So where did I last finish.....Ah Pichelemu. Relaxed the next day then parted ways with the girls as they headed south and I headed north with Tomas and Nicholas. I left them in Santiago and took an overnight bus to La Serena. Caught a day bus to Pisco del Elqui. Wandered around till I saw a sign for ´rancho´and figured i could maybe go ridng to see the valley. 4 hours of riding through the mountians then into the valley through rivers and bamboo. Then through the pisco grape vineyards where we did tonnes of galloping! Ate lots of grapes and other yummy fruits called ´higo´. Then I toured the historic place where they make pisco and after stopped in at a place where we had this really sweet peach drink with barley and dried peaches. What a ride! Stayed a bit longer wandering around then went back to la serena and caught another overnight bus to calama (wow so dirty right now) but at least it was a ´cama´ bus (more comfy). Short bus from calama to san pedro where i was meeting dana, ann and liz.
Woke up at 4am the next morning and dana and i went to see the geysers (best at dawn....at 4300 m asl). Went into the hot springs and then to this town where we had llama meet bbq´ed. Got back around noon and had a farewell lunch for dana. Then ann and i went to the valle de la luna to watch the sun set over the dunes.
Today we took bikes to valle de muertre (death valley) and went sand boarding.....pretty difficult because you are constantly having to rewax the board. Still really fun though.
I may be out of contact for a while now because we head into bolivia tomorrow. We are doing a 4 wheel drive tour which will include the salt lakes and salt flats! so excited! Hope all is well with everyones!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I have arrived!
Wow, can´t believe I am down here! Not sure how to write a blog....but it will be fairly casual, so hopefully you can all follow my random thoughts thrown in!
I arrived in Santiago around noon on Feb 20, 2009. It then took 2 hours to just get out of the airport with all the taxes and lines and getting a bus to downtown.....really wish my spanish was better. Finally I get to the Happy House Hostel. What a cute, cozy place. I immediately meet two aussies girls (Julia and Lil) and we spend the afternoon chatting and drinking wine on the roof patio. Ed (from London) joins us for dinner where I try empanadas....yum. We have a bit too much pisco and wander through the park, picking up bottles of escuda (huge beer bottles - their normal beer bottle size is ridiculous! - wine size) and go back to the hostel. There we play pool in the bar room and chat with the hostel girl who is local and gives me all these pointers on where to go in Santiago the next day....she maps out a little walking tour for me!
The next day I start my tour....lots of cool buildings with great architecture. At Santa Lucia (medeival Spanish castle or sorts) I meet a chilean prof from the catholic uinversity. We were trying to learn eachothers language but then he started acting a little weird and I needed to get away from him....shame, oh well. By now it is 430 and I still haven´t had lunch and I had already wasted so much time chatting with this guy that my whole schedule was thrown off. I finally make it to the fish market where there is supposed to be amazing sea food. Had some great salmon and shrimp and was getting free pisco from this nice waiter who was telling me it was too late to go see the virgin mary statue (cerro santa lucia) on the top of this hill that looks out on santiago....too dangeros. I was a little dissappointed. Anyways, I told him a few of us were going salsa dancing and we did a little practicing in the restaurant haha. He said he would meet us with a few of his friends that night and would show us how. Yeah! I returned to the hostel where I met a new girl, Natalie, from London. Her and I and Ed went for sushi then Natalie and I continued to Bellavista area where we met Lil and Julia at Mastro Vida. Fransesco was also there and lets just say the night did not end up turing out so well.....he was a big jerk in the end with all of us and left us all quite against chilean guys.
Anyways, the next day I wanted to get out of Santiago.....the original plan was to head to Valpariso and Vina del Mar for a few days. I went to say my goodbyes to the aussies (Lil was heading home and Julia was heading south). Well my plans ended up changing and I came to Pichelimu with Julia. So glad I did! It is amazing here. Cute little surf town on the beach. Staying at the Surf Hostel (old lighthouse converted to hostel...ocean views, so nice). We went for seafood at this little restaurant right on the beach and stayed for this bonfire where we met some more travellers and locals. The next day we head to this beach punto de lobos....found it because a guy from santiago was staying at the same hostel. So much nicer than the main beach. Great time with the guys from santiago (thomas and nicolas), Julia and a girl from Canmore (Jess) and two dutch girls (liz and micha). Go back into town to check out the markets and get food for dinner. At the hostel, we play some card games and have some wine before heading out to a dance club...baracuda. What a great time! My faith is renewed in chilean guys....thomas and nicola were so great and acted as our protectors! I do have more stories about that night at the bar but I need to get going.
I arrived in Santiago around noon on Feb 20, 2009. It then took 2 hours to just get out of the airport with all the taxes and lines and getting a bus to downtown.....really wish my spanish was better. Finally I get to the Happy House Hostel. What a cute, cozy place. I immediately meet two aussies girls (Julia and Lil) and we spend the afternoon chatting and drinking wine on the roof patio. Ed (from London) joins us for dinner where I try empanadas....yum. We have a bit too much pisco and wander through the park, picking up bottles of escuda (huge beer bottles - their normal beer bottle size is ridiculous! - wine size) and go back to the hostel. There we play pool in the bar room and chat with the hostel girl who is local and gives me all these pointers on where to go in Santiago the next day....she maps out a little walking tour for me!
The next day I start my tour....lots of cool buildings with great architecture. At Santa Lucia (medeival Spanish castle or sorts) I meet a chilean prof from the catholic uinversity. We were trying to learn eachothers language but then he started acting a little weird and I needed to get away from him....shame, oh well. By now it is 430 and I still haven´t had lunch and I had already wasted so much time chatting with this guy that my whole schedule was thrown off. I finally make it to the fish market where there is supposed to be amazing sea food. Had some great salmon and shrimp and was getting free pisco from this nice waiter who was telling me it was too late to go see the virgin mary statue (cerro santa lucia) on the top of this hill that looks out on santiago....too dangeros. I was a little dissappointed. Anyways, I told him a few of us were going salsa dancing and we did a little practicing in the restaurant haha. He said he would meet us with a few of his friends that night and would show us how. Yeah! I returned to the hostel where I met a new girl, Natalie, from London. Her and I and Ed went for sushi then Natalie and I continued to Bellavista area where we met Lil and Julia at Mastro Vida. Fransesco was also there and lets just say the night did not end up turing out so well.....he was a big jerk in the end with all of us and left us all quite against chilean guys.
Anyways, the next day I wanted to get out of Santiago.....the original plan was to head to Valpariso and Vina del Mar for a few days. I went to say my goodbyes to the aussies (Lil was heading home and Julia was heading south). Well my plans ended up changing and I came to Pichelimu with Julia. So glad I did! It is amazing here. Cute little surf town on the beach. Staying at the Surf Hostel (old lighthouse converted to hostel...ocean views, so nice). We went for seafood at this little restaurant right on the beach and stayed for this bonfire where we met some more travellers and locals. The next day we head to this beach punto de lobos....found it because a guy from santiago was staying at the same hostel. So much nicer than the main beach. Great time with the guys from santiago (thomas and nicolas), Julia and a girl from Canmore (Jess) and two dutch girls (liz and micha). Go back into town to check out the markets and get food for dinner. At the hostel, we play some card games and have some wine before heading out to a dance club...baracuda. What a great time! My faith is renewed in chilean guys....thomas and nicola were so great and acted as our protectors! I do have more stories about that night at the bar but I need to get going.
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