Last stop in South America.... Santiago!!

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Hello again!!

Arrived in Santiago to find that the American boys i was going to meet at the amazing Casa Roja hostel there had reserved too late for me and there was no more space so i checked into the Hostelling International hostel around the corner and then managed to get a bed in Casa Roja for the last 2 nights the next day! That evening I met up with an American girl i met in BA and a couple of her friends which was nice!

The next day i just wandered around Santiago with one of the American guys, Brian, and a Canadian girl which was nice! We wanted to go up the fenicular but the lines were so insanely long and it was so hot that we gave up! That night we had a big bbq in the hostel by the pool and i had a really early night! The next day all the others were going to Vilparaiso for the day and staying over, i was going to go to but was still trying to sort out flights so wanted to be near a computer and i was also a bit worried about coming back to Santiago the day of my flight, even though the town was only 2 hours away, because i really really didnt want to miss my flight and needed to be at the airport extra early to reissue my ticket!! So i just spent the day wandering around a bit, reading harry potter, swimming in the pool and packing etc, was nice and relaxing although i was very unsociable.... everyone i knew had gone to either Mendoza or Valparaiso and for the first time i just couldnt be bothered to go and make new friends.... maybe it was just because i was leaving the next day or maybe for the first time ever i felt like having some time to myself and not babbling away to someone! :o) Had another early night as wanted to do a bit more sightseeing the next morning before i went to the airport!!

I wandered over to Plaza de Armas which was really nice, got a disposable camera, walked around the city centre for a while before heading back to the hostel!

Got to the airport super early as I was really scared about missing my flight ... think i was there nearly 5 hours early!! oops! :o( For a few scary minutes i thought i was stuck in South America though because i couldnt find the stupid tiny bit of paper STA sent me 9 months ago which i apparantly needed to get a new flight ticket.... well actually the stupid tiny bit of paper was infact my original flight ticket but STILL..... they could have told me to hang on to it ... i nearly threw it a way a million times thinking i didnt need it anymore because i had changed my flight! But luckily i didnt throw it away "just in case" each time and eventually found it and was allowed on the plane!! PHEW!! Drama drama drama!! My friend Aubrey, who i met in BA and went to Uruguay with, was at the airport at the same time as me but i couldnt find her and later found out she had paid to go into some VIP lounge and had told me to come and meet her there but unfortunatley there was no internet at the airport so i coudlnt check me emails! Luckily i bumped into (another) group of hilarious Irish boys so they made the wait a bit more entertaining!! :o)

The flights over here were fine..... the 4hour stop in BA in the middle of the night was a bit annoying but nevermind! Slept like a baby on the second flight over the NZ although wasnt very impressed at being woken up at 4am for "dinner!!" - i would rather have had breakfast at 4am! We landed in a thunderstorm in BA (which was so scary until an Irish guy told me planes couldnt get hit by lightning and then after that it was just really really cool watching the fork and sheet lightning!!) and took off for Auckland in one too which was a bit scary especially as the plane kept losing power when we were waiting to take off but it was all fine in the end!! :o)

Steve and his friend picked me up from the airport which was lovely!! We stopped at a petrol station on th eway home which i found very very exciting as they had cadburys, crunchies, salt and vinigar crisps and everything!! Steves friend then bought me a king size crunchie which kept me happy all the way to my hostel! :o)

Anyway im babbling again and im about to do a big fat blog for South America so id better get a move on!! :o)

Sorry there are no pictures.... stupid disposable camera!!! :o(

Lots and lots of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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