I an writing this blog entry sat on a tock by a lake Chungara at 4500 meters snobs sea level. I am High in the Antiplsno. Of tje lLauca Natonal prtk.. .it is so Peaceful here, as grorgie fame on e wrote no one looking over my shoulder, nobody bresthing in my ear , ehixh at ghd moment sould be vety difficult. The air is do thin here i sm lgbt heared and msking msny typinf mostakes. Just imbing u a smLl hill leaves dveryone breathless. I os skso msking me cery tired snd i had started to fall aslerp on the bus. Cncentration is very difficult. I have been at 4500 before on Bivia but that was a gradual climb over a week. This has edn from desevel to 4500 meters in four hours.one lady ... read more

'Get out of the waves.... Go back to the valley man' These words came back to haunt me when I was Jonny Utah for the day. George Evans where are you now? George was a young man I used to work with and who, during long night shifts. used to bring in films to watch. (and no, not the ones with Ron Jeremy, mores the pity). One film we all loved was Point Break with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, who played FBI agent Jonny Utah. A classic from the 1980's set around the surfing community. who happen also to be bank robbers. Dressed in masks of former presidents of the USA, Jonny had to learn to surf ... read more

Iquqiue is really Ique Ique. I learnt this fact whilst wandering about the regional museum today. It is the local indiginous word meaning peace and tranquility. I can see what they mean. With constant sunshine, great beach around the corner, the ocean sweeping in, surfing, paragliding it will be difficult to leave, but leave I must. I have visited so far 11 of the 12 regions of Chile, and have one to go before crossing the border with Peru. In the museum I also saw a small shark with two heads in a bottle of formaldehyde and pictures of folks who lived in the town during its heyday of nitrate mining. There was no door musuem, which was a blessing but in some of the photos of the folks, doors were clearly visible. But it turned ... read more

Question: how do you get from 2800 meters above sea level to sea level in a large bus? Answer: very very slowly The journey to Iquique was a negotiation of the Andes and its valleys. Long a steep 'S' and 'U' bends. Outside the bus window nothing but dust and a railway track following the line of the road. Away in the distance mines producing valuable nitrates, bought down to the railway sidings and transported to the coastal port town of Tocopilla. Once at Santa Lucia the bus follows the coast. The sun actually sets this time making a fantastic journey along the coast. This time I am sat on the correct side of the bus. The colours of the sky as the sun disappears meant I just stared out of the window watching it turn ... read more

Kid, the next time I say we go someplace like Bolivia,let's go someplace like Bolivia" A classic line from one of my favourite films, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It was with some trepidation that I decided to book a round trip tour to the salt flats of Bolivi in a 4x4 vehicle from San Pedro. When I obtained my emergency passport I did not mention this country at the time and so it is not recorded as I country I intend now to visit. However I am assured by a very reputable tour company that I will be no problem crossing over and then back do I can then drop down to Iquique so continue north in chile. There are three reasons for going. First santiago is going and speaks Spanish so any communication ... read more