In transit

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So this is my first blog entry - not sure what access to computers will be like, but I´ll try. This is the same site I used for my Guatemala trip, with largely the same distribution list, so apologies if you don´t want to be bombarded by tales of my holiday (tee hee!)

I´ve made it as far as Santiago, Chile... really not much to report. At all. In my excitement to leave, I hadn´t read itinerary very closely, so was a bit shocked to discover that I have 8 hours in transit. Nearly enough to go into the city (which would mean that I could count Chile as one of the countries in the world that I´ve been to - the rules being that airports don´t count). But my body clock was telling me that it was 4 am when I arrived, so that seemed way too hard.

I staggered around and found a lounge that I could pay to get into (Lord knows what I paid) and promptly crashed out for another 2 hours. Yes Rachael, I am the Queen of Sleep! I did manage to go via a shop and purchase a Spanish phrasebook - and actually thought I´d done well asking for water. However, in the cold light of day, I realise that I´d made the classic English mistake of saying "habla agua" - see Guatemala blog entitled "do you speak wine" for context. At least my mistakes are coming back to me, though from recollection it was Jack who made that mistake.

The arrival into Santiago was stunning. You come in from the South and basically look straight North up the continent. And all you can see as far as the eye can stretch is mountains and mountains and mountains. Many of them covered in white snow. Santiago itself is surrounded by mountains and (as the woman next to me, who lives at Piha, but is originally from Uruguay) said, the landing is "audacious"! Anyway, I have definitely come to the right continent.

Departure from work seemed quite smooth, though my team can tell me all the things I forgot to hand over properly. Alan - you will be pleased to know that my sleep on the plane was disturbed by dreams of internal billing...

Hope all going well. Messages much appreciated. For those of a technical bent, roaming is working to some extent (ie text/ phone works. Email doesn´t seem to work on my blackberry).

Lucy xx

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Comments

[RJT]

habla vino..
In Jack's defense it was definitely you. I don't think he attempted any Spanish at all. Not sure if he will see this as a good defence or not..... Pleased to hear that you found a couch to sleep on. But yes, I know that the floor, a bus seat, a shoulder, in fact any old thing will do!! Glad you are enjoying yourself - look forward to the next update xx

[Jen Gibson]

Hey Luce - looks great! Looking forward to the rest of the blogs. Jen