Arica, Chile

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I was very fond of Arica. A small city, comfortable to walk around, and with a beach! What more could you ask for.

Unfortunatel my stomach bug was lingering... so after a few hours of tummy aches my first night I finally caved in and took one of the antibiotics my doctor had given me. However, it was a 1000 mg dose - which was way too huge!!! So I felt even worse afterwards.

As luck would have it, there were 4 young Americans staying at the same hotel as me who had literally just finished med school, and they advised me to cut up the antibiotics into 4 parts and take them for a few more days. So I did just that, and was feeling better in no time.

There are so many things I like about Chile: the people in Chile seem very lively, and content, and full of personality. Along the coast there are beautiful beaches, as well as quaint fishing villages. Of course, after Bolivia it seemed like a HIGHLY organized, clean, functional place - but then again, I think that Chile does have a reputation for being the wealthiest, most "westernized" of the South American countries.

On my second day, I joined the Americans at the beach. They took a surfing lesson and I decided to hang back and take photos 😊 However, the next day I wore a wetsuit for the first time, and tried boogy-boarding! The surf was pretty rough, so I felt proud of myself for giving it a try. And the wetsuit was amazing! Note to self: get a wetsuit to wear in Canada, so that I can swim in the lakes without getting cold...

I had a good time hanging out with my American friends. We cooked a nice dinner together and checked out a bar at night, where there were about 20 shrieking young women (no more than 17 or 18 years old) whooping and hollering and having a grand old time - we could barely hear ourselves!

I tried some delicious fresh fish, and drank some Chilean wine... but alas I had to move on, in order to make my way down the coast. I have a flight to catch in BA!

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