Satiago, Valparaiso and "The Hives"

After getting to Santiago on the train (great service, so much better than the already pretty good busses). We trekked aroung looking again for a hostel that didnt exist anymore and eventually went to La Casa Roja which was a great hostel, really busy and in a restored mansion in a great part of Santiago (which doesnt necessarily mean much). Loads of english there cos its run by aussies and although it was probably the most expensive hostal after the skiing one that we'd stayed in, it was still only 7 quid. Next day we went to Valparaiso on a bus and got there, walked around a market, looked at hunting/diving knives and walked along the front before deciding to get their coastline metro up to Vina del Mar to lie on a beach and be somewhere that was on the seafront without a port in the way. After walking through town we got to the front and there were the biggest pelicans you've ever seen on the beach and on rocks, absolutely dwarfing the seagulls milling around. Actually took our breath away. We then laid on a beach for a couple of hours and I read most of "A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" which is a brilliant book, read it! We then headed back through town, stopping so quicky could buy some fleece to make fleece trousers for his caving expedition, and went back to valparaiso and got the bus back. That evening we packed up ready for our flight the next day, then checked the flight schedule and found we were a day early (better that way round i spose) and had an extra day in Santiago. Just watched Superbad and went to bed.

Next day we trekked around seeing all of Santiago (this not taking long it being a fairly ordinary town) and headed back to the hostel to pack properly. On the way we saw a sign for a Hives gig in town and decided to try that instead of just sitting round the hostel. Grabbed some beers, watched some TV (which was 30 Rock, never seen it before but that show is hilarious). Then we headed out to the gig, by luck or brilliance or whatever, got some tickets, went in and were at the front on the Balcony and just went crazy. After the gig we went to the bottom and managed to secure a Chile flag with "The Hives are Law" written on it and some other stuff to remember the gig. Also a girl wearing the same shirt as me (not sure if thats a good thing). But a great time, and what a way to spontaneously end this trip, with the best night of the whole thing!!!

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