31/05/2011
At one stage of the flight, there was three and a half hours to go and around this time I realised that I had the option of watching Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King which is a similar length - I then set about watching the film.
And as I expected, by the time it was coming to a close our flight also was and in fact I missed the very end scenes as the pilot turned off the monitors about fifteen minutes before landing. Spoilsport.
There was a slight delay in leaving the plane as someone needed medical assistance and had to be seen to/whisked away before we could leave. But eventually, I got off and took the tram down to immigration and baggage reclaim.
And my bag finally turned up, and I left the room and made my way for the exit where my mum would be waiting.
And there she was, with my sister as a nice bonus surprise. I managed to get through the doors without them seeing me and then surprise them by tapping on the shoulder from behind.
And at this point my trip was over. Abnormality had become normality, strangers had disappeared and been replaced with my family, South America was replaced by England. I was back in my home country, where I belong, and the culmination of the last sixteen weeks was complete.
All was back to normal. All was well.
Signing off for the final time - JG
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
#118 - The Return: Part 2
30/05/2011 (posted 31/05/2011)
I got up early to leave but unfortunately, Ann and Katie had gone elsewhere before I could properly say goodbye.
I had some raisin and nut bran and then headed out with Andrew to get a taxi to the airport.
I got there fine, checked in fine and headed to Dunkin' Donuts but there was only one person working at the time so a massive queue had developed. A combination of a craving for donuts and having some time to waste led me to wait in line. I felt immense sympathy for the woman who had been sold out by her employers having been in a similar position myself at Starbucks - the only person there when a queue starts developing. It's unbelievably stressful, and happens more and more where I work as they are constantly cutting on labour but to the point where we have too few people and our quality of service greatly suffers.
Anyway, I got a coffee and a donut and then paid with a $20 note - I gave it to her and she looked at me like I'd abducted her children. It's money for goodness' sake.
I then got on to the airplane and the Panama football team were also there - in fact, players were sitting either side of me which was cool in a way. That said, being slightly famous doesn't excuse you from being an idiot for not blowing your nose and repeatedly snorting and that is exactly what the tool sitting on my left did.
What was quite funny was listening to an American guy behind me trying to chat up someone a lot younger than him - some of his winning lines included "you're 20 right? no way are you 30!" and "wow you're slim, you're only taking up half the seat". If he wanted good chat-up lines, he should have come to me.
I got to Miami fine, ordered a Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks which I have never tasted nor had before and it was damn delicious. I hope they introduce it to England.
While I was waiting here for four hours for my next plane, it fully hit me that I will be home very soon indeed. Thoughts of seeing first my family and then all of my friends put something similar to butterflies in my stomach - after so long away, I am finally coming home to where I belong.
I have talked at great, some would say exhausting, length on this blog at certain times where I have felt particularly homesick but I have felt very very much so for these past couple of weeks. I have constantly been thinking of and preparing for home, and now I am on the way there.
I boarded my flight, and got down to watching Friends.
JG
I got up early to leave but unfortunately, Ann and Katie had gone elsewhere before I could properly say goodbye.
I had some raisin and nut bran and then headed out with Andrew to get a taxi to the airport.
I got there fine, checked in fine and headed to Dunkin' Donuts but there was only one person working at the time so a massive queue had developed. A combination of a craving for donuts and having some time to waste led me to wait in line. I felt immense sympathy for the woman who had been sold out by her employers having been in a similar position myself at Starbucks - the only person there when a queue starts developing. It's unbelievably stressful, and happens more and more where I work as they are constantly cutting on labour but to the point where we have too few people and our quality of service greatly suffers.
Anyway, I got a coffee and a donut and then paid with a $20 note - I gave it to her and she looked at me like I'd abducted her children. It's money for goodness' sake.
I then got on to the airplane and the Panama football team were also there - in fact, players were sitting either side of me which was cool in a way. That said, being slightly famous doesn't excuse you from being an idiot for not blowing your nose and repeatedly snorting and that is exactly what the tool sitting on my left did.
What was quite funny was listening to an American guy behind me trying to chat up someone a lot younger than him - some of his winning lines included "you're 20 right? no way are you 30!" and "wow you're slim, you're only taking up half the seat". If he wanted good chat-up lines, he should have come to me.
I got to Miami fine, ordered a Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks which I have never tasted nor had before and it was damn delicious. I hope they introduce it to England.
While I was waiting here for four hours for my next plane, it fully hit me that I will be home very soon indeed. Thoughts of seeing first my family and then all of my friends put something similar to butterflies in my stomach - after so long away, I am finally coming home to where I belong.
I have talked at great, some would say exhausting, length on this blog at certain times where I have felt particularly homesick but I have felt very very much so for these past couple of weeks. I have constantly been thinking of and preparing for home, and now I am on the way there.
I boarded my flight, and got down to watching Friends.
JG
#117 - Pilates and Fifa
29/05/2011 (posted 31/05/2011)
Slept really well - yesterday was a long day and spending so much time at airports and on airplanes is really tiring.
I went with Ann, Bill, Katie and Andrew to their local church which is just down the road. It was a little smaller than Myton and had a great atmosphere - the worship band were really tight and nailed each song and the sermon was in English which was a welcome change from recent experiences. The message was spot on as well - about missions funnily enough, and how we should all get involved whether it is abroad or right on our doorstep.
We then returned for homemade hamburgers which were truly delicious, accompanied with fried sweet potato.
The afternoon was spent just chilling out, listening to John Mayer and doing pretty much nothing. I Skyped Amy and my good friend Jacob who filled me in, so to speak, on all of the gossip from Harbury. But except for these conversations, nothing really happened.
Until, that is, Katie jokingly asked if I wanted to do some pilates and I had nothing better to do so accepted. What followed was both excruciatingly painful and embarrassing - stretching and moving around like a gimp on a carpet as various members of their family walked in and out laughing. My body went through turmoil but it was some exercise for the day which is always a positive. It has to be said that I felt very camp afterwards though.
Dinner was a nice salad accompanied by a London Pride beer which Ann had gone to special lengths to get and I appreciated greatly. We then had some freshly-made cake for dinner which was absolutely scrumptious.
After that, some of Andrew's friends came over and we all hung out playing Fifa - my skill level has decreased dramatically through not playing it for months, and it was depressing to be so playing so wretchedly badly. That said, I scored a beautiful goal with Benzema after a counter-attack with him and Ronaldo.
I leave for home tomorrow. Crazy thought.
JG
Slept really well - yesterday was a long day and spending so much time at airports and on airplanes is really tiring.
I went with Ann, Bill, Katie and Andrew to their local church which is just down the road. It was a little smaller than Myton and had a great atmosphere - the worship band were really tight and nailed each song and the sermon was in English which was a welcome change from recent experiences. The message was spot on as well - about missions funnily enough, and how we should all get involved whether it is abroad or right on our doorstep.
We then returned for homemade hamburgers which were truly delicious, accompanied with fried sweet potato.
The afternoon was spent just chilling out, listening to John Mayer and doing pretty much nothing. I Skyped Amy and my good friend Jacob who filled me in, so to speak, on all of the gossip from Harbury. But except for these conversations, nothing really happened.
Until, that is, Katie jokingly asked if I wanted to do some pilates and I had nothing better to do so accepted. What followed was both excruciatingly painful and embarrassing - stretching and moving around like a gimp on a carpet as various members of their family walked in and out laughing. My body went through turmoil but it was some exercise for the day which is always a positive. It has to be said that I felt very camp afterwards though.
Dinner was a nice salad accompanied by a London Pride beer which Ann had gone to special lengths to get and I appreciated greatly. We then had some freshly-made cake for dinner which was absolutely scrumptious.
After that, some of Andrew's friends came over and we all hung out playing Fifa - my skill level has decreased dramatically through not playing it for months, and it was depressing to be so playing so wretchedly badly. That said, I scored a beautiful goal with Benzema after a counter-attack with him and Ronaldo.
I leave for home tomorrow. Crazy thought.
JG
Saturday, 28 May 2011
#116 - The Return: Part 1
28/05/2011
I was up at 2am this morning - after three hours of sleep, I didn't feel great.
I had a shower, packed up all of my last things and left Alan's flat at 3am. There were plenty of taxis around so I hailed one and got him to take me to a place which I had been told a shuttle bus runs to the airport fairly regularly. The driver had his reservations, saying that the buses may not run at this strange hour and he was unfortunately right so I asked him to take me straight to the airport. This turned out to be a good thing as we talked at length about a wide variety of subjects: football, faith, the negative influence of the Vatican, drugs and more. He was a nice guy and really open and honest, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
At the airport, I was very bad and got a Starbucks though at 5am I really did need the coffee. I also got some freshly-squeezed orange juice simply to get rid of my Chilean money as it is no use to me anywhere else. The machine that made the juice from the fresh oranges was really cool, and I took great delight from just watching it being made.
On a more serious note, in the passport control queue a guy slightly in front of me passed out right in front of my eyes. His young daughter was by him crying her eyes out and he really seemed in a bad way - the room was fairly humid so it could have perhaps been lack of oxygen. All I could do to help was give him my bottle of water, so that I did and he seemed to be conscious which is certainly a positive.
The flight to Bogota was pretty pleasant - I had a TV screen on the back of the seat in front of me on which I watched episodes of Two And a Half Men, Friends and The Big Bang Theory as well as My Sister's Keeper (managed to avoid crying, just) and No Strings Attached, a slightly more light-hearted movie. He gets some bad press but Ashton Kutcher is good at comedy acting to be fair to him.
I then got to Bogota and had a bit of time to kill so got a cheeseburger as I waited, and was then off to Panama City on a nice one-hour flight. I still had a TV screen so listened to a bit of music and also slept a tiny bit and then I was there.
Upon arrival, I learned about Man United being outclassed by Barcelona and then got a taxi. The driver was nice enough but when we got to the business end of the ride, he went the wrong way and then got frustrated with me telling him to go the right way - he clearly had the place confused with somewhere else.
Anyhow, I eventually arrived back at Ann's house. I am staying with her and her family for a couple of days before I fly home which will be great as I had such a great time staying here in April.
Upon arrival, my stomach was in several places due to the high intake of coffee and different foods and fizzy drinks during the day so I just opted for an Earl Grey tea, checked Facebook and got to bed.
JG
I was up at 2am this morning - after three hours of sleep, I didn't feel great.
I had a shower, packed up all of my last things and left Alan's flat at 3am. There were plenty of taxis around so I hailed one and got him to take me to a place which I had been told a shuttle bus runs to the airport fairly regularly. The driver had his reservations, saying that the buses may not run at this strange hour and he was unfortunately right so I asked him to take me straight to the airport. This turned out to be a good thing as we talked at length about a wide variety of subjects: football, faith, the negative influence of the Vatican, drugs and more. He was a nice guy and really open and honest, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
At the airport, I was very bad and got a Starbucks though at 5am I really did need the coffee. I also got some freshly-squeezed orange juice simply to get rid of my Chilean money as it is no use to me anywhere else. The machine that made the juice from the fresh oranges was really cool, and I took great delight from just watching it being made.
On a more serious note, in the passport control queue a guy slightly in front of me passed out right in front of my eyes. His young daughter was by him crying her eyes out and he really seemed in a bad way - the room was fairly humid so it could have perhaps been lack of oxygen. All I could do to help was give him my bottle of water, so that I did and he seemed to be conscious which is certainly a positive.
The flight to Bogota was pretty pleasant - I had a TV screen on the back of the seat in front of me on which I watched episodes of Two And a Half Men, Friends and The Big Bang Theory as well as My Sister's Keeper (managed to avoid crying, just) and No Strings Attached, a slightly more light-hearted movie. He gets some bad press but Ashton Kutcher is good at comedy acting to be fair to him.
I then got to Bogota and had a bit of time to kill so got a cheeseburger as I waited, and was then off to Panama City on a nice one-hour flight. I still had a TV screen so listened to a bit of music and also slept a tiny bit and then I was there.
Upon arrival, I learned about Man United being outclassed by Barcelona and then got a taxi. The driver was nice enough but when we got to the business end of the ride, he went the wrong way and then got frustrated with me telling him to go the right way - he clearly had the place confused with somewhere else.
Anyhow, I eventually arrived back at Ann's house. I am staying with her and her family for a couple of days before I fly home which will be great as I had such a great time staying here in April.
Upon arrival, my stomach was in several places due to the high intake of coffee and different foods and fizzy drinks during the day so I just opted for an Earl Grey tea, checked Facebook and got to bed.
JG
#115 - Double dose of Starbucks
27/05/2011 (posted 28/05/2011)
My morning was spent fairly leisurely, besides a walk to collect my laundry. On the way back, I was nearly hit by a car for the umpteenth time on the same bit of road.
It is the definition of stupidity: when the Green Man starts flashing, this obviously indicates that it's ok for pedestraisns to cross the road but at the same time, cars are given the green light to exit the adjascent main road and drive right across the pedestrian walkway. If that's too much imagery to picture, essentially there is a green light for both pedestrians and cars at the same time on the same bit of road. Doesn't make sense to me, and it is extremely dangerous. The numpty who designed the cretinous system should be fired on the spot for gross misconduct for being a general idiot.
My taste for good coffee reignited, I returned to Starbucks for lunch and had a pretty tasty toastie to go alongside my Caramel Macchiato.
After this trip to my second home, I went back to El Oasis to hang out with the guys. Greg, who did the talk in Spanish but is in fact from Kentucky), showed me round the house and the local area as well. I was a little disappointed: as soon as he said he's from Kentucky, I quipped "I've enjoyed a lot of your fried chicken" but he didn't buy it. Obviously wasn't enough of a 'zinger' of a joke, or maybe he 'chickened out'.
Sorry, enough puns - they were both poultry attempts at humour anyway.
But yeah, he explained that the whole place is run purely on donations that the staff receive from friends/family/sponsors and then all pool together. It's an awesome concept, and so encouraging to see a place like this running and if you had seen how much the guys who came last night were loving it, you'd be as grateful as me for this place.
The one unfortunate thing is that they are going on a retreat for the weekend but I can't go as I fly tomorrow morning - it sounds like it will be absolutely brilliant but it isn't possible for me to go so that is, unfortunately, that. They were all working hard preparing for the retreat so I left at around 4pm as I didn't want to be in the way, not that they ever made me feel like I was.
