Some details/set-up: This past weekend I did a visa run from Chile to Argentina (a weekend in Mendoza) and back. I've done that bus route twice now, as well as flight to Lima and back (as well as extension the first time, but I read those can't be done twice in a row). Coming back on bus from Mendoza, Chilean immigration hasn't even asked me any questions about how long I'm staying, but some of the other interactions have made me nervous: a bit of a grimace at the airport when responding to how long I'd be staying ("I'd like to stay the full 90 days"); exiting Chile on my way to Mendoza at about day ~87 and the lady giving me a rough time about supposedly going over the 90 days; several questions by two Argentina customs guys when entering this last time (after looking through my passport and seeing all the similar stamps) about why was I going to Mendoza? ("touristing"), I'm living in Argentina, right? ("no"), and why was I living in Chile? ("I'm technically not living there, just there temporarily"), and was I working there? ("no"), etc. One seemed to loosen up when I informed him that my brother and sister-in-law are here in Chile.
Since the last interaction made me nervous I might get in trouble or something, my question is, is it better for me to just be totally honest about the fact that I'm just traveling for the sake of a visa run? Or is it better to try to be coy and ambiguous as I've been doing so far? I don't know if visa runs are frowned upon here.
FWIW, I'm a gringo (U.S.), I'm not working here, and I sincerely have no designs to stay in Chile long-term, but it's where I'm staying for the moment (the moment being about a year longer than anticipated, but, ya know, life).
