Chile

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Hola!

Well we finally arrived in Chile nearly a day late after our flight got cancelled when the plane got struck by lightning! We were all sent back into the city on coaches and booked into a very posh hotel called Rendevous where luxury rooms awaited and a 3 course meal - excellent!! We soon found out that wake up calls were at 5.15am and we were leaving the hotel at 6am the next morning so we decided against another night out in Auckland and instead I had the best bath ever (definitely getting old!). We decided to get in touch with some friends that we went out with in Queenstown a few times who had arrived in Auckland that day. We saw them quickly before we left but it was a shame we didn´t get to have another night out. They ended up coming to the hotel and tried to persuade us to go out but we resisted and settled on getting 2 bottles of vodka and staying in our hotel room playing drinking games. Didn´t get to bed until nearly 4am - should have just gone out!!!!! Obviously, we decided that it was in our best interests to stay up all night as then we would sleep on the plane and hopefully ease the jetlag but that wasn´t quite what happened!

Got up feeling very rough and headed to the airport where we had to queue for over an hour to check in. Had to keep sitting on the floor like a tramp as I thought I was going to pass out! We eventually got on the plane and discovered we had 3 babies in the near vicinity which meant the chances of sleep were slim! It seemed like the longest flight ever and I don´t think I slept at all which was not good as we landed in Chile at about 6am which meant we still had the whole day to get through.

We got a cab to our hostel and quickly discovered that the Chileans like to beg for tips - it was like being back in Thailand! It was still pitch black at this point so didn´t get to see much on the drive. We got to our hostel and everything was locked up but we found a doorbell and thankfully there was someone around. Luckily we were given a private triple room as the dorms that they usually put people in were too cold to use - nice! The room we got was still freezing so I can´t imagine how cold the other ones were. When I asked if there were any heaters the man laughed at me (clearly a highly amusing question!). We decided to try and get a few hours sleep as there was no way we´d get through the day having gone 16 hours back from NZ. I set my alarm for 11am. Not quite sure what happened after that. I remember it going off and then the next thing I know it´s 6pm! THEN the next thing I know it´s 8pm!!!!!! We slept for over 12 hours right through the day which was the worst thing we could have done. We still hadn´t seen daylight by this point as it was dark again!!! We hadn´t eaten for a day either so we got ready and headed out in search of a restaurant. Thankfully it is very cheap here :o). Good job Suz and I know Spanish as literally nothing is in English and the restaurant staff don´t speak English either so between us we worked out the menus. Don´t know what I´d have done if I´d been on my own and didn´t know any Spanish. I was actually surprised at how much I did remember. Deaks was freaked out as she didn´t understand anything and was terrified of ordering something with fish but we assured her that wouldn´t happen as we knew what fish was in Spanish!!!

We went back to our hostel and chatted to the man on reception who thankfully did speak English about what to do while we were here and he gave us a few options. We went to bed a midnight - the other 2 went straight off and I was up all damn night cursing myself for sleeping all day!! I don´t think I got any sleep at all - I don´t know how they do it. They would sleep for days on end if I didn´t get them up!! I eventually got to sleep at about 9am and had a few hours and then we dragged ourselves out of bed at midday and went exploring around the city. You´ll be pleased to know that the pizzas in Chile are great - definitely a reason to come I think!! The men are pervy though and keep blowing kisses and staring every time you walk past. Note to any blonde girls - dye your hair dark before you come - wish I hadn´t highlighed mine!!!!! Santiago seemed nice at first impression and not as cold as I´d imagined during the day. We walked around lots of markets - it was like being back in Khao San Road but we quickly discovered that you can´t barter here after Suzanne tried and failed miserably!! The streets are really cool - lots of terraced multi coloured houses and shops and it has a nice feel to it.

We decided to have a big night out in Santiago before we left so we found out from reception where all the best bars were and consulted our Lonely Planet and were thrilled to read about El Tunel - a 70s, 80s and 90s club where you leave "perspiring but happy" !!!!!!!!!! Excellent we thought seeing as it gets so cold at night you can´t feel your feet! We headed out but not before I´d found out what "I´m a lesbian" is in Spanish (Soy una lesbiana for anyone that wants to know!) as I´d figured it might help deter any unwanted attention as the Chilean boys certainly aren´t shy. We stepped out of the hostel and within seconds had a car full of boys following us blowing kisses (definitely wouldn´t want to be here on my own I tell you!). We sought refuge in a bar and got hounded again by 3 Chileans who wanted to join us. They hardly spoke any English but I managed to have a brief conversation with one of them who when he discovered we were English chanted "ah, Manchester United!". Lots of people said that to us in Thailand too! This boy then proceeded to say "you beautiful, you beautiful". Then he said "you boyfriend?" to which I replied no and he excitedly said "me no girlfriend" and started making hand gestures about us getting together. Eeeeeeeek! This was my cue to say "buenas noches", grab the girls and run! Can´t believe I forgot the lesbian line!!!! We went on to El Tunel from there and it was as good as promised. The music was so cheesy it was ridiculous. All good fun.