I went to an internet cafe to check emails and Facebook and stuff, and just sat watching some beautiful conversation unfolding between Piers Morgan and several other famous people on Twitter. He essentially uses his Twitter account to mock or jibe celebrities such as Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Alan Sugar and started on Wayne Routledge yesterday before declaring "would love to continue intellectually lacerating England's second-rate footballers but I have to go and record America's Number 1 news show". Although he's incredibly smug and full of himself, he is also hilarious to follow on Twitter.
For dinner, I went to a place which offers an all-you-can-eat buffet but my stomach certainly wasn't up for anything like that, so I went for a Caesar Salad which was still massive. For an after-dinner dose of caffeine, I went back to Starbucks. May be overdoing them if I'm honest.
When I got home, I packed up my stuff and with my new purchases (more presents, I have a lucky family and friends) it just about all fitted in. I then went to get a few hours of sleep before my early start tomorrow.
JG
My morning was spent fairly leisurely, besides a walk to collect my laundry. On the way back, I was nearly hit by a car for the umpteenth time on the same bit of road.
It is the definition of stupidity: when the Green Man starts flashing, this obviously indicates that it's ok for pedestraisns to cross the road but at the same time, cars are given the green light to exit the adjascent main road and drive right across the pedestrian walkway. If that's too much imagery to picture, essentially there is a green light for both pedestrians and cars at the same time on the same bit of road. Doesn't make sense to me, and it is extremely dangerous. The numpty who designed the cretinous system should be fired on the spot for gross misconduct for being a general idiot.
My taste for good coffee reignited, I returned to Starbucks for lunch and had a pretty tasty toastie to go alongside my Caramel Macchiato.
After this trip to my second home, I went back to El Oasis to hang out with the guys. Greg, who did the talk in Spanish but is in fact from Kentucky), showed me round the house and the local area as well. I was a little disappointed: as soon as he said he's from Kentucky, I quipped "I've enjoyed a lot of your fried chicken" but he didn't buy it. Obviously wasn't enough of a 'zinger' of a joke, or maybe he 'chickened out'.
Sorry, enough puns - they were both poultry attempts at humour anyway.
But yeah, he explained that the whole place is run purely on donations that the staff receive from friends/family/sponsors and then all pool together. It's an awesome concept, and so encouraging to see a place like this running and if you had seen how much the guys who came last night were loving it, you'd be as grateful as me for this place.
The one unfortunate thing is that they are going on a retreat for the weekend but I can't go as I fly tomorrow morning - it sounds like it will be absolutely brilliant but it isn't possible for me to go so that is, unfortunately, that. They were all working hard preparing for the retreat so I left at around 4pm as I didn't want to be in the way, not that they ever made me feel like I was.
I went to an internet cafe to check emails and Facebook and stuff, and just sat watching some beautiful conversation unfolding between Piers Morgan and several other famous people on Twitter. He essentially uses his Twitter account to mock or jibe celebrities such as Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Alan Sugar and started on Wayne Routledge yesterday before declaring "would love to continue intellectually lacerating England's second-rate footballers but I have to go and record America's Number 1 news show". Although he's incredibly smug and full of himself, he is also hilarious to follow on Twitter.
For dinner, I went to a place which offers an all-you-can-eat buffet but my stomach certainly wasn't up for anything like that, so I went for a Caesar Salad which was still massive. For an after-dinner dose of caffeine, I went back to Starbucks. May be overdoing them if I'm honest.
When I got home, I packed up my stuff and with my new purchases (more presents, I have a lucky family and friends) it just about all fitted in. I then went to get a few hours of sleep before my early start tomorrow.
JG
#114 - Oasis
26/05/2011 (posted 28/05/2011)
I planned to visit the Virgin Mary statue which is on top of a hill this morning, but felt really ill so skipped that (although ironically, some Catholics would maybe say she could have brought me healing by saying her name a few times or something).
Instead, I went to an internet cafe to do something relaxing. The form my illness is currently taking is stomach cramps around half an hour after I finish eating, so I thought that one solution to the problem could be only drinking stuff for today. So I decided to try that out, and started the day with some chocolate milk and orange juice.
Unfortunately, these also gave me stomach cramps so I abandoned the 'no-eating' idea and decided to eat something at lunchtime.
This led me to think 'Where better to go for a decent sandwich and maybe a nice sweet hot drink than Starbucks?', and when I couldn't think of anywhere better I decided to go. I ordered my speciality drink - Caramel Mocha with a bit extra of this or that, not going to disclose the recipe to the public domain.
In the afternoon, I still was feeling far from 100% so went back to a cafe and had a Skype with Amy and my family which was really great. Makes home feel even closer - less than a week now til I will be there.
I met Rita again in the evening, though not after almost being crushed to death trying to ride the Metro system in rush-hour. Before I could board a train, four came and went and each time took on a few more people into the madness as a few people scrambled to get off which looked truly difficult.
But anyway, I met her and she took me to a group she goes to on Thursdays at a local voluntarily-run place where they have people working and doing various bits of ministry to the community. It sounded cool, and when I got there I was taken aback at how amazingly bouncy and happy everyone I met was - it was clear that this is both a special place and a special event. The atmosphere was contagiously positive and it was great to really feel surrounded by people and in God's presence at the same time - is probably the first time since Panama with this amount of fellowship and it was flippin' awesome.
The evening itself felt and ran very similarly to First Sunday, which is probably another reason why I loved it so much. We started by eating and just all hanging out, and I got chatting to a few people in a mixture of English and Spanish. There was then an open mic time and a few various individuals/bands came forward and performed some songs - 'You Never Let Go', 'Take It All' and 'Indescribable' were all played but in Spanish. There was then a talk given by a guy called Greg, which I partly understood (it was in Spanish obviously).
Afterwards, everyone hung out chatting and clearing away so I got talking to some more people. There are a fair few Americans here that are either studying at one of the Universities or are full-time staff here.
I got on so well with them, in fact, that I'm going to go back tomorrow and hang out with them and see more of what they do.
So I walked to the Metro station with Rita and we then went our separate ways. It has been really nice to hang out with her and for her to take the time to show me some of the city - although our link is through a third-party, we have got on really well and I hope to see both her and Jonny in the near future.
JG
I planned to visit the Virgin Mary statue which is on top of a hill this morning, but felt really ill so skipped that (although ironically, some Catholics would maybe say she could have brought me healing by saying her name a few times or something).
Instead, I went to an internet cafe to do something relaxing. The form my illness is currently taking is stomach cramps around half an hour after I finish eating, so I thought that one solution to the problem could be only drinking stuff for today. So I decided to try that out, and started the day with some chocolate milk and orange juice.
Unfortunately, these also gave me stomach cramps so I abandoned the 'no-eating' idea and decided to eat something at lunchtime.
This led me to think 'Where better to go for a decent sandwich and maybe a nice sweet hot drink than Starbucks?', and when I couldn't think of anywhere better I decided to go. I ordered my speciality drink - Caramel Mocha with a bit extra of this or that, not going to disclose the recipe to the public domain.
In the afternoon, I still was feeling far from 100% so went back to a cafe and had a Skype with Amy and my family which was really great. Makes home feel even closer - less than a week now til I will be there.
I met Rita again in the evening, though not after almost being crushed to death trying to ride the Metro system in rush-hour. Before I could board a train, four came and went and each time took on a few more people into the madness as a few people scrambled to get off which looked truly difficult.
But anyway, I met her and she took me to a group she goes to on Thursdays at a local voluntarily-run place where they have people working and doing various bits of ministry to the community. It sounded cool, and when I got there I was taken aback at how amazingly bouncy and happy everyone I met was - it was clear that this is both a special place and a special event. The atmosphere was contagiously positive and it was great to really feel surrounded by people and in God's presence at the same time - is probably the first time since Panama with this amount of fellowship and it was flippin' awesome.
The evening itself felt and ran very similarly to First Sunday, which is probably another reason why I loved it so much. We started by eating and just all hanging out, and I got chatting to a few people in a mixture of English and Spanish. There was then an open mic time and a few various individuals/bands came forward and performed some songs - 'You Never Let Go', 'Take It All' and 'Indescribable' were all played but in Spanish. There was then a talk given by a guy called Greg, which I partly understood (it was in Spanish obviously).
Afterwards, everyone hung out chatting and clearing away so I got talking to some more people. There are a fair few Americans here that are either studying at one of the Universities or are full-time staff here.
I got on so well with them, in fact, that I'm going to go back tomorrow and hang out with them and see more of what they do.
So I walked to the Metro station with Rita and we then went our separate ways. It has been really nice to hang out with her and for her to take the time to show me some of the city - although our link is through a third-party, we have got on really well and I hope to see both her and Jonny in the near future.
JG
Thursday, 26 May 2011
#113 - Being educated by Rita
25/05/2011 (posted 26/05/2011)
I slept well until the alarm built into my new watch woke me up perfectly on time. Makes a difference from the piece of junk I bought for three quid in Bolivia - shame the hot springs finished that off though.
When I woke up, I immediately had bad stomach cramps again which were no fun at all.
They eventually went away, and I got up and ready and headed out to the city centre.
In one of those cool coincidences in life, Jonny (from the OM team)'s girlfriend, Rita, lives in Santiago and I added her on Facebook and we decided to meet each other and hang out.
So at 12pm, I went to our designated meeting point and couldn't see her anyway. Obviously, all I was going on was pictures of her on Facebook so I couldn't be sure, but I didn't see anyone remotely looking like her. That was, until one girl walked into an area very near our meeting place, sat down for five minutes and then went off again. That girl looked ever-so-slightly like Rita but I was far from certain and before I could do more research, she went. Her abrupt exit made me think it wasn't her as she would surely spend more time looking for me, but it still unnerved me slightly.
At 12:30pm, I knew something had gone wrong so I went to an internet café to see if she had been in touch. She had, ten minutes earlier, and said that she was waiting at La Moneda train station - I was at La Moneda palace, and last night we said 'see you at La Moneda'. I believed that this was where the mix-up had occurred.
So I walked to the station, had a look around, had to pay to get onto the platform as I thought she would be there but still couldn't find her. And then, finally, I looked up and saw her waving at me.
It may have been 1pm instead of 12pm, but we had met all the same. So she showed me a few cool places in Santiago including a 'cultural centre' building with some Mapuche stuff and Cerro Santa Lucia, a really awesome place. It's a hill right in the middle of the city and has some old buildings sort of built into it, and you can walk up to the top and get a view over Santiago. So we did, and it was beautiful.
While we were having lunch, I told her I work at Starbucks and she said there were some in Santiago. This made me more than a little bit excited, and we went and I felt like I had come home. Everything from the soft furniture to the smell to the aprons was just uplifting, and I had a caramel mocha which didn't disappoint - of course it didn't, as I specified the exact number of syrup pumps and espresso shots to put in.
Over the course of the day we covered a massive distance on foot, which was good as it meant we could talk about stuff and get to know each other more but it also meant I was knackered at the end of the day. However, the day culminated in a visit to a studenty pub where we ordered one of the best main courses I have ever had. It is called Churriana or something like that, and was a bed of chips upon which was fried chicken, chorizo, sausage and bacon. Imagine that, washed down with a beer containing honey and you'll conclude that it was a good meal.
The one negative of this meal was that it inevitably led to my stomach cramps making an unwelcome return in a significant manner. The nature of the pain leads me to believe that it is an issue with my digestive system in some way, but I can't be sure. If it carries on for a couple more days I will seek medical help but until then, I'll drink lots of water and try to shake it off.
JG
So that was the end of the day, and I am seeing Rita again tomorrow in the evening to go to her evening group at her church which shall be fun.
I slept well until the alarm built into my new watch woke me up perfectly on time. Makes a difference from the piece of junk I bought for three quid in Bolivia - shame the hot springs finished that off though.
When I woke up, I immediately had bad stomach cramps again which were no fun at all.
They eventually went away, and I got up and ready and headed out to the city centre.
In one of those cool coincidences in life, Jonny (from the OM team)'s girlfriend, Rita, lives in Santiago and I added her on Facebook and we decided to meet each other and hang out.
So at 12pm, I went to our designated meeting point and couldn't see her anyway. Obviously, all I was going on was pictures of her on Facebook so I couldn't be sure, but I didn't see anyone remotely looking like her. That was, until one girl walked into an area very near our meeting place, sat down for five minutes and then went off again. That girl looked ever-so-slightly like Rita but I was far from certain and before I could do more research, she went. Her abrupt exit made me think it wasn't her as she would surely spend more time looking for me, but it still unnerved me slightly.
At 12:30pm, I knew something had gone wrong so I went to an internet café to see if she had been in touch. She had, ten minutes earlier, and said that she was waiting at La Moneda train station - I was at La Moneda palace, and last night we said 'see you at La Moneda'. I believed that this was where the mix-up had occurred.
So I walked to the station, had a look around, had to pay to get onto the platform as I thought she would be there but still couldn't find her. And then, finally, I looked up and saw her waving at me.
It may have been 1pm instead of 12pm, but we had met all the same. So she showed me a few cool places in Santiago including a 'cultural centre' building with some Mapuche stuff and Cerro Santa Lucia, a really awesome place. It's a hill right in the middle of the city and has some old buildings sort of built into it, and you can walk up to the top and get a view over Santiago. So we did, and it was beautiful.
While we were having lunch, I told her I work at Starbucks and she said there were some in Santiago. This made me more than a little bit excited, and we went and I felt like I had come home. Everything from the soft furniture to the smell to the aprons was just uplifting, and I had a caramel mocha which didn't disappoint - of course it didn't, as I specified the exact number of syrup pumps and espresso shots to put in.
Over the course of the day we covered a massive distance on foot, which was good as it meant we could talk about stuff and get to know each other more but it also meant I was knackered at the end of the day. However, the day culminated in a visit to a studenty pub where we ordered one of the best main courses I have ever had. It is called Churriana or something like that, and was a bed of chips upon which was fried chicken, chorizo, sausage and bacon. Imagine that, washed down with a beer containing honey and you'll conclude that it was a good meal.
The one negative of this meal was that it inevitably led to my stomach cramps making an unwelcome return in a significant manner. The nature of the pain leads me to believe that it is an issue with my digestive system in some way, but I can't be sure. If it carries on for a couple more days I will seek medical help but until then, I'll drink lots of water and try to shake it off.
