Adios to Chile...Hola Bolivia

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Almost finished with Chile after three and a half weeks here...which seems like only a few days (well apart from THAT boat trip).

Since the last entry we have been engaging in very un-budget-backpacker activities including a wine tour and trip to the casino. Yes, we´ve been livin´the high life.

This will be a short one as the space bar must have had a run in with a can of Fanta and isstickingsoallthewordsaretogether. Anyway, we leave for Bolivia tomorrow - flying from about 200m above sea level to 3,600 metres. So we expect some ill effects from the altitude for a day or two.

Valparaiso grew on us...especially once the weather improved and the sun came out. The city is a bit like Brighton,and infact one of the B&Bs is called BrightonB&B. The first day we explored and had lunch over looking the bay. The next day we visited nearby Vina Del Mar (a big holiday resort town) and had a great lunch of BBQ fish. We intended to get back for the Champions League game but somehow somewhere the timezones have changed (daylight saving maybe)and we lost an hour and Jon saw the last 2 minutes.

We didn´t make the same mistake the next day and had a fun morning visiting a winery...cue 11am wine guzzling...and then a trip to Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda´s home by the sea. This chap earnt a nobel prize for literature and was well travelled. An excentirc chap, he had artifacts and collections of random things like ship figureheads, butterflies, clocks and pipes from all over the world. Best of all each ofhis houses has at least 3 bars. A true genius.

Back in time for Chelsea vs Liverpool though (Chileans love football so "when in Latin America...").

That night our chums from Potters Bar were in town but Telephon Chile conspired against us and we couldn´t contact them to meet up. We fed our frustraion with a meal out, drowned the dissapointment with cocktails and gambled away our gripes at the Casino. Natalie did well, doubling her money. Jon did well ensuring that we definately don´t leave Chile with any left over local currency.

Today we made it back to Santiago for a final day. Back to the same hotel and same fish market for lunch. Yes, it is all about the food.

Chile has been good to us, and the food has done little to reduce the extra weight brought with us after Australia. So a plan to eat responsibly has been hatched for Bolivia. That or drink the tap water and see what dysentry can do for the waist line.

Blog-yawl-soon.

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Photos

Romance by Lake Villareca
Evidence that Natalie has not got fed up of the backpacking thang and left Jon tied to some tree in Patagonia

Zippy
Natalie flies past at a staggering 34km per hour shortly before stopping abruptly at the next tree

Neigh-Bours
Natalie and Steph on Ocho and Hercules (probably).

Scenic view from Casino
Surprisingly, the exclusive Vina Del Mar Casino did not have a dress code prohibiting dusty trainers,fleece jackets and quick-dry hiking trousers

Wine-ding down before Bolivia
A shot from the Vina Mar winery shortly after a Sauvingnon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot.

Pablo Neruda´s House
Cool residence by the sea. He liked the sea (so constructed his house like a boat) but wasn´t keen on actually being on it. Like us and diets.

Comments

[Pat Pike]

Photos
Lovely to read the next episode and to see you on the photos. God bless- Mum