Early the next morning, sadly, Suzanne decided to go off on her own again so Deaks and I will be finishing the rest of the trip without her.

The next day Deaks and I started our 6 day tour up to the north of Chile with Pachamama By Bus. There were 13 of us, 1 tour guide (Jorge) and the driver (Marco). We got to know everyone quite quickly and there was a really nice mix of people and thankfully they were generally a lot older than everyone else we have met on this trip! There was Rachel, Mona and Anne from Ireland, AJ and Charlotte from America, Stephanie and Alex from Austria, Vicky and Magnus from Scotland, Caitlin from New Zealand and Aybars from Turkey. The tour involved a lot of driving - most days we travelled 500km. Jorge explained what we were now a family and told us what we would be doing and where we would go over the next 6 days and we headed off.

The first stop was at Pichidangui which is a beach resort so it was really quiet at this time of year. We had lunch there and looked around and then headed to our destination for that day which was La Serena - Chile's second oldest city. We stayed there overnight in a FREEZING hostel. We were given a key to our room but the windows are all wide open and don't have locks so anyone can just unlock the door and walk in if they want. Not good!!! We went out that evening to look around the town and get something to eat before heading to bed still a bit worn out from jetlag.

Day 2 was really good. We set off into the middle of nowhere surrounded by amazing scenery and stopped on the side of the road to look at the guanacos (see picture). After a couple of hours of driving we stopped at Punta de Choros, a small fishermen village. From there we did a 3 hour boat tour going to the National Reserve Pinguino de Humboldt which is formed by 3 islands. The Chileans like to think of it as their mini version of the Galapagos Islands. Having never been there I can't comment but it was so amazing. We circled around one of the islands where we saw millions of sea lions just chilling on the rocks. If you called out to them they would get up and jump into the water and swim near the boat - so cool. The rocks were really amazing too and had some brilliant colours on them. After that we saw some tiny penguins which were really cute. We got off the boat at one of the islands - Isla Choros - where we had lunch and walked around taking pictures. On the way back we saw a big group of Bottle Nose dolphins. The water was so clear you could see them circling the boat under the water before they would jump up every now and then.

We set off on our long journey again, stopping at a big supermarket to get supplies for the next 2 days before arriving in Bahia Inglesa where we were staying for 2 nights. A good bottle of Chilean wine only costs just over a pound in the supermarkets - how ridiculous is that!!! Good for us though! Bahia Inglesa has a beautiful long beach and is very popular in the summer but it was completely deserted whilst we were there. We stayed in huts on the beach which were really cool. That night we all sat around a fire drinking and chatting and got to know each other better and listened to people's stories and experiences. It was really nice and very interesting. By this point the whole group was getting on really well and felt like we'd known each other for ages. We were up until 3am playing games and laughing so much our insides hurt!

We got to have a lay in the next day and at lunchtime we all went to Caldera which was nearby where we wandered around and all had empanadas for lunch which were delicious! When we got back to the beach Deaks and I went for a walk with Alex and Stephanie and our little family of 5 stray dogs!! They would hang around our cabin and sleep outside. We set off and they just followed us the whole way and if we stopped they would stop and sit and stare at us until we started walking again!!! They were so sweet. They must have been glad to see people seeing as the place is deserted in winter. It was very peaceful and the surroundings were beautiful.

That evening Jorge and Marco cooked us a Chilean BBQ which was delicious and we all sat around the fire again chatting and playing games.

We set off early on day 4 for our long drive entering the Atacama Desert towards Antofagasta. We stopped for lunch and couldn't believe how much the climate had changed in just an hour - it was so warm in the sun. The Atacama Desert is the driest on earth so we were warned to drink lots of water. After lunch we visited the old cemetery of Oficina Alemania. It was so random seeing this little abandoned cemetery in the middle of the desert. Next stop was the Hand of the Desert (Mano del Desierto) which was made in 1992. It was really cool but sadly there was lots of graffiti on it. It's such a shame that people feel the need to do it. They re-paint it once a year but it never lasts for long.

We headed off again and finally arrived in Antofagasta, home of the largest harbour on the pacific coast of South America and the main urban centre in the desert, which was where we were staying that night. We went to see La Portada cliffs before going to our hostel which was actually a hotel as apparently the hostels in Antofagasta are so terrible there are few decent options left!! It's so cheap here we still paid less for a double room than we were paying each for a dorm bed in Oz and NZ. There was a big shopping centre there so Deaks and I couldn't resist and she ended up buying a few things but I didn't - am saving myself for America!!!

We left Antofagasta at 8am on day 5 and set off deep into the Atacama Desert which meant no toilets which led to some interesting moments driving around looking for little sand dunes that everyone could squat behind!!! I have never felt so ladylike and sexy in my life - it's so much easier for men!! We stopped off at Baquedano to visit a train cemetery. Due to the lack of environmental humidity the engines have resisted corrosion. It was really cool and we took lots of pictures. After Baquedano we went east along the Tropic of Capricorn where we took some cheesy pictures before getting to the Atacama Salt Flat which is the largest in Chile. We stopped frequently to take pictures and then arrived at a small oasis village called Peine where we stayed for a couple of hours. By now we were 2,400 metres above sea level and it was so dry. I could feel my skin and lips getting very dry but I was ok apart from that. Last stop for that day was Natural Reserve Los Flamencos where we saw lots of pink flamingos. We stayed there to watch the sunset which was really nice.