JG
So that was the end of the day, and I am seeing Rita again tomorrow in the evening to go to her evening group at her church which shall be fun.
#112 - Time to buy a watch
24/05/2011 (posted 26/05/2011)
To mark the last bus journey of my adventure, the couple sitting behind me snored in the most outrageous manner. Why, oh why, do people go to sleep with their mouth open? I tried to focus on the sounds of the buses engine to distract my ears but the effort proved futile.
And to make matters worse I felt really ill throughout the bus journey, or perhaps ordeal is a better term. I had cold hands despite wearing gloves, stomach cramps and a massive headache and unfortunately, only around 300ml of water which I used sparingly despite having the potential to neck about 5l.
In previous posts, I have talked at great length about the brilliant sleep I have experienced whilst travelling on buses throughout this continent but in a contest of worst sleeps on a bus journey, this would win it hands down. I had no sustained period of rest at all and was constantly uncomfortable - also, in a canny manouvre the guy sitting next to me managed to knock my arm off the coveted middle armrest and put his own in my place.
The swine.
And, to compound my misery I was in the midst of removing my legwarmers from underneath my trousers in the toilet when the bus lurched to the side and I fell against the door, banging it wide open with legwarmers halfway down my legs and almost falling on somebody in the process.
Eventually I arrived, feeling atrocious and desperately in need of either sleep or caffeine to force me awake. Being a Barista, I opted for the coffee option and necked an espresso.
I then made my way to my lodgings. Robert and Ximena (who I stayed with in Temuco) happen to have a son, Alan, who studies and lives in Santiago and said I could stay at his flat so I followed the directions Natalie gave me, taking the metro and then walking a little bit, and arrived. He has a cool little flat and seems like a cool guy, and told me to 'make myself at home' which is awesome.
I wanted to do something so walked to the metro station to head into the city centre. I felt very ill, cold and tired whilst walking and kind of constantly exhausted but I didn't want to waste one of my last days here just moping around in a flat.
Anyway, enough moaning.
I got to the centre and saw one of the cafés I had read about in my guidebook which serves 'Café con piernas' or 'Coffee with legs' - essentially, businessmen go there and are served coffee by women wearing fairly short skirts. I almost went, purely to experience the Chilean culture of course, but decided not to and instead went to another place where, mercifully, the old woman who served me was wearing trousers that covered every inch of her legs.
I then went for some lunch - a salad, I wasn't feeling up to much more - and then chilled in an internet cafe as I had little strength for anything else. Here, I discovered that a mutual friend of myself and Chris White MP has been following my blogs which is awesome to hear!
After my resting period, I went to buy a watch and got a nice Casio one with a leather strap and gold face (not solid gold though). I then went for a haircut, specified my demands and watched a man slowly carve a bowl onto my head until I stopped him and guided him on the length of each specific bit of my hair to avoid a catastrophe. I was worred about another potential 'Baltin moment' (the guy who royally screwed up my hair in Panama) but through my incessant demands, I ended up with a decent cut.
Drama averted.
In the evening, I went to see Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which was ok but I still think the second is the best of the series. It was in English with subtitles which are easy enough to avoid. However, one annoying side-effect was that the 3Dness of the movie exacerbated my headache a lot and as I made my way home, I felt as rough as a badger's arse.
JG
To mark the last bus journey of my adventure, the couple sitting behind me snored in the most outrageous manner. Why, oh why, do people go to sleep with their mouth open? I tried to focus on the sounds of the buses engine to distract my ears but the effort proved futile.
And to make matters worse I felt really ill throughout the bus journey, or perhaps ordeal is a better term. I had cold hands despite wearing gloves, stomach cramps and a massive headache and unfortunately, only around 300ml of water which I used sparingly despite having the potential to neck about 5l.
In previous posts, I have talked at great length about the brilliant sleep I have experienced whilst travelling on buses throughout this continent but in a contest of worst sleeps on a bus journey, this would win it hands down. I had no sustained period of rest at all and was constantly uncomfortable - also, in a canny manouvre the guy sitting next to me managed to knock my arm off the coveted middle armrest and put his own in my place.
The swine.
And, to compound my misery I was in the midst of removing my legwarmers from underneath my trousers in the toilet when the bus lurched to the side and I fell against the door, banging it wide open with legwarmers halfway down my legs and almost falling on somebody in the process.
Eventually I arrived, feeling atrocious and desperately in need of either sleep or caffeine to force me awake. Being a Barista, I opted for the coffee option and necked an espresso.
I then made my way to my lodgings. Robert and Ximena (who I stayed with in Temuco) happen to have a son, Alan, who studies and lives in Santiago and said I could stay at his flat so I followed the directions Natalie gave me, taking the metro and then walking a little bit, and arrived. He has a cool little flat and seems like a cool guy, and told me to 'make myself at home' which is awesome.
I wanted to do something so walked to the metro station to head into the city centre. I felt very ill, cold and tired whilst walking and kind of constantly exhausted but I didn't want to waste one of my last days here just moping around in a flat.
Anyway, enough moaning.
I got to the centre and saw one of the cafés I had read about in my guidebook which serves 'Café con piernas' or 'Coffee with legs' - essentially, businessmen go there and are served coffee by women wearing fairly short skirts. I almost went, purely to experience the Chilean culture of course, but decided not to and instead went to another place where, mercifully, the old woman who served me was wearing trousers that covered every inch of her legs.
I then went for some lunch - a salad, I wasn't feeling up to much more - and then chilled in an internet cafe as I had little strength for anything else. Here, I discovered that a mutual friend of myself and Chris White MP has been following my blogs which is awesome to hear!
After my resting period, I went to buy a watch and got a nice Casio one with a leather strap and gold face (not solid gold though). I then went for a haircut, specified my demands and watched a man slowly carve a bowl onto my head until I stopped him and guided him on the length of each specific bit of my hair to avoid a catastrophe. I was worred about another potential 'Baltin moment' (the guy who royally screwed up my hair in Panama) but through my incessant demands, I ended up with a decent cut.
Drama averted.
In the evening, I went to see Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which was ok but I still think the second is the best of the series. It was in English with subtitles which are easy enough to avoid. However, one annoying side-effect was that the 3Dness of the movie exacerbated my headache a lot and as I made my way home, I felt as rough as a badger's arse.
JG
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
#111 - Yes chef
23/05/2011 (posted 24/05/2011)
After the beers last night and some general tiredness, I was grateful for a sleep-in.
When I got up, everyone was doing stuff so I just read a bit and relaxed - I was feeling very lothargic. I had a couple of Braeburns which weren't bad at all, but the second one wasn't quite crunchy enough for my liking.
Lunch was another winner - a sort of bolognaisey-thing with rice. However we had it at about 2pm which meant I was really damn hungry - the meal times are pretty different here, we've had dinner at 10pm before at which point I was wasting away. Different cultures I suppose.
In the afternoon, I went with Natalie first to get my bus ticket and then to check out Temuco's main attraction (not that there's much competition, no offence) - it's Indian market. The local indigenous population (Mapuches) make crafts and sell them all mainly to gringos at a big indoor market. The stuff was quite cool but I've seen a lot of similar things in Bolivia and Peru for around 1/5th of the price. I have started feeling really cold wherever I am, inside or outside, so wore three layers plus legwarmers under my trousers and gloves. I think I'm coming down with something.
After that, I went to a bakery and got some cakes - one was sort of iced bun-ish but with the stuff inside, and the other was two bits of shortbread stuck together with caramel. They were both amazing.
We then went to a supermarket, because the family have a tradition that any guest has to cook a meal during their stay and I was bang up for the challenge. I got pasta, tinner tomatoes, peppers, chillis, onions, cheap wine and some gourmet sausages - I decided to go for a standard Italian-style sauce. I also got some Carte Dor ice-cream and cookies for dessert.
So when we got back, I started working my magic in the kitchen - firstly I got the vegetables frying to soften them up, then browned off the sausages, heated the tomato sauce and added a lot of wine, got the pasta going, added the vegetables and sausages, seasoned it and then got it simmering. And then it was ready.
It turned out pretty well - one amendment I'd make would be adding some water to thin out the sauce but all in all it was nice. The wine really added a rich flavour to it, and the sausages were worth the money.
And dessert - cookies and ice cream - went down a treat as well.
I feel that I did myself justice.
After that, I said bye to the family and got on my way to the bus stop - at this stage I was feeling worse than earlier, and definitely not right. It feels like I have bruises all over my body, I am constantly cold and I feel tired and sick - don't fancy being ill for a fourth time but it looks like it will happen.
And on I got to the bus with all my layers, and settled down to hopefuly sleep through the eight hours to Santiago. This is my last bus ride of the trip - goodness knows how many I've done to get all around the countries I've been to, but I will be glad to not have to do another one.
JG
After the beers last night and some general tiredness, I was grateful for a sleep-in.
When I got up, everyone was doing stuff so I just read a bit and relaxed - I was feeling very lothargic. I had a couple of Braeburns which weren't bad at all, but the second one wasn't quite crunchy enough for my liking.
Lunch was another winner - a sort of bolognaisey-thing with rice. However we had it at about 2pm which meant I was really damn hungry - the meal times are pretty different here, we've had dinner at 10pm before at which point I was wasting away. Different cultures I suppose.
In the afternoon, I went with Natalie first to get my bus ticket and then to check out Temuco's main attraction (not that there's much competition, no offence) - it's Indian market. The local indigenous population (Mapuches) make crafts and sell them all mainly to gringos at a big indoor market. The stuff was quite cool but I've seen a lot of similar things in Bolivia and Peru for around 1/5th of the price. I have started feeling really cold wherever I am, inside or outside, so wore three layers plus legwarmers under my trousers and gloves. I think I'm coming down with something.
After that, I went to a bakery and got some cakes - one was sort of iced bun-ish but with the stuff inside, and the other was two bits of shortbread stuck together with caramel. They were both amazing.
We then went to a supermarket, because the family have a tradition that any guest has to cook a meal during their stay and I was bang up for the challenge. I got pasta, tinner tomatoes, peppers, chillis, onions, cheap wine and some gourmet sausages - I decided to go for a standard Italian-style sauce. I also got some Carte Dor ice-cream and cookies for dessert.
So when we got back, I started working my magic in the kitchen - firstly I got the vegetables frying to soften them up, then browned off the sausages, heated the tomato sauce and added a lot of wine, got the pasta going, added the vegetables and sausages, seasoned it and then got it simmering. And then it was ready.
It turned out pretty well - one amendment I'd make would be adding some water to thin out the sauce but all in all it was nice. The wine really added a rich flavour to it, and the sausages were worth the money.
And dessert - cookies and ice cream - went down a treat as well.
I feel that I did myself justice.
After that, I said bye to the family and got on my way to the bus stop - at this stage I was feeling worse than earlier, and definitely not right. It feels like I have bruises all over my body, I am constantly cold and I feel tired and sick - don't fancy being ill for a fourth time but it looks like it will happen.
And on I got to the bus with all my layers, and settled down to hopefuly sleep through the eight hours to Santiago. This is my last bus ride of the trip - goodness knows how many I've done to get all around the countries I've been to, but I will be glad to not have to do another one.
JG
#110 - Chilean Chinese
22/05/2011
I was tempted to sleep in but it's the final day of the Premier League season and I wasn't going to miss the relegation action - the time-difference meant that all the games started at 11am here.
So I basically sat at the computer watching the BBC text live coverage and updates, reading about each chance and watching the teams move between the relegation spots as each goal went in in each game. Purely because of the entertainment they bring to each match, I was hoping for Blackpool to stay up and the prospect of Birmingham City AND Wolves going down (I'm a Villa fan, they're rivals) was delicious but in the end I settled for our most bitter rivals, the Blues.
Obviously it's a shame but I will have bragging rights over my several friends and family members who support them which is a nice prospect.
After that, we had some beautiful lasagne - I don't know what Ximena did but everything about it was just outrageously tasty.
In the afternoon, Robert took me to a small national park right by the centre of Temuco which is rich in wildlife and woodland and has a great mirador overlooking the whole city - though this may not be the most beautiful city in the world by a long stretch, anywhere looks impressive from a long-distance view over a massive distance.
After that, we came home and I watched a bit of Two and a Half Men which I have sorely missed in the past couple of weeks in hostels without my own TV.
Natalie then said she was going to hang out with some friends and asked if I wanted to come. I readily accepted so we went to hang out for a bit, got some beers and went back to the house of one of them to hang out. Luckily they all speak fairly good English and I understand a bit of Spanish so we got on well. There was also a chinese throw somewhere into the mix which made the evening even better.
JG
I was tempted to sleep in but it's the final day of the Premier League season and I wasn't going to miss the relegation action - the time-difference meant that all the games started at 11am here.
So I basically sat at the computer watching the BBC text live coverage and updates, reading about each chance and watching the teams move between the relegation spots as each goal went in in each game. Purely because of the entertainment they bring to each match, I was hoping for Blackpool to stay up and the prospect of Birmingham City AND Wolves going down (I'm a Villa fan, they're rivals) was delicious but in the end I settled for our most bitter rivals, the Blues.
Obviously it's a shame but I will have bragging rights over my several friends and family members who support them which is a nice prospect.
After that, we had some beautiful lasagne - I don't know what Ximena did but everything about it was just outrageously tasty.
In the afternoon, Robert took me to a small national park right by the centre of Temuco which is rich in wildlife and woodland and has a great mirador overlooking the whole city - though this may not be the most beautiful city in the world by a long stretch, anywhere looks impressive from a long-distance view over a massive distance.
After that, we came home and I watched a bit of Two and a Half Men which I have sorely missed in the past couple of weeks in hostels without my own TV.
Natalie then said she was going to hang out with some friends and asked if I wanted to come. I readily accepted so we went to hang out for a bit, got some beers and went back to the house of one of them to hang out. Luckily they all speak fairly good English and I understand a bit of Spanish so we got on well. There was also a chinese throw somewhere into the mix which made the evening even better.
JG
Sunday, 22 May 2011
#109 - Cycle ride fail
21/05/2011 (posted 22/05/2011)
I woke up after a great night's sleep - I was lovely and warm and bilssfully alone with a whole dormitory to myself.
