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From May 20th to May 22nd was a complete blur. After waiting all day in Calama I finally left the desert. The bus arrived into Iquique at 10:20pm. Finally I got a well-deserved win. Instantly I was able to get a ticket for Arica leaving at midnight. It was an hour and a half wait, but at that point it was a cake walk. I was just glad that I did not have to spend the night in Iquique. The next bus ride was only four hours. Normally that would be a good thing, but due to the fact that it was in the midle of the night it was negative. I slept for maybe two hours before getting woken up by the attendent. We were in Arica. It was four in the morning. The bus ... read more

It is day twenty. Just when I thought I could sink no lower things get even worse. This morning I go on the bus feeling quite good. I had spent a relaxing, quiet night at a good hostel in Salta. I figured out what I was going to do. I actually had direct contact with a friend, even though it was merely a facebook chat with Sofie. I learned that my parents had put a thousands dollars in my account without asking me. They must have sensed that I was struggling. If you are reading mom and dad, THANK YOU! Their enormous consideration did indeed put my mind at ease. Or at least temporarily. The pass through the Andes Mountains was much different than down south. This was more what I had expected with many steep ... read more

It has been forty one hours since my last entry. Things have not gotten much better. I was on the last bus for twenty two hours. I should restate my previous claim that the bus rides are less enjoyable--I do not enjoy them. I began the trip loving them. Now I am neutral. I do not yet hate them, but I am indifferent to them. Tucumán, or at leas the parts I saw, sucked. I walked through what seemed like borderline ghettos in search of any old hostel. The one I found was indeed old. There was no kitchen, no internet, and no major common room. I set out in search of food and internet. I needed to plan out my next move. I found neither. All I did manage to find was some dark streets ... read more

I am sitting at the bus terminal in Puerto Iguazu. It is 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 17th. I have thirty seven more days in South America. I am starting to run low. Low on energy. Low on plans. Low on cash. My bus to Tucumán leaves in an hour and a half. I barely even know where that is on a map. The guy at the counter had to point it out on a map for me. Up until this point I have had a loose plan. Start in southern Chile, cross the border, and work my way up north. I have hit all my intended destinations in Argentina. I am know as far north as I can go in this country. Now what? I thought I might head to Bolivia to meet Julia and Loren. ... read more

I arrived in Buenos Aires with similar feeling I had towards Mendoza. I did not like it. Many people love Buenos Aires, claiming it to be the best city in the world. Perhaps it was because I was alone, a little worn out, and had just gotten off a fifteen hour bus ride; my fifth in nine days. Constantly being on the move can take its toll. There is a strange irony how in a city of more than 12 million I felt more lonely than in any other place so far. I have met people along the way, but never stayed put long enough to make any friends. It was early in the morning when I checked into my hostel. I had few plans for my time in Buenos Aires. I wanted to take the ... read more

I suppose I will keep up the pattern of doing an entry ever time I move locations. It has become routine for me to write each entry during the bus rides between destinations. Yes, I am yet again on another long bus ride. This time I am headed for Buenos Aires. When I first arrived in Mendoza I did not like it at all. Its location did not appeal to me. In a lot of ways the landscape is what Santiago might look like if it were not so built up. After all it is just on the other side of the Andes. I tried to walk to my selected hostel without truly knowing where I was headed. I was lost for a long time. This did not do well for my mood. As usual I ... read more

The first thing I noticed in Argentina was how much of the language I could understand. Here the accents are one hundred times better than in Chile. Seemingly overnight I have become nearly fluent. Yes, I am still far from mastering the verbal part of the language, but now I can understand almost everything that is directed my way. This only boosts my confidence. In putting a new langauge to practice confidence is often half the struggle. The bus ride over the Andes Mountains to Bariloche was not what I had expected. We did not go on any trechorous switch backs through snow covered mountains. Regardless, it was still a good ride. Most people would dread the fact that nearly every other day they have to get on a bus ride ranging from three to twenty ... read more

I was forced to spend a night in Santiago due to the revision of my flight back from Easter Island courtesy of LAN Airlines. It was not all bad as my friend Brian now works at a hostel in Santiago. I stayed the night there kicking it with him, Jay, and some other forgieners. The night of the fifth I bussed down to Chiloe. It was a seventeen hour ride. I must have slept well, because all went smoothly. I woke up in time to see our bus board the ferry to take us onto the island of Chiloe. I forced myself to stay awake to appreciate the scenic drive. It was not difficult. Chiloe is amazing. I was constantly reminded of England. There is a lot of European influence in Chiloe. Also, it was a ... read more

When I stepped off the plane three days ago I began to doubt my decision to come to Easter Island. I had bought the ticket three months prior yet I had made zero plans as to what I would be doing on the island. I told myself I would find something to do when I got there. Arriving to the island made me curse myself for not having done any research. I was greeted at the airport by the workers of the campsite that I had booked. After getting setup I rented a bike and set off exploring. I made it about ten miles on a dirt road before switching to foot. Another hour or so saw me near the top of a hill overlooking the coastline. It was a good view met by a downpour ... read more

The end of the semester is upon us. It is final’s week, yet I feel indifferent about my current situation. Never has final’s week felt so low-key. This past weekend was Easter, which entailed no school on Friday. Thursday I went to the club for the first time in Santiago. Although I am glad it went I stand by my original word that I am not a club person. I left at roughly 3:45am, and did not return home until 5:00am. However, I was probably one of the first people to end the night. I went out again on Friday night to the bars and later a club. Again I got back home at roughly five in the morning. Yes, this is calling a night early in Chile. Two nights in a row was enough for ... read more