An hour later we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama, the archaeological capital of Chile, which is where we stayed for 2 nights and where our tour ended. Jorge informed us that our hostel was "rustic" and laughed so I wasn't expecting anything great. We arrived after dark so it was absolutely freezing by this point - it's amazing how hot it is in the day and how quickly the climate changes to freezing in the space of about 30 minutes. We drove into the hostel and it looked like Bedrock!! There were lots of random dusty sofas outside and our dorm room was outside too! We walked in and it was actually colder in the room than it was outside if that was possible. We all looked at each other and burst out laughing wondering how we were going to not freeze to death!! Jorge then decided to inform us not to bother trying to have a shower as there is no water at night as all the pipes freeze. Nice!!!! We had no choice but to go out that evening like dirty tramps but at least everyone was the same!! Jorge and Marco took us all to this bar where we had dinner and happy hour drinks. It was such a good night but I have never been so cold in my entire life. I had to eat dinner with my gloves on and I had 3 layers on and I still couldn't feel my feet and was shivering all night. We did a bit of salsa dancing which warmed me up slightly. I can't believe they live in such cold conditions. There are no heaters anywhere just a fire in some of the bars if you're lucky!! We all headed home about 1am and piled on about 5 layers and got into bed FREEZING. I had socks, jogging bottoms, 3 layers and a scarf on as well as about 5 covers and I still couldn't feel my feet!! I had a feeling I was going to get ill!

We got up the next morning and it was really hot outside but still freezing in our stone room! Finally we had hot water which turned out to be a trickle (grrrrr). Still better than nothing though! Deaks and I headed out for lunch and to explore the little town. It's quite small but I still managed to get lost as every street looks the same - long and dusty! We booked our bus ticket out of San Pedro for the next evening.

In the afternoon we were back on the Pachamama bus for the last time :o(. We headed to the salt caves which were good and then on to Moon Valley where we climbed up the sand dune and sat and watched the sunset.

We got back to the hostel after dark and headed out again to another bar where we had a big meal and drinks for Rachel's birthday. It was such a good end to a brilliant week. The 3 Irish girls are probably the funniest people I have ever met and the whole group just worked really well and we had such a good time. Deaks and I both said it was the first time on this whole trip we felt genuinely sad to be leaving a group. I finally found out what people mean when they say that it's the group that makes a tour as good as it is and it is so true. We met some good people in Oz and NZ but it was nothing compared to this. We spent the evening dancing around the fire in this open top bar and went on to another bar before calling it a night and bidding sad farewells to everyone. AJ and Charlotte come from Sacramento and have got lots of friends in San Francisco so we are going to meet up with them just before we come home for a big night out which will be really good.

The next morning Jorge and Marco left along with a few of the group that were going back to Santiago. The tour is actually a 10 day loop back to Santiago but there is a 6 day option which most people do as there are good connections into Bolivia, Peru and Argentina from San Pedro de Atacama. I felt like crying - how sad is that! Jorge is coming to England next month though and will be in London for his 30th in September so Deaks and I will see him again!

So that brings me to the end of the Pachamama tour. We saw so many amazing things and met some great people - it was definitely one of my highlights of this whole trip and I learnt so much. It was great to learn more Spanish from Jorge and Marco too. I remember more than I thought and am slowly getting better as time goes on and trying to speak in Spanish even to some of the people that can speak a bit of English. It's the best way to learn I think. Am slowly coming to terms with the way the Chileans stare at you too. If you see them staring at you, they don't look away, they just continue to stare for ages and then come and talk to you. If they did that in London they'd get a slap but it's just their way and they don't mean any harm.

The Irish girls and the American girls headed off on a bus to Argentina and Deaks and I headed off sandboarding. Our instructor was called Sebastian and it was just the 3 of us. We arrived at this huge sand dune and started the long, hard trek up to the top. We had to wax the bottom of our boards to make us go faster. I was really nervous the first time as it was so steep. I shuffled over to the edge and started going down and went so fast I flung myself into the sand for safety as I was so scared!! The next go was a bit better but I still managed to fall over and get a mouthful of sand! After that I got a lot better and could get to the bottom without falling flat on my face. Had loads more goes after that but it was exhausting walking back up the dune each time. I got cocky after that and covered my board in wax to go faster and went flying down the dune so fast that I tumbled over a few times. Can't believe I didn't break a limb. I used less was after that!!!

Sadly that is the end of Chile :o(. We are getting an 11 hour overnight bus up to Arika and then getting a 6-7 hour connecting bus to La Paz in Bolivia. Nice long journey for us. Let's hope the seats are comfortable or it will be a long night!

xxx

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