I checked out of my hostel but was able to leave my bag there for the day (until I got a bus later) which was nice, and they said I could use internet and stuff free.
Such nice people - sounds stupid but if I come back to Pucon in the future, I will definitely go to this place again as all the staff have been lovely and the facilities are great. That said, the female owner clearly thinks I'm crazy - to be fair, I was wearing brown legwarmers externally this morning, but it was really cold. I also suspect that she thinks I'm crazy because whenever she talks to me and I reply in my broken Spanish, she laughs at something I've said and looks at me with a certain pity.
So I left, and went to find a bicycle to rent. On a side note, I think bicycles are one of the greatest inventions ever. To think that some guy (sorry feminists, but it probably was a man) invented a way, without using fuel or motors, of potentially reaching very high speeds solely by moving your legs up and down is just mind-blowing. I'd take my hat off to him if I was wearing one.
But anyway, I went and got a bike for the day. I only needed it for half a day, but I got one-day's worth for cheaper than my guidebook said.
This should have been the first warning sign.
But I got it, got a map of the route I would be taking and off I went. The route goes up to the 'Ojos del Caburga', some rivers by some mountains which are apparently beautiful.
However, it wasn't long before I realised just how uncomfortable the seat was. It had no sort of padding whatsoever and was really small. I also noticed, more seriously, that the rear wheel was heavily rubbing against the piece of metal nearest to it , and the problem kept getting worse.
So bad, in fact, that it got to the stage where any progress I made with each pedal was instantly nullified by the immense amount of friction produced by the wheel rubbing. I persevered, but the problem was unsustainable so I stopped and started walking back. Luckily I had only reached about 5km so the walk wasn't awful, but I still felt a little short-changed by the bike company.
When I got there, I couldn't be bothered to go through the rigmarole of asking for money back because they wouldn't understand me and would no doubt dig their heels in. I also couldn't ask for another one to return to the route as by this time, I didn't have enough time left before my bus to Temuco.
So I left, annoyed.
The weather took a turn severely for the worse - I was already wearing my legwarmers under my trousers - and started absolutely peeing down with rain, to a ridiculous extent. So I was glad to get on the bus to Temuco and just chill for a bit, although I couldn't do my favourite thing to do on a bus (sleep) as I didn't want to miss my stop.
I got to Temuco, and it was torrentially raining there as well.
Great. I walked round for around fifteen minutes trying to find a taxi, found one with two people already in it and the guy invited me in - this is obviously what they do here. It dropped the other two off and then he turned to me - I showed him Robert's address (I'm staying with Robert and his family again for a couple of days) and he seemed to know where it was, so off we went.
However, on the way I realised I was very low on cash and didn't have enough to pay him so I got him to take me to a cashpoint. I entered my card and tried withdrawing various amounts of money but an 'error' message came up each time. At this stage, I thought I was a little bit screwed.
Luckily, there was another ATM a block away which accepted my card and let me get a little bit of money out - obviously I need to transfer some more into my account.
The next drama was getting to Robert's house. He got to the rough vicinity of the area but didn't know where the precise street was, and when you're dropping someone off this is quite important. So we cruised around for maybe fifteen minutes, scouring around in vain hoping to find the street but it was nowhere to be seen.
Eventually the driver asked someone, drove on, drove back to ask the person again, drove on again and FINALLY I arrived at Robert's house where I was greeted with some beef and rice and a couple of beers.
After that, we all sat by the fire chilling and eating the hazelnuts grown in Robert's plantation and they were unbelievably tasty. I have found a new food that I really like.
I then went to brush my teeth and get an early-ish night as I was tired when Natalie got back to the house with some friends and most importantly, some pisco. So I spat out the toothpaste and went back downstairs for some piscolas and more hazelnuts.
Eventually, I made my excuses and went to bed at around 1:30am.
I was knackered.
JG
I woke up after a great night's sleep - I was lovely and warm and bilssfully alone with a whole dormitory to myself.
I checked out of my hostel but was able to leave my bag there for the day (until I got a bus later) which was nice, and they said I could use internet and stuff free.
Such nice people - sounds stupid but if I come back to Pucon in the future, I will definitely go to this place again as all the staff have been lovely and the facilities are great. That said, the female owner clearly thinks I'm crazy - to be fair, I was wearing brown legwarmers externally this morning, but it was really cold. I also suspect that she thinks I'm crazy because whenever she talks to me and I reply in my broken Spanish, she laughs at something I've said and looks at me with a certain pity.
So I left, and went to find a bicycle to rent. On a side note, I think bicycles are one of the greatest inventions ever. To think that some guy (sorry feminists, but it probably was a man) invented a way, without using fuel or motors, of potentially reaching very high speeds solely by moving your legs up and down is just mind-blowing. I'd take my hat off to him if I was wearing one.
But anyway, I went and got a bike for the day. I only needed it for half a day, but I got one-day's worth for cheaper than my guidebook said.
This should have been the first warning sign.
But I got it, got a map of the route I would be taking and off I went. The route goes up to the 'Ojos del Caburga', some rivers by some mountains which are apparently beautiful.
However, it wasn't long before I realised just how uncomfortable the seat was. It had no sort of padding whatsoever and was really small. I also noticed, more seriously, that the rear wheel was heavily rubbing against the piece of metal nearest to it , and the problem kept getting worse.
So bad, in fact, that it got to the stage where any progress I made with each pedal was instantly nullified by the immense amount of friction produced by the wheel rubbing. I persevered, but the problem was unsustainable so I stopped and started walking back. Luckily I had only reached about 5km so the walk wasn't awful, but I still felt a little short-changed by the bike company.
When I got there, I couldn't be bothered to go through the rigmarole of asking for money back because they wouldn't understand me and would no doubt dig their heels in. I also couldn't ask for another one to return to the route as by this time, I didn't have enough time left before my bus to Temuco.
So I left, annoyed.
The weather took a turn severely for the worse - I was already wearing my legwarmers under my trousers - and started absolutely peeing down with rain, to a ridiculous extent. So I was glad to get on the bus to Temuco and just chill for a bit, although I couldn't do my favourite thing to do on a bus (sleep) as I didn't want to miss my stop.
I got to Temuco, and it was torrentially raining there as well.
Great. I walked round for around fifteen minutes trying to find a taxi, found one with two people already in it and the guy invited me in - this is obviously what they do here. It dropped the other two off and then he turned to me - I showed him Robert's address (I'm staying with Robert and his family again for a couple of days) and he seemed to know where it was, so off we went.
However, on the way I realised I was very low on cash and didn't have enough to pay him so I got him to take me to a cashpoint. I entered my card and tried withdrawing various amounts of money but an 'error' message came up each time. At this stage, I thought I was a little bit screwed.
Luckily, there was another ATM a block away which accepted my card and let me get a little bit of money out - obviously I need to transfer some more into my account.
The next drama was getting to Robert's house. He got to the rough vicinity of the area but didn't know where the precise street was, and when you're dropping someone off this is quite important. So we cruised around for maybe fifteen minutes, scouring around in vain hoping to find the street but it was nowhere to be seen.
Eventually the driver asked someone, drove on, drove back to ask the person again, drove on again and FINALLY I arrived at Robert's house where I was greeted with some beef and rice and a couple of beers.
After that, we all sat by the fire chilling and eating the hazelnuts grown in Robert's plantation and they were unbelievably tasty. I have found a new food that I really like.
I then went to brush my teeth and get an early-ish night as I was tired when Natalie got back to the house with some friends and most importantly, some pisco. So I spat out the toothpaste and went back downstairs for some piscolas and more hazelnuts.
Eventually, I made my excuses and went to bed at around 1:30am.
I was knackered.
JG
Saturday, 21 May 2011
#108 - Late-night thermal springs
20/05/2011
Up at 5am again - what is it with that time?
Went to the bus station and caught my bus to Pucón. It was just me and two other people for a while - I didn't really care though, I just slept.
Had to go through Chilean customs again to re-enter the country but luckily they didn't search my bag for naturally grown products this time - such a waste of time. At the office there was freshly fallen snow outside which made it probably the nicest customs office I've been to so far. It looks ominous for Pucón though - I want some sun.
Got to Pucón and as I got off the bus, a guy accosted me and told me about his hostel. It seemed good and cheap so I went, and it is a great place - I'm sad to be staying here only one night. I am in a dorm but no-one else is there, there is a nice bathroom and a room with free internet access and a big TV.
Sorted.
Went to the town to have a bit of a look, and it's nice though I'd prefer to come back in the summer. I Skyped my family as it is my mum's birthday - won't say the age - which was nice.
I had a beautiful dinner at a nice place on the main street, and as I was walking back saw a sign advertising an evening visit to some thermal springs. The spontaneous side of me took over and I went for it.
We arrived at around 9pm and there weren't too many people luckily. They are outdoor pools with insanely naturally hot water, like massive outdoor hottubs essentially. I've been to some already (on the Salar de Uyuni tour and after Machu Picchu) but these were certainly some of the best. What is also great is getting out, having a freezing cold shower and getting back in.
Absolutely beautiful.
Our group stayed in until 11pm, just relaxing under the stars.
A truly excellent way to spend the evening.
JG
Up at 5am again - what is it with that time?
Went to the bus station and caught my bus to Pucón. It was just me and two other people for a while - I didn't really care though, I just slept.
Had to go through Chilean customs again to re-enter the country but luckily they didn't search my bag for naturally grown products this time - such a waste of time. At the office there was freshly fallen snow outside which made it probably the nicest customs office I've been to so far. It looks ominous for Pucón though - I want some sun.
Got to Pucón and as I got off the bus, a guy accosted me and told me about his hostel. It seemed good and cheap so I went, and it is a great place - I'm sad to be staying here only one night. I am in a dorm but no-one else is there, there is a nice bathroom and a room with free internet access and a big TV.
Sorted.
Went to the town to have a bit of a look, and it's nice though I'd prefer to come back in the summer. I Skyped my family as it is my mum's birthday - won't say the age - which was nice.
I had a beautiful dinner at a nice place on the main street, and as I was walking back saw a sign advertising an evening visit to some thermal springs. The spontaneous side of me took over and I went for it.
We arrived at around 9pm and there weren't too many people luckily. They are outdoor pools with insanely naturally hot water, like massive outdoor hottubs essentially. I've been to some already (on the Salar de Uyuni tour and after Machu Picchu) but these were certainly some of the best. What is also great is getting out, having a freezing cold shower and getting back in.
Absolutely beautiful.
Our group stayed in until 11pm, just relaxing under the stars.
A truly excellent way to spend the evening.
JG
Thursday, 19 May 2011
#107 - Rain rain go away
19/05/2011
Darth Vader slept in my room last night.
At least, the sound the old black dude was making strongly resembled that of the infamous Sith lord, and it was bloody annoying.
I got up and went for breakfast which was unlimited coffee and two small croissants. Not too bad.
My original plan was to either do a small hike or even a boat trip on the town's major attraction, Lago Lacar. However, these plans were scuppered when I looked outside and saw that it was torrentially raining. This forced me to resign myself to doing essentially nothing, as all the attractions of this little place are outdoors.
So I did nothing.
I killed some time by sitting in a cafe with a Coke Zero and got some chocolate milk as well - boy that was nice. I then went for lunch at a nice little cafe where they served the best bread rolls I have had over here as a starter. They were strangely heavy to hold but unbelievably nice tasting.
After that, I went to an internet cafe and chatted to some people to will away the time. I also had some Skype convos with Steph (first time since I've been here), James (also first time) and Amy (not the first time).
It was, mercifully after wasting so much time at a computer, eventually time for dinner so I went back to the same place I went for lunch as it was cheap and good, a rare combination in this town.
And then I walked back, in the rain, to my hostel where, upon paying, I found that having my HI card doesn't entitle me to any discount here even though it says it is a HI place. That is annoying - I'm not going to another HI place in protest at them persuading me to buy a card to gain the discounts.
When I got back to my dorm, there was an English guy who grew up in Kenilworth, which is a crazy coincidence! (Kenilworth is 25 mins from Harbury, where I live). So that was cool.
However, I unfortunately couldn't join him and his mate for some beers as I have to get up at 5am and don't plan on sleeping in and alcohol will inevitably make this a strong possibility.
Hopefully the rest of my time here will be more enjoyable than the past couple of days - I have really done very little but it hasn't been my fault.
JG
Darth Vader slept in my room last night.
At least, the sound the old black dude was making strongly resembled that of the infamous Sith lord, and it was bloody annoying.
I got up and went for breakfast which was unlimited coffee and two small croissants. Not too bad.
My original plan was to either do a small hike or even a boat trip on the town's major attraction, Lago Lacar. However, these plans were scuppered when I looked outside and saw that it was torrentially raining. This forced me to resign myself to doing essentially nothing, as all the attractions of this little place are outdoors.
So I did nothing.
I killed some time by sitting in a cafe with a Coke Zero and got some chocolate milk as well - boy that was nice. I then went for lunch at a nice little cafe where they served the best bread rolls I have had over here as a starter. They were strangely heavy to hold but unbelievably nice tasting.
After that, I went to an internet cafe and chatted to some people to will away the time. I also had some Skype convos with Steph (first time since I've been here), James (also first time) and Amy (not the first time).
It was, mercifully after wasting so much time at a computer, eventually time for dinner so I went back to the same place I went for lunch as it was cheap and good, a rare combination in this town.
And then I walked back, in the rain, to my hostel where, upon paying, I found that having my HI card doesn't entitle me to any discount here even though it says it is a HI place. That is annoying - I'm not going to another HI place in protest at them persuading me to buy a card to gain the discounts.
When I got back to my dorm, there was an English guy who grew up in Kenilworth, which is a crazy coincidence! (Kenilworth is 25 mins from Harbury, where I live). So that was cool.
However, I unfortunately couldn't join him and his mate for some beers as I have to get up at 5am and don't plan on sleeping in and alcohol will inevitably make this a strong possibility.
Hopefully the rest of my time here will be more enjoyable than the past couple of days - I have really done very little but it hasn't been my fault.
JG
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
#106 - Nothing much to be honest
18/05/2011
Started the day slowly.
