is) the head of the largest drug cartel in the world, and the very same things that make him a criminal also make him an underdog. He goes against society, he does what he wants. Moral issues aside, anyone would love to be a respected drug dealer; they have huge houses on tropical islands, drive expensive cars and live a life (as short as it might be) in the greatest luxury. That's not even considering the adventure, if you happen to be into smuggling drugs across borders through secret tunnels. Well perhaps it's not something people would love to do, but it's definitely fun to read and imagine oneself in that situation.
The article is very straightforward when presenting El Chapo as a drug dealer, it doesn't try to justify the things he has done or lessen their importance, but it doesn't demonize him either. It just shows him as what he is, a human being, arguably a very bad one, but none the less human. The title, "The Hunt for El Chapo" would suggest that the storyline follows the marines who took him down, the heroes who finally managed to capture the world's most wanted fugitive, but it doesn't. Instead it follows him, where he lived and his clever devices, it's not as much the hunt as it was his escape. Only the fact that the narrative focuses on him turns him into an antihero.
It's exciting to read about, how he ran the jail from which he escaped, his secret tunnels and interconnected houses, it seems almost fake that one person could come up with all of this and manage to go so long without getting caught. It's impossible not to like him at least a bit, his elusiveness and inventiveness are appealing and even though he didn't use them for good, it's still impressive to read about him. It's definitely good to know that he has been captured, but oddly disappointing that he didn't get the chance to continue to play tricks and fool the people chasing him. Reading about him and forgetting that he is a real person can even be funny, an irreverent character who defies the institution and manages to outsmart them every time, or at least most of it.

In Patagonia

Patagonia, as evidenced by the protests regarding hydroaysen, is one of Chile's dearest national landmarks. Over the years it has become an important turistic attraction, particularly for foreigners looking for adventures and often times solitude (what could be lonelier than the end of the world?). This exotic sense usually also extends to the people living there, as can be seen in Chatwin's book, where the people he encounters seem to be just as important (if not more) as the landscapes. This is why it's easy to forget that for them it is also the year 2015.
It's easy to understand that someone reading In Patagonia would expect to travel there and encounter barren lands with little or no civilization, after all, that's the way it was when Chatwin travelled there. This is not the way it is now; which is not something to be considered good or bad but rather a simple observation. If traveling a couple weeks in Patagonia is hard and expensive, one can only imagine the difficulties of living there permanently, which is why technological advances (especially regarding communication) are always welcome.
While it is expected that wildlife parks should remain more or less intact, it's irrational to expect the people living in their vicinities to remain isolated. They are not part of the natural attraction and have as much of a right to be able to communicate and live like the rest of the civilization as the tourists traveling to the Patagonia. Chile is a developing country with and overpopulated capital, it's obvious that other cities will gradually begin to grow, along with people's needs.
The point is: Chatwin's book may be a a faithful description of what Patagonia was like thirty years ago  and an inspiring read for anyone wishing to travel there today, but to do so expecting to find the exact same abandoned landscapes and isolated inhabitants is foolish and borders bigotry. The world has gone through big changes over the last three decades, and the Patagonia, with all its wilderness and adventures, has been no exception.