I left myself forty-five minutes to shower, dress and finish packing before check-out at 10:30am - it says on the wall that if you check-out later, you have to pay for another day. What I didn't take into account was that there would be a woman showering, in one of the two showers enclosed in cubicles, who decided to lock the door to the whole room so I couldn't get in.
I made it downstairs at 10:35am and they let me off.
I went for a little walk round Bariloche and got a toastie for lunch. I was very tempted to get one last cappuccino and delicious, intricately designed cupcake but I resisted.
I then went to the bus station and got on my way to San Martin de los Andes, in theory a three-and-a-half hour bus journey. However, we were held up which meant that I missed a Skype call with Amy which was annoying.
Upon arrival, I was offered a private room in a bed-and-breakfast for A$53 (53 Argentinian Pesos) but I turned it down as my guidebook said the Hostel International was cheaper, and even cheaper with a HI Card which I have.
However, it turned out that it was A$55 per night with a HI Card but by the time I realised this, it was too late to turn back. Bad decision - instead of a private room with private room and TV, I'm sharing a room with a bald old man.
Gutted.
I headed out for some dinner and ordered a salad with chicken, cheese, carrot and tomato. I assumed that this would be on a bed of lettuce, but it was just a load of chicken, cheese, carrot and tomato on its own. At least there was some complimentary french bread, and it was pretty tasty to be fair.
After that, I went to check my emails and hoped to see a bit of San Martin but the weather is very gloomy and rainy so that will have to wait.
Apparently this is a nice, small, relaxing place so I'm looking forward to chilling out and taking in the place tomorrow, almost certainly with a coffee and some delicious chocolate from one of the numerous chocolate shops I passed while walking round.
Mmm, chocolate.
JG
Started the day slowly.
I left myself forty-five minutes to shower, dress and finish packing before check-out at 10:30am - it says on the wall that if you check-out later, you have to pay for another day. What I didn't take into account was that there would be a woman showering, in one of the two showers enclosed in cubicles, who decided to lock the door to the whole room so I couldn't get in.
I made it downstairs at 10:35am and they let me off.
I went for a little walk round Bariloche and got a toastie for lunch. I was very tempted to get one last cappuccino and delicious, intricately designed cupcake but I resisted.
I then went to the bus station and got on my way to San Martin de los Andes, in theory a three-and-a-half hour bus journey. However, we were held up which meant that I missed a Skype call with Amy which was annoying.
Upon arrival, I was offered a private room in a bed-and-breakfast for A$53 (53 Argentinian Pesos) but I turned it down as my guidebook said the Hostel International was cheaper, and even cheaper with a HI Card which I have.
However, it turned out that it was A$55 per night with a HI Card but by the time I realised this, it was too late to turn back. Bad decision - instead of a private room with private room and TV, I'm sharing a room with a bald old man.
Gutted.
I headed out for some dinner and ordered a salad with chicken, cheese, carrot and tomato. I assumed that this would be on a bed of lettuce, but it was just a load of chicken, cheese, carrot and tomato on its own. At least there was some complimentary french bread, and it was pretty tasty to be fair.
After that, I went to check my emails and hoped to see a bit of San Martin but the weather is very gloomy and rainy so that will have to wait.
Apparently this is a nice, small, relaxing place so I'm looking forward to chilling out and taking in the place tomorrow, almost certainly with a coffee and some delicious chocolate from one of the numerous chocolate shops I passed while walking round.
Mmm, chocolate.
JG
#105 - Cupcakes, nice lakes and big steaks
17/05/2011
I got up planning to do a big cycle ride up to the top of a hill which apparently has awesome views of the surrounding lakes.
But first, I needed some breakfast. I went to the main street expecting to find some cafes doing standard breakfasts but couldn't find any - all the places here are really upmarket and I didn't fancy paying a fiver for some bread and jam.
So I did the only decent thing, and went to a chocolate shop with an adjoining cafe. The cappuccino was pretty good as was the Tiramisu flavoured cupcake that I had - wow is the only word I can use to describe it. I'm sort of glad I'm not spending more time here as I would visit such places every day, perhaps multiple times, and inevitably gain a lot of weight very quickly.
After that little treat, I went to the Tourist Info office where a lovely woman gave me the deets I needed to find the bike place . I got a bus out of town to a bike rental place and got off.
It was then that I noticed the chairlift 100m down the road, and I decided that this would be easier and more fun that cycling up, so that's what I did. It certainly was fun.
When I got to the top, I could instantly see what the guidebook said when it talked of "the most camera-battery depleting 360degrees views" - I took a good deal of photos, and the low battery symbol flashed on my camera for good measure.
I sat in the cafe and got a herbal tea - I have had many of these over here, and am really enjoying them. This one was camomile and blackberry.
The way down was better as the lake was there in all its glory right in front of me as I slowly descended. I then bussed it back to town and headed to an internet cafe for a Skype call with Amy. Unfortunately, the two microphones I tried didn't work so I had to type while listening to her.
I had to kill some time because the steak house with the reputation of being the best opened at 8pm and I was determined to try some Argentinian steak, so I waited and eventually it was time. I ordered 'Bife de Chorizo' which is basically a big, fat, juicy steak with the biggest pile of french fries I have ever seen.
And it was without doubt the best steak I've ever had. No sauce, just the meat and the fries and it didn't need anything to add to its awesomeness. That said, it was a ridiculous portion and afterwards, my stomach was aching whenever I bent even slightly so I went for a walk to try and ease it down through my intestines.
Whatever the pain, it was absolutely worth it.
JG
I got up planning to do a big cycle ride up to the top of a hill which apparently has awesome views of the surrounding lakes.
But first, I needed some breakfast. I went to the main street expecting to find some cafes doing standard breakfasts but couldn't find any - all the places here are really upmarket and I didn't fancy paying a fiver for some bread and jam.
So I did the only decent thing, and went to a chocolate shop with an adjoining cafe. The cappuccino was pretty good as was the Tiramisu flavoured cupcake that I had - wow is the only word I can use to describe it. I'm sort of glad I'm not spending more time here as I would visit such places every day, perhaps multiple times, and inevitably gain a lot of weight very quickly.
After that little treat, I went to the Tourist Info office where a lovely woman gave me the deets I needed to find the bike place . I got a bus out of town to a bike rental place and got off.
It was then that I noticed the chairlift 100m down the road, and I decided that this would be easier and more fun that cycling up, so that's what I did. It certainly was fun.
When I got to the top, I could instantly see what the guidebook said when it talked of "the most camera-battery depleting 360degrees views" - I took a good deal of photos, and the low battery symbol flashed on my camera for good measure.
I sat in the cafe and got a herbal tea - I have had many of these over here, and am really enjoying them. This one was camomile and blackberry.
The way down was better as the lake was there in all its glory right in front of me as I slowly descended. I then bussed it back to town and headed to an internet cafe for a Skype call with Amy. Unfortunately, the two microphones I tried didn't work so I had to type while listening to her.
I had to kill some time because the steak house with the reputation of being the best opened at 8pm and I was determined to try some Argentinian steak, so I waited and eventually it was time. I ordered 'Bife de Chorizo' which is basically a big, fat, juicy steak with the biggest pile of french fries I have ever seen.
And it was without doubt the best steak I've ever had. No sauce, just the meat and the fries and it didn't need anything to add to its awesomeness. That said, it was a ridiculous portion and afterwards, my stomach was aching whenever I bent even slightly so I went for a walk to try and ease it down through my intestines.
Whatever the pain, it was absolutely worth it.
JG
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
#104 - Three coffees
16/05/2011 (posted 17/05/2011)
So up I got at 4:30am, got a taxi to the bus station and got the first of my two buses.
Or rather, that should have happened and it did except for the first part. The alarm went off at 4:30am, I turned it off, went back to sleep and was awoken at 5:05am when the house phone went and the taxi driver told Robert that my taxi was outside and was waiting for me. Oops.
Waking up Robert and his wife wasn't part of the plan, and I felt bad for it.
So I eventually got to the station and onto the bus.
I travelled in a "Cama" bus which means the seats recline loads and allow you to sleep on them. And I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that in those three hours, I had some of the best sleep I have ever had. I have obviously discovered my optimum angle for sleeping - around 30degrees - because three hours seemed like about ten and I had loads of dreams and woke up feeling really, really good. They gave me a roll, a weird pastry and a sugary coffee which was also a bonus.
After that, I arrived in Osorno, had some scrambled eggs and a coffee and then got my next bus to Bariloche, Argentina. They gave me a ham roll and another sugary coffee, making it three so far today - I was buzzing.
The journey was fairly boring but not too long, and customs was quick and efficient; the benefit of being in developed countries unlike the Peru/Bolivia fiasco (see previous blogs).
So I got to Bariloche, got a taxi to the centre in which we got caught in traffic and I watched the meter rising as we were stationary, but despite that it sure is beautiful. It's set next to a massive lake which you can see between the buildings of the town. There are also loads of chocolate shops selling what look to be delicious boutique chocolates which I have to try at some stage, and a fair few places advertising fondue - this place must think it is in Switzerland.
I quickly found a hostel and went out for some food, settling with a pizzeria where I had potato salad with some cold cuts of meat and it was pretty nice - I wasn't hungry enough for a full pizza.
I only have one full day here so tomorrow, I'm going to go somewhere to get a better view of the lake and maybe try a chocolate shop.
In fact, definitely try one.
JG
So up I got at 4:30am, got a taxi to the bus station and got the first of my two buses.
Or rather, that should have happened and it did except for the first part. The alarm went off at 4:30am, I turned it off, went back to sleep and was awoken at 5:05am when the house phone went and the taxi driver told Robert that my taxi was outside and was waiting for me. Oops.
Waking up Robert and his wife wasn't part of the plan, and I felt bad for it.
So I eventually got to the station and onto the bus.
I travelled in a "Cama" bus which means the seats recline loads and allow you to sleep on them. And I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that in those three hours, I had some of the best sleep I have ever had. I have obviously discovered my optimum angle for sleeping - around 30degrees - because three hours seemed like about ten and I had loads of dreams and woke up feeling really, really good. They gave me a roll, a weird pastry and a sugary coffee which was also a bonus.
After that, I arrived in Osorno, had some scrambled eggs and a coffee and then got my next bus to Bariloche, Argentina. They gave me a ham roll and another sugary coffee, making it three so far today - I was buzzing.
The journey was fairly boring but not too long, and customs was quick and efficient; the benefit of being in developed countries unlike the Peru/Bolivia fiasco (see previous blogs).
So I got to Bariloche, got a taxi to the centre in which we got caught in traffic and I watched the meter rising as we were stationary, but despite that it sure is beautiful. It's set next to a massive lake which you can see between the buildings of the town. There are also loads of chocolate shops selling what look to be delicious boutique chocolates which I have to try at some stage, and a fair few places advertising fondue - this place must think it is in Switzerland.
I quickly found a hostel and went out for some food, settling with a pizzeria where I had potato salad with some cold cuts of meat and it was pretty nice - I wasn't hungry enough for a full pizza.
I only have one full day here so tomorrow, I'm going to go somewhere to get a better view of the lake and maybe try a chocolate shop.
In fact, definitely try one.
JG
Sunday, 15 May 2011
#103 - Eel
15/05/2011
Had a nice sleep in after getting in early this morning from the pub.
We had an outing to the beach which was nice - all four of us went firstly for some lunch.It was at a restaurant right by the sea and I had a fish, which apparently is half eel and half fish, in batter with some chips washed down with a beer. It was delicious, probably because it's wild and not processed like most of the stuff in England.
After the meal, we had some liqueurs and the name of the one I had apparently translates to 'hickey' - if you don't know what that is, you don't really need to - for those of you do, suffice to say we made a lot of jokes about the name. It was really nice - maybe every meal should finish with a hickey?
Too far.
We then went for a walk on the beach which, although the sky was extremely grey and overcast, looked impressive and rather beautiful. I got some cool photos though panoramic ones obviously don't work because the waves don't stay still. We also collected some agates - not sure what we call them - but they are little white stones that look nice. I got a few of the particularly round ones.
After that, we drove home a slightly different route that entailed crossing a river only not by boat, but by ferry. As in an old-fashioned ferry, a bit of metal attached to a pulley stretching all the way across the river. It was a fun way to travel and the guys who operate it don't even charge a fee, which makes me wonder why they bother but it was a quirky thing to do and I enjoyed it.
Got back to Temuco and I went with Natalie to get my bus ticket - I'm going to Bariloche, Argentina tomorrow. It took around fifteen minutes to get there and then we went to each company to compare some offers.
When I picked one, they wouldn't let me book a ticket without seeing my passport even though I know my number off my heart and can just about spell my name. I tried to explain to them the basic logic of the following concept: they might as well sell me a ticket because if I turn up tomorrow without a passport, they will have my money and won't allow me on the bus so they'll be laughing.
However it was in vain so we went back to the house, then back to the station where the guy took ages to type in my details and laughed when he mis-typed and wrote 'Jonathan James Gay'.
Hilarious.
Eventually we got back to the house after having wasted goodness knows how much time. I had some scrambled eggs on toast with a beer and then some good old English Breakfast Tea.
So tomorrow I'm off to Bariloche and then a couple more places and I'll be back here in Temuco at the weekend.
Then to Santiago where I fly to Panama City, then two days there and then I'm home.
JG
Had a nice sleep in after getting in early this morning from the pub.
We had an outing to the beach which was nice - all four of us went firstly for some lunch.It was at a restaurant right by the sea and I had a fish, which apparently is half eel and half fish, in batter with some chips washed down with a beer. It was delicious, probably because it's wild and not processed like most of the stuff in England.
After the meal, we had some liqueurs and the name of the one I had apparently translates to 'hickey' - if you don't know what that is, you don't really need to - for those of you do, suffice to say we made a lot of jokes about the name. It was really nice - maybe every meal should finish with a hickey?
Too far.
We then went for a walk on the beach which, although the sky was extremely grey and overcast, looked impressive and rather beautiful. I got some cool photos though panoramic ones obviously don't work because the waves don't stay still. We also collected some agates - not sure what we call them - but they are little white stones that look nice. I got a few of the particularly round ones.
After that, we drove home a slightly different route that entailed crossing a river only not by boat, but by ferry. As in an old-fashioned ferry, a bit of metal attached to a pulley stretching all the way across the river. It was a fun way to travel and the guys who operate it don't even charge a fee, which makes me wonder why they bother but it was a quirky thing to do and I enjoyed it.
Got back to Temuco and I went with Natalie to get my bus ticket - I'm going to Bariloche, Argentina tomorrow. It took around fifteen minutes to get there and then we went to each company to compare some offers.
When I picked one, they wouldn't let me book a ticket without seeing my passport even though I know my number off my heart and can just about spell my name. I tried to explain to them the basic logic of the following concept: they might as well sell me a ticket because if I turn up tomorrow without a passport, they will have my money and won't allow me on the bus so they'll be laughing.
However it was in vain so we went back to the house, then back to the station where the guy took ages to type in my details and laughed when he mis-typed and wrote 'Jonathan James Gay'.
Hilarious.
Eventually we got back to the house after having wasted goodness knows how much time. I had some scrambled eggs on toast with a beer and then some good old English Breakfast Tea.
So tomorrow I'm off to Bariloche and then a couple more places and I'll be back here in Temuco at the weekend.
Then to Santiago where I fly to Panama City, then two days there and then I'm home.
JG
#102 - ¿Dance with me?
14/05/2011
My bus arrived in Temuco at 7am.
I am due to stay with my dad's friend, Robert, who lives her but 7am is way too early to call on anyone so I decided to kill some time by finding a place for coffee.
That was easier said than done. At this time, Temuco was groggily rolling over in its bed, checking the alarm clock and lazily stretching in preparation for work a bit later. What I'm trying to evoke from this metaphor is that nowhere was open, there were just a few street vendors setting up their stalls.
I eventually found somewhere: a gas station. The coffee was Nescafe which goes against my morals but I had no choice in the matter, so bought a Nescafe Mochaccino and sat down in the warmth. I had been wearing the same clothes for two days and probably smelt awful, but this was a public place so nobody could complain.
I sat drinking and writing some stuff (finished Absolute Power last night by the way - brilliant ending) and then it got to 8:30am. I decided this was a sociable enough hour to call in to my house for the next few days so called a taxi and off I was.
It took about half an hour for him to find it so I turned up at 9am, a very respectable hour though I looked and smelt far from respectable.
I sat and had some tea with their daughter, Belinda, and then Robert and his wife came downstairs and we sat and talked about where I'd been and this sort of thing.
Then, at 10:30am, I finally got into a shower and it was beautifully warm and felt really damn good. I was in there for ages and never wanted to get out to be honest.
But eventually I did, and the FA Cup final was on so I watched that with Robert - shame Stoke didn't win.
In the afternoon, I went with Robert to see his farm that he has outside of Temuco. When I say farm, I mean 13 hectares (a LOT) of land with hazelnut trees on them that he grows and sells to chocolate-making industries.
In the evening, we had some dinner and Natalie, the eldest daughter at 24, made some drinks. It was beer with some lemon juice and tabasco in a glass with salt all around the top. It tasted ok but all the tabasco settled at the bottom so the last sips were a bit full-on.
After that, I sank a couple of beers and Natalie had the idea of going to a pub.
Why not? So we went to a Chilean pub and watched a band playing some native music. To drink, I had some Pisco and Cokes which were good. What was also funny was that people were dancing the traditional dance as a way of flirting, and this was fun to watch. Instead of making eye-contact or trying out a chat-up line, they fully went for a dance which was interesting to see and the whole evening was a great insight into Chilean culture.
JG
My bus arrived in Temuco at 7am.
I am due to stay with my dad's friend, Robert, who lives her but 7am is way too early to call on anyone so I decided to kill some time by finding a place for coffee.
That was easier said than done. At this time, Temuco was groggily rolling over in its bed, checking the alarm clock and lazily stretching in preparation for work a bit later. What I'm trying to evoke from this metaphor is that nowhere was open, there were just a few street vendors setting up their stalls.
I eventually found somewhere: a gas station. The coffee was Nescafe which goes against my morals but I had no choice in the matter, so bought a Nescafe Mochaccino and sat down in the warmth. I had been wearing the same clothes for two days and probably smelt awful, but this was a public place so nobody could complain.
I sat drinking and writing some stuff (finished Absolute Power last night by the way - brilliant ending) and then it got to 8:30am. I decided this was a sociable enough hour to call in to my house for the next few days so called a taxi and off I was.
It took about half an hour for him to find it so I turned up at 9am, a very respectable hour though I looked and smelt far from respectable.
I sat and had some tea with their daughter, Belinda, and then Robert and his wife came downstairs and we sat and talked about where I'd been and this sort of thing.
Then, at 10:30am, I finally got into a shower and it was beautifully warm and felt really damn good. I was in there for ages and never wanted to get out to be honest.
But eventually I did, and the FA Cup final was on so I watched that with Robert - shame Stoke didn't win.
In the afternoon, I went with Robert to see his farm that he has outside of Temuco. When I say farm, I mean 13 hectares (a LOT) of land with hazelnut trees on them that he grows and sells to chocolate-making industries.
In the evening, we had some dinner and Natalie, the eldest daughter at 24, made some drinks. It was beer with some lemon juice and tabasco in a glass with salt all around the top. It tasted ok but all the tabasco settled at the bottom so the last sips were a bit full-on.
After that, I sank a couple of beers and Natalie had the idea of going to a pub.
Why not? So we went to a Chilean pub and watched a band playing some native music. To drink, I had some Pisco and Cokes which were good. What was also funny was that people were dancing the traditional dance as a way of flirting, and this was fun to watch. Instead of making eye-contact or trying out a chat-up line, they fully went for a dance which was interesting to see and the whole evening was a great insight into Chilean culture.
JG
Saturday, 14 May 2011
#101 - Zoo time
13/05/2011
I started this morning still on the same bus as yesterday.
The highlight, and there weren't many events to pick from, was a woman coming on to sell fresh pastry things made with Dulce de Leche, a really sweet caramelly sugary paste. They were absolutely scrumptious, and I won't say how many I had.
We FINALLY arrived in Santiago at 1pm, by which stage I had read loads of my book and was very much ready to see some fresh air and get off the damn bus.
I got off and straight away booked my bus to Temuco, where my dad has a friend who I will be seeing. It was scheduled to leave at 9:30pm which gave me around eight hours to kill in a new city in clothes I'd been in for twenty-four hours without washing.
So I started by getting some lunch at McDonalds, I'm slightly ashamed to say. It was nice though, I'm also ashamed to say.
After that, I went to an internet cafe to do some stuff and chat to people. I've started making arrangements for social gatherings that are gonna be happening in my first week back. After that, I went to cafe and read my book for three hours. It's 'Absolute Power' by David Baldacci and is brilliant.
It was finally time for my bus, so on I got and sat down. For a few minutes I thought I would be lucky enough to have the seat next to me free but then a very large man came up and sat next to me.
Great.
As it transpired, he both breathed heavily and snored which was great. The bus was like a zoo - at one stage, there was noise coming from:
The big guy next to me snoring
An old guy across from me snoring with the most ridiculous sound you could imagine
A Spanish-dubbed 'We Were Soldiers' on the tv
A little kid behind me crying, and kicking my chair for good measure.
I didn't get the best night's sleep.
JG
I started this morning still on the same bus as yesterday.
The highlight, and there weren't many events to pick from, was a woman coming on to sell fresh pastry things made with Dulce de Leche, a really sweet caramelly sugary paste. They were absolutely scrumptious, and I won't say how many I had.
We FINALLY arrived in Santiago at 1pm, by which stage I had read loads of my book and was very much ready to see some fresh air and get off the damn bus.
I got off and straight away booked my bus to Temuco, where my dad has a friend who I will be seeing. It was scheduled to leave at 9:30pm which gave me around eight hours to kill in a new city in clothes I'd been in for twenty-four hours without washing.
So I started by getting some lunch at McDonalds, I'm slightly ashamed to say. It was nice though, I'm also ashamed to say.
After that, I went to an internet cafe to do some stuff and chat to people. I've started making arrangements for social gatherings that are gonna be happening in my first week back. After that, I went to cafe and read my book for three hours. It's 'Absolute Power' by David Baldacci and is brilliant.
It was finally time for my bus, so on I got and sat down. For a few minutes I thought I would be lucky enough to have the seat next to me free but then a very large man came up and sat next to me.
Great.
As it transpired, he both breathed heavily and snored which was great. The bus was like a zoo - at one stage, there was noise coming from:
The big guy next to me snoring
An old guy across from me snoring with the most ridiculous sound you could imagine
A Spanish-dubbed 'We Were Soldiers' on the tv
A little kid behind me crying, and kicking my chair for good measure.
I didn't get the best night's sleep.
JG
Friday, 13 May 2011
#100 - In transit
12/05/2011 (posted 13/05/2011)
So today is my final day in San Pedro de Atacama. I have truly loved almost everything about this place, from the unpaved sandy streets to the cafes to the natural beauty all around it.
I started the day by saying bye to Zoe and Tim, as their bus to Argentina left at 9:30am. It is sad to see them go but all good things must come to an end. Then, as ever, I went for breakfast at the shop across the road, lovingly prepared by the woman who owns it.
I then packed up all my stuff and checked out of the hostel - luckily Mariet and I could leave our stuff there and didn't have to lug it round with us, particularly her as her bus is at 8pm.
I went to an internet cafe and checked my emails, and then we went for lunch at a nice cafe which specialises in quiche. I had some with chorizo in and it was absolutely divine.
After lunch, I collected my stuff and went to the bus station. It took a bit of time to find it as the company I'm travelling with has its own car park a little away from the other companies but luckily I found it in time. I then said bye to Mariet, who has been great to talk to and has a really great sense of humour - she reminds me a lot of my only other Dutch friend, Marieke, and I'll resist the urge to make a joke at her expense.
So on the bus I got, with 23 hours ahead of me.
They put on The Shawshank Redemption straight away but unfortunately it was dubbed over in Spanish plus I didn't have any headphones so couldn't listen to it. So I got out my book and decided to pass the time the old fashioned way.
The journey was largely without incident - I just read a lot of my book, Absolute Power by David Baldacci, and also slept for absolutely ages. We stopped once for fourty-five minutes to get some dinner and then were off again.
Can't believe this is my 100th post - it's something of a milestone, and I don't have too many left to do before I'm back home and there's nothing interesting enough to blog about. I jest - I absolutely love my life at home and am really looking forward to being there.
JG
So today is my final day in San Pedro de Atacama. I have truly loved almost everything about this place, from the unpaved sandy streets to the cafes to the natural beauty all around it.
I started the day by saying bye to Zoe and Tim, as their bus to Argentina left at 9:30am. It is sad to see them go but all good things must come to an end. Then, as ever, I went for breakfast at the shop across the road, lovingly prepared by the woman who owns it.
I then packed up all my stuff and checked out of the hostel - luckily Mariet and I could leave our stuff there and didn't have to lug it round with us, particularly her as her bus is at 8pm.
I went to an internet cafe and checked my emails, and then we went for lunch at a nice cafe which specialises in quiche. I had some with chorizo in and it was absolutely divine.
After lunch, I collected my stuff and went to the bus station. It took a bit of time to find it as the company I'm travelling with has its own car park a little away from the other companies but luckily I found it in time. I then said bye to Mariet, who has been great to talk to and has a really great sense of humour - she reminds me a lot of my only other Dutch friend, Marieke, and I'll resist the urge to make a joke at her expense.
So on the bus I got, with 23 hours ahead of me.
They put on The Shawshank Redemption straight away but unfortunately it was dubbed over in Spanish plus I didn't have any headphones so couldn't listen to it. So I got out my book and decided to pass the time the old fashioned way.
The journey was largely without incident - I just read a lot of my book, Absolute Power by David Baldacci, and also slept for absolutely ages. We stopped once for fourty-five minutes to get some dinner and then were off again.
Can't believe this is my 100th post - it's something of a milestone, and I don't have too many left to do before I'm back home and there's nothing interesting enough to blog about. I jest - I absolutely love my life at home and am really looking forward to being there.
JG
#99 - Starry skies
11/05/2011 (posted 13/05/2011)
Had a relaxing morning again this morning - there was no reason to get up early so why would I?
I went for breakfast at the shop across the road again - the nice lady there makes me fried eggs, fresh bread, cereal and tea and it's really nice.
I spent the morning just checking emails, and then went for a set menu lunch which was a Mediterranean salad, chicken in mustard sauce and mango mousse for dessert. It was lush.
I had an excursion in the afternoon - myself and about ten others were crammed into a minibus (I, of course, was next to a fat person and was squashed in an already compact minibus) and taken to see the Valle de la Muerte (Valley of Death) and Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). Both were absolutely stunning, and gave great views across the Atacama desert.
We got to the Valle de la Luna in time for sunset and that somehow managed to add even more beauty to the view. Suffice to say I got some epic panoramic photos.
When I got back, I went for dinner with Mariet, Zoe and Tim as it was the last night in San Pedro for all of us. It's been great getting to know them and hanging out with them, but as ever when you're travelling any friendships are very short lived and we all go our separate ways tomorrow.
I had a pizza and one of two glasses of wine.
After that, we went to the stargazing as we had rescheduled from yesterday's cancellation. It started at 10pm and our group spent a while looking up while our guide showed us some different constellations and planets and explained the rotation of the Earth and stuff like that. I understood a bit of it at the time but it was fascinating all the same, even the bits where I had no idea what she was going on about.
We then moved on to the main attraction - around ten powerful telescopes that this french guy, Alain Maury, has set up in his garden. Each was focussed on a different constellation or planet and gave some incredible views. The most impressive were seeing Saturn and its' rings so clearly and seeing a real close-up of the Moon.
As I alluded to yesterday, I absolutely love looking at stars and find them incredible beautiful so this was somewhat of a dream come true and I loved the whole evening. Seeing all these beautiful stars and planets and learning how absolutely huge they are just puts in perspective how big God is and how incredible the stuff He makes is.
After we had finished, the group went inside for a hot drink and I had some Earl Grey tea.
Today has been a day of so much natural beauty and wonderful sights - I really am blessed to be out here and be able to see all of this incredible stuff.
JG
Had a relaxing morning again this morning - there was no reason to get up early so why would I?
I went for breakfast at the shop across the road again - the nice lady there makes me fried eggs, fresh bread, cereal and tea and it's really nice.
I spent the morning just checking emails, and then went for a set menu lunch which was a Mediterranean salad, chicken in mustard sauce and mango mousse for dessert. It was lush.
I had an excursion in the afternoon - myself and about ten others were crammed into a minibus (I, of course, was next to a fat person and was squashed in an already compact minibus) and taken to see the Valle de la Muerte (Valley of Death) and Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). Both were absolutely stunning, and gave great views across the Atacama desert.
We got to the Valle de la Luna in time for sunset and that somehow managed to add even more beauty to the view. Suffice to say I got some epic panoramic photos.
When I got back, I went for dinner with Mariet, Zoe and Tim as it was the last night in San Pedro for all of us. It's been great getting to know them and hanging out with them, but as ever when you're travelling any friendships are very short lived and we all go our separate ways tomorrow.
I had a pizza and one of two glasses of wine.
After that, we went to the stargazing as we had rescheduled from yesterday's cancellation. It started at 10pm and our group spent a while looking up while our guide showed us some different constellations and planets and explained the rotation of the Earth and stuff like that. I understood a bit of it at the time but it was fascinating all the same, even the bits where I had no idea what she was going on about.
We then moved on to the main attraction - around ten powerful telescopes that this french guy, Alain Maury, has set up in his garden. Each was focussed on a different constellation or planet and gave some incredible views. The most impressive were seeing Saturn and its' rings so clearly and seeing a real close-up of the Moon.
As I alluded to yesterday, I absolutely love looking at stars and find them incredible beautiful so this was somewhat of a dream come true and I loved the whole evening. Seeing all these beautiful stars and planets and learning how absolutely huge they are just puts in perspective how big God is and how incredible the stuff He makes is.
After we had finished, the group went inside for a hot drink and I had some Earl Grey tea.
Today has been a day of so much natural beauty and wonderful sights - I really am blessed to be out here and be able to see all of this incredible stuff.
JG
Thursday, 12 May 2011
#99 - Starry sky
11/05/2011 (posted 12/05/2011)
Had a nice slow morning again, and then went to the shop across the road for breakfast.
The woman who works there is really nice and makes me a breakfast of warm fresh bread, fried eggs, cereal and tea.
I then went to the plaza and chilled for a little bit, checked my emails and went for some delicious lunch. It was a mediterranean salad, chicken in mustard sauce and mango mousse for dessert, and all for a cheap price due to the set menu.
In the afternoon, I went on an excursion to ther Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) and Valle de la Muerte (Valley of Death) which were equally beautiful - vast sweeping desert landscapes and then a horizon of snow-capped mountains. Suffice to say some beautiful photos were taken.
We also managed to get to Valle de la Luna in time for sunset, and that was extraordinary in managing to add more beauty to the scene in front of me.
When I got back, I went for dinner with Tim, Zoe and Mariet which was nice as we are all leaving tomorrow. I had a pizza and a glass or two of some beautiful Chilean red wine - I'm sure anyone who has been to Wine Night in Leamington is insanely jealous of that.
Although our stargazing was cancelled last night, luckily it was on tonight and so all four of us went at 10pm. The guide started by explaining some constellations in the sky and why we see different ones from different points of the Earth at different times and such. I understood some of it but either way, it was great just seeing a starry sky.
We then went to check out all the telescopes this guy, Alain Maury, has set up in his garden. There were around ten and they were all focussed on different constellations or planets. We saw Saturn and its' rings really clearly which was really cool, and also got a great close-up view of the Moon. As I alluded to yesterday, I am absolutely fascinated by stars and to think how big they are and how far away just blows my mind. Shows how insanely big God is to have made all this stuff.
The tour finished at midnight and all of our group went inside for a hot drink - I opted for Earl Grey tea.
It was a day full of natural wonders and crazily beautiful sights - I really am blessed to be able to see all this stuff. I am leaving San Pedro de Atacama tomorrow and I will really miss it - I have had so many positive experiences here in such a short time.
JG
Had a nice slow morning again, and then went to the shop across the road for breakfast.
The woman who works there is really nice and makes me a breakfast of warm fresh bread, fried eggs, cereal and tea.
I then went to the plaza and chilled for a little bit, checked my emails and went for some delicious lunch. It was a mediterranean salad, chicken in mustard sauce and mango mousse for dessert, and all for a cheap price due to the set menu.
In the afternoon, I went on an excursion to ther Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) and Valle de la Muerte (Valley of Death) which were equally beautiful - vast sweeping desert landscapes and then a horizon of snow-capped mountains. Suffice to say some beautiful photos were taken.
We also managed to get to Valle de la Luna in time for sunset, and that was extraordinary in managing to add more beauty to the scene in front of me.
When I got back, I went for dinner with Tim, Zoe and Mariet which was nice as we are all leaving tomorrow. I had a pizza and a glass or two of some beautiful Chilean red wine - I'm sure anyone who has been to Wine Night in Leamington is insanely jealous of that.
Although our stargazing was cancelled last night, luckily it was on tonight and so all four of us went at 10pm. The guide started by explaining some constellations in the sky and why we see different ones from different points of the Earth at different times and such. I understood some of it but either way, it was great just seeing a starry sky.
We then went to check out all the telescopes this guy, Alain Maury, has set up in his garden. There were around ten and they were all focussed on different constellations or planets. We saw Saturn and its' rings really clearly which was really cool, and also got a great close-up view of the Moon. As I alluded to yesterday, I am absolutely fascinated by stars and to think how big they are and how far away just blows my mind. Shows how insanely big God is to have made all this stuff.
The tour finished at midnight and all of our group went inside for a hot drink - I opted for Earl Grey tea.
It was a day full of natural wonders and crazily beautiful sights - I really am blessed to be able to see all this stuff. I am leaving San Pedro de Atacama tomorrow and I will really miss it - I have had so many positive experiences here in such a short time.
JG
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
#98 - Relaxing
10/05/2011 (posted 11/05/2011)
Slept in to catch up on the sleep I'd lost by getting up at 5am yesterday.
My roommates (who had done the Salar de Uyuni tour at the same time as me) said they were just going to relax today, and that seemed an appealing thought. I've been constantly either visiting stuff or travelling for so long now and haven't taken much time to sit down, relax and take in the culture.
So I decided I would do that.
I sat outside in the lovely courtyard at our hostel just reading for a couple of hours, and then went out to book an excursion for tomorrow. I ended up booking a trip to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) which looks stunning, and we go at sunset which will only add to the experience. I also went to a company who offer a nighttime stargazing experience - a french guy has set up loads of really powerful telescopes in his garden and invites people to look at constellations and planets and stuff. I personally think that the stars are the most beautiful of God's creations so I put my name down.
We then all went for a milkshake in the plaza and just sat chatting - it literally is the first time for ages that I've taken the opportunity to do this, and San Pedro is a beautiful place to do it.
Next, I exerted some energy in walking to the internet cafe for a mammoth Skype session. I first talked to Amy and then to Dad, Mum and Hattie all together which was really nice, particularly as it is Dad's birthday (won't write the age on here). After around half an hour and trying the third laptop, they even got a webcam working - who said adults can't use technology? But in all seriousness, it was good to catch up and I am really looking forward to being back home now.
After that, I went to the office of the stargazing company to pay but they said that it was cancelled for tonight due to clouds. That was annoying, but I'm going to try again tomorrow.
Went out for a meal with my roommates and it was great to socialise with some genuinely nice people and also to enjoy some more lovely Chilean food - very impressed with what I've had so far in this country. We then went to get some ice creams and ate them back at the hostel.
Tim and Zoe went to bed as they are getting up at 5am tomorrow for a hike but I stayed up with Mariet just chatting and chilling out in the cool evening - some stars in the sky would have topped it off but it was nice either way.
This day has been truly great - I feel I've managed to take in some of this little town through just sitting and observing rather than running from place to place cramming activities in.
That said, I don't want to take too many days in which I do nothing as I will be home in three weeks time so time is precious.
But today was lovely.
JG
Slept in to catch up on the sleep I'd lost by getting up at 5am yesterday.
My roommates (who had done the Salar de Uyuni tour at the same time as me) said they were just going to relax today, and that seemed an appealing thought. I've been constantly either visiting stuff or travelling for so long now and haven't taken much time to sit down, relax and take in the culture.
So I decided I would do that.
I sat outside in the lovely courtyard at our hostel just reading for a couple of hours, and then went out to book an excursion for tomorrow. I ended up booking a trip to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) which looks stunning, and we go at sunset which will only add to the experience. I also went to a company who offer a nighttime stargazing experience - a french guy has set up loads of really powerful telescopes in his garden and invites people to look at constellations and planets and stuff. I personally think that the stars are the most beautiful of God's creations so I put my name down.
We then all went for a milkshake in the plaza and just sat chatting - it literally is the first time for ages that I've taken the opportunity to do this, and San Pedro is a beautiful place to do it.
Next, I exerted some energy in walking to the internet cafe for a mammoth Skype session. I first talked to Amy and then to Dad, Mum and Hattie all together which was really nice, particularly as it is Dad's birthday (won't write the age on here). After around half an hour and trying the third laptop, they even got a webcam working - who said adults can't use technology? But in all seriousness, it was good to catch up and I am really looking forward to being back home now.
After that, I went to the office of the stargazing company to pay but they said that it was cancelled for tonight due to clouds. That was annoying, but I'm going to try again tomorrow.
Went out for a meal with my roommates and it was great to socialise with some genuinely nice people and also to enjoy some more lovely Chilean food - very impressed with what I've had so far in this country. We then went to get some ice creams and ate them back at the hostel.
Tim and Zoe went to bed as they are getting up at 5am tomorrow for a hike but I stayed up with Mariet just chatting and chilling out in the cool evening - some stars in the sky would have topped it off but it was nice either way.
This day has been truly great - I feel I've managed to take in some of this little town through just sitting and observing rather than running from place to place cramming activities in.
That said, I don't want to take too many days in which I do nothing as I will be home in three weeks time so time is precious.
But today was lovely.
JG
Monday, 9 May 2011
#97 - Salar de Uyni Part 3: Hot springs
09/05/2011
One of the reasons I went to bed at 7:30pm last night was because we were up at 5am this morning.
Most of the trip has been fairly comfortable but it was flipping freezing this morning - several layers, legwarmers and gloves just about kept it at bay but I was still not enjoying it.
We had pancakes and tea for breakfast - the tea was by far the most important part.
Our first stop was some geysers, which are essentially massive spurts of air shooting out of the ground and they look wicked. They smell a bit eggy but the hissing sound and massive streams of mist made it an interesting experience - they looked especially cool as the sun was rising behind them.
But it was freezing cold, so we quickly moved on.
And wow, the next stop sure was worth getting up early for.
Natural. Hot. Springs.
In other words, a natural hot tub outside with a view of mountains and the sun rising. After not washing for a couple of days and being couped up in a 4x4.
I never wanted to leave.
But we left as Emilio, Hannah and I were going to the Chilean border to head down to San Pedro de Atacama - it worked out really neatly, and saved me going all the way back up to Uyuni and then getting a bus right back down to Chile again.
The Chilean immigration was a bit annoying - they get really annoyed with people buying stuff cheaply and then importing it so bringing any plants or natural stuff into the country is illegal.
This means my bags had to be searched - luckily they left most of my stuff in as packing my bags is really damn difficult.
And then I was in to Chile.
The bus took us into the centre of San Pedro de Atacama, a little town with unpaved streets that is mainly used by tourists as a base to explore all the natural wonders in the surrounding area exactly like I will be doing.
I found a hostel where I got a dormitory for fairly cheap, though Chile is a lot more expensive than Bolivia which is going to get annoying. I have been getting a dormitory for 3 pounds a night and a full meal for about the same price but this is going to change here - I think I will eat a lot of street food, by which I mean street-cooked food not rubbish picked off the street.
At least I thought I would be eating street food, and then I found a place doing a set menu for around 6 pounds - seeing as this was lunch combined with dinner, I figured that was justified.
And it was absolutely delicious. First course was a mixed salad, then chicken and potatoes in some mustardy sauce which was just divine and then finished off with ice cream.
I could get used to the food here.
I went back and met the guys I'm sharing a dorm with - one Aussie, one German-born Aussie and one Dutch. They seem like cool people.
I then treated myself to a cappuccino whilst sitting outside overlooking the main plaza - it's only 2400m above sea level here so it's warm enough to sit outside in the early evening.
I'm liking Chile so far.
JG
One of the reasons I went to bed at 7:30pm last night was because we were up at 5am this morning.
Most of the trip has been fairly comfortable but it was flipping freezing this morning - several layers, legwarmers and gloves just about kept it at bay but I was still not enjoying it.
We had pancakes and tea for breakfast - the tea was by far the most important part.
Our first stop was some geysers, which are essentially massive spurts of air shooting out of the ground and they look wicked. They smell a bit eggy but the hissing sound and massive streams of mist made it an interesting experience - they looked especially cool as the sun was rising behind them.
But it was freezing cold, so we quickly moved on.
And wow, the next stop sure was worth getting up early for.
Natural. Hot. Springs.
In other words, a natural hot tub outside with a view of mountains and the sun rising. After not washing for a couple of days and being couped up in a 4x4.
I never wanted to leave.
But we left as Emilio, Hannah and I were going to the Chilean border to head down to San Pedro de Atacama - it worked out really neatly, and saved me going all the way back up to Uyuni and then getting a bus right back down to Chile again.
The Chilean immigration was a bit annoying - they get really annoyed with people buying stuff cheaply and then importing it so bringing any plants or natural stuff into the country is illegal.
This means my bags had to be searched - luckily they left most of my stuff in as packing my bags is really damn difficult.
And then I was in to Chile.
The bus took us into the centre of San Pedro de Atacama, a little town with unpaved streets that is mainly used by tourists as a base to explore all the natural wonders in the surrounding area exactly like I will be doing.
I found a hostel where I got a dormitory for fairly cheap, though Chile is a lot more expensive than Bolivia which is going to get annoying. I have been getting a dormitory for 3 pounds a night and a full meal for about the same price but this is going to change here - I think I will eat a lot of street food, by which I mean street-cooked food not rubbish picked off the street.
At least I thought I would be eating street food, and then I found a place doing a set menu for around 6 pounds - seeing as this was lunch combined with dinner, I figured that was justified.
And it was absolutely delicious. First course was a mixed salad, then chicken and potatoes in some mustardy sauce which was just divine and then finished off with ice cream.
I could get used to the food here.
I went back and met the guys I'm sharing a dorm with - one Aussie, one German-born Aussie and one Dutch. They seem like cool people.
I then treated myself to a cappuccino whilst sitting outside overlooking the main plaza - it's only 2400m above sea level here so it's warm enough to sit outside in the early evening.
I'm liking Chile so far.
JG
#96 - Salar de Uyuni Part 2: Crazy lakes
08/05/2011 (posted 09/05/2011)
On the contrary to what the other people said, I had an excellent and comfortable sleep last night. Perhaps the alcohol helped, in which case it was totally justified.
Our breakfast, which our guide Rodrigo prepared, was quite decent. Scrambled eggs, bread and tea which is all you really want when you spend several hours in a 4x4 each day.
Most of the day was spent driving through a hilly desert area and when I say it was beautiful, I mean it was beautiful. Just a vast expanse of desert as far as the eye can see in each direction.
We also visited some more lakes which, when set against the aforementioned backdrop of desert, were awesome. One of them had an absolutely perfect reflection of the mountains behind it, so much so that when I looked at it upside down through my legs it was trippy and looked genuinely exactly like a real mountain.
Lunch was schnitzel and potatoes, which was a winner.
We then visited Lake Colorado which was completely red due to the organisms in the lake or something - whatever it was, it looked really cool and there were even flamingoes hanging around by the edge of it. It was a spectacle.
It was only a short journey to our accomodation for tonight, which again seems comfortable and spacious and warm though the air here is noticeably thinner than last night.
We got there nice and early at 3:30pm, leaving a lot of time to kill. So out came my whisky as well as some wine and beer the other guys bought at the shop round the corner. We also bought loads of chocolate and cheesy crisps for no apparent reason and just wolfed them all down.
This left no appetite for dinner, which looked really delicious. First time I have voluntarily skipped a meal for quite some time.
The others stayed up for a bit drinking some more and I heard someone being sick, so I assume they overdid it.
I, on the other hand, went to bed at 7:30pm.
JG
On the contrary to what the other people said, I had an excellent and comfortable sleep last night. Perhaps the alcohol helped, in which case it was totally justified.
Our breakfast, which our guide Rodrigo prepared, was quite decent. Scrambled eggs, bread and tea which is all you really want when you spend several hours in a 4x4 each day.
Most of the day was spent driving through a hilly desert area and when I say it was beautiful, I mean it was beautiful. Just a vast expanse of desert as far as the eye can see in each direction.
We also visited some more lakes which, when set against the aforementioned backdrop of desert, were awesome. One of them had an absolutely perfect reflection of the mountains behind it, so much so that when I looked at it upside down through my legs it was trippy and looked genuinely exactly like a real mountain.
Lunch was schnitzel and potatoes, which was a winner.
We then visited Lake Colorado which was completely red due to the organisms in the lake or something - whatever it was, it looked really cool and there were even flamingoes hanging around by the edge of it. It was a spectacle.
It was only a short journey to our accomodation for tonight, which again seems comfortable and spacious and warm though the air here is noticeably thinner than last night.
We got there nice and early at 3:30pm, leaving a lot of time to kill. So out came my whisky as well as some wine and beer the other guys bought at the shop round the corner. We also bought loads of chocolate and cheesy crisps for no apparent reason and just wolfed them all down.
This left no appetite for dinner, which looked really delicious. First time I have voluntarily skipped a meal for quite some time.
The others stayed up for a bit drinking some more and I heard someone being sick, so I assume they overdid it.
I, on the other hand, went to bed at 7:30pm.
JG
#95 - Salar de Uyuni Part 1: Salt flats
07/05/2011 (posted 09/05/2011)
I slept really well last night and had loads of dreams, mainly about people and things from back home. I have been thinking about home a lot I guess - I am very excited about the prospect of being home, no matter how lovely South America is.
The woman came and told me we were leaving at 10:30 - this meant I had time for breakfast. I went to a cafe and got fried eggs, bread, juice and tea for very cheap.
And then we left.
Our group is: Clarke from Canada, Walter and Hessel from Holland, Emilio from Canada and Hannah from South Korea. The tour consists of us being driven around in an old, battered 4x4 for hours at a time and occasionally stopping to observe the natural wonders.
First stop was an abandoned train yard, which is as weird as it sounds. There were loads of rusty old trains and carriages in the middle of this field which looked pretty cool but were also totally incongruous to anything else.
We then went to the famous Salar de Uyuni itself, the world's biggest salt flat.
And it was awesome.
It is so flat that some of the Earth's observation satellites use its surface for calibration. That is just one of the cool things about it. It can only really be described as a massive flat plain of dried salt that stretches as far as the eye can see - it's pretty weird to look at but beautiful as well.
The great thing is that because it's such a plain background, everyone who visits takes crazy photos with random objects. We took some with objects including toy dinosaurs, finger puppets, my tie-dye tshirt and we also took some that look like we are climbing out of a pringles can.
It sounds stupid but when you see the photos, you'll see how funny they are.
We also managed to find an area covered with water and because of the perfect flatness, the sky was brilliantly reflected in its surface.
After some lunch, we left the Salar and had a three-hour ride to our stopover for the night. I spent two hours of this journey in the back of the 4x4 which is the most uncomfortable part and by the end, my knees were in agony.
We got there and had a couple of hours to kill. Clarke and I had both had similar ideas about what to bring to cure both boredom and the cold nights - I had Scottish whisky, he had rum.
So our room (Me, Clarke, Walter and Hessel) played cards and drank rum & coke for a bit, and then it was dinner. It was when we had to walk to dinner that it transpired that we'd drank too much.
And then we went back to our room to sleep.
I have talked to many travellers who I have met during my time out here and the general consensus is that the nights suck on this tour. I heard one guy say that the air is so thin you can hardly breathe and he got one hour's sleep.
Great.
JG
I slept really well last night and had loads of dreams, mainly about people and things from back home. I have been thinking about home a lot I guess - I am very excited about the prospect of being home, no matter how lovely South America is.
The woman came and told me we were leaving at 10:30 - this meant I had time for breakfast. I went to a cafe and got fried eggs, bread, juice and tea for very cheap.
And then we left.
Our group is: Clarke from Canada, Walter and Hessel from Holland, Emilio from Canada and Hannah from South Korea. The tour consists of us being driven around in an old, battered 4x4 for hours at a time and occasionally stopping to observe the natural wonders.
First stop was an abandoned train yard, which is as weird as it sounds. There were loads of rusty old trains and carriages in the middle of this field which looked pretty cool but were also totally incongruous to anything else.
We then went to the famous Salar de Uyuni itself, the world's biggest salt flat.
And it was awesome.
It is so flat that some of the Earth's observation satellites use its surface for calibration. That is just one of the cool things about it. It can only really be described as a massive flat plain of dried salt that stretches as far as the eye can see - it's pretty weird to look at but beautiful as well.
The great thing is that because it's such a plain background, everyone who visits takes crazy photos with random objects. We took some with objects including toy dinosaurs, finger puppets, my tie-dye tshirt and we also took some that look like we are climbing out of a pringles can.
It sounds stupid but when you see the photos, you'll see how funny they are.
We also managed to find an area covered with water and because of the perfect flatness, the sky was brilliantly reflected in its surface.
After some lunch, we left the Salar and had a three-hour ride to our stopover for the night. I spent two hours of this journey in the back of the 4x4 which is the most uncomfortable part and by the end, my knees were in agony.
We got there and had a couple of hours to kill. Clarke and I had both had similar ideas about what to bring to cure both boredom and the cold nights - I had Scottish whisky, he had rum.
So our room (Me, Clarke, Walter and Hessel) played cards and drank rum & coke for a bit, and then it was dinner. It was when we had to walk to dinner that it transpired that we'd drank too much.
And then we went back to our room to sleep.
I have talked to many travellers who I have met during my time out here and the general consensus is that the nights suck on this tour. I heard one guy say that the air is so thin you can hardly breathe and he got one hour's sleep.
Great.
JG
#94 - Ghost town
06/05/2011 (posted 09/05/2011)
Luckily, snore-man left yesterday so I had a good night's sleep.
Today was my final day in Potosí as I am off to do a tour of the world's largest salt flats and don't have any time to waste lingering in any one place.
It has to be said, however, that my opinions on Potosí have changed a lot from my first impressions. When I arrived it looked drab and lifeless and I slated it both in my mind and on this blog, but after a couple of days I have seen the better side of this city. The sole remnants of Potosí's grand past (during the silver rush) are the churches dotted all over the city and pretty much all of them are really beautiful pieces of architecture. I also saw the main plaza really come to life in the middle of the day and with the sun beating down on me drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a eating a salteña (Bolivian pastie), it was a beautiful experience.
Romantic imagery aside, it was time to move on so that I did.
I got a taxi to the bus station and had a decent chat with the taxi driver on the way. Although I spoke very basic Spanish, I pretty much understood what he was going on about - we conversed about football, drugs and the mines. I wanted to give him a tip but it isn't the done thing and I didn't have any change anyway.
And then I got the bus to Uyuni. Slight scare - I forgot to sign in at the bus station so boarded the bus straight away and found a guy in my seat with a ticket saying my seat number. Apparently, if you don't sign in they reallocate your seat.
I almost went to the office to rectify the problem but had an image of me running off and the bus leaving with my havasack stowed aboard, so I stayed and luckily was able to rectify the problem.
The journey was about two hours shorter than I thought it would be which was a very pleasant surprise indeed, though a little kid was crying for a long period of it which was annoying, it has to be said.
But then I arrived in Uyuni.
If I thought Potosí looked drab when I arrived, I don't know the word to describe this place. As the title of this blog suggests, 'ghost town' is the best phrase I can use to convey what it's like. Wide and largely empty streets with a chilly breeze running through, it's like something out of Silent Hill.
I got to an internet cafe and was dismayed to see such a convincing 'No' vote in the referendum. There goes our chance to change our voting system to a fair one for 30 or so years.
For dinner I got some fried chicken and chips and it was pretty good - the one issue was eating the rice they also gave me without using a knife or fork. I quickly gave up.
On the way back I bumped into a couple I'd seen in Potosi and also saw a guy I'd seen in Puno about two weeks ago! It happens because every gringo does pretty much the same trail.
I watched TV but unfortunately they didn't have the Universal channel so I couldn't watch Two and a Half Men. Still, the prospect of seeing the world's largest salt flats in the morning were enough of a consolation.
On that note, a woman was supposed to come to the hostel tonight and tell me what time to leave tomorrow morning but she didn´t.
Thanks.
JG
Luckily, snore-man left yesterday so I had a good night's sleep.
Today was my final day in Potosí as I am off to do a tour of the world's largest salt flats and don't have any time to waste lingering in any one place.
It has to be said, however, that my opinions on Potosí have changed a lot from my first impressions. When I arrived it looked drab and lifeless and I slated it both in my mind and on this blog, but after a couple of days I have seen the better side of this city. The sole remnants of Potosí's grand past (during the silver rush) are the churches dotted all over the city and pretty much all of them are really beautiful pieces of architecture. I also saw the main plaza really come to life in the middle of the day and with the sun beating down on me drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a eating a salteña (Bolivian pastie), it was a beautiful experience.
Romantic imagery aside, it was time to move on so that I did.
I got a taxi to the bus station and had a decent chat with the taxi driver on the way. Although I spoke very basic Spanish, I pretty much understood what he was going on about - we conversed about football, drugs and the mines. I wanted to give him a tip but it isn't the done thing and I didn't have any change anyway.
And then I got the bus to Uyuni. Slight scare - I forgot to sign in at the bus station so boarded the bus straight away and found a guy in my seat with a ticket saying my seat number. Apparently, if you don't sign in they reallocate your seat.
I almost went to the office to rectify the problem but had an image of me running off and the bus leaving with my havasack stowed aboard, so I stayed and luckily was able to rectify the problem.
The journey was about two hours shorter than I thought it would be which was a very pleasant surprise indeed, though a little kid was crying for a long period of it which was annoying, it has to be said.
But then I arrived in Uyuni.
If I thought Potosí looked drab when I arrived, I don't know the word to describe this place. As the title of this blog suggests, 'ghost town' is the best phrase I can use to convey what it's like. Wide and largely empty streets with a chilly breeze running through, it's like something out of Silent Hill.
I got to an internet cafe and was dismayed to see such a convincing 'No' vote in the referendum. There goes our chance to change our voting system to a fair one for 30 or so years.
For dinner I got some fried chicken and chips and it was pretty good - the one issue was eating the rice they also gave me without using a knife or fork. I quickly gave up.
On the way back I bumped into a couple I'd seen in Potosi and also saw a guy I'd seen in Puno about two weeks ago! It happens because every gringo does pretty much the same trail.
I watched TV but unfortunately they didn't have the Universal channel so I couldn't watch Two and a Half Men. Still, the prospect of seeing the world's largest salt flats in the morning were enough of a consolation.
On that note, a woman was supposed to come to the hostel tonight and tell me what time to leave tomorrow morning but she didn´t.
Thanks.
JG
Thursday, 5 May 2011
#93 - Mines of Potosí
05/05/2011
Had such a poor night 's sleep last night.
The reason for this can largely be attributed to the person snoring ridiculously loudly who, of course, was on the bed nearest to me. Not only did he snore loudly but he clearly had something horrific in his nasal passage and the resultant noise was something I wouldn't wish anyone to hear.
So that woke me up several times and obviously made it pretty hard to get back to sleep once I was awake.
It was eventually time to actually wake up so I did, and went down for breakfast. It was better than I have had at the last few places: not one but TWO bread rolls, marmalade, butter, tea and JUICE! What a novelty.
This morning I had booked a tour around what put Potosí on the map, its' mines. The silver rush of the 1500s made mining a lucrative job but though the pure silver has long since gone, there are still 15,000 miners digging for tin, zinc, white silver and iron. The conditions that the miners work in are notoriously awful and visiting the mines has become a popular tourist activity so at 8:30, our tour guide arrived and took us to get kitted up.
We were given waterproof trousers, a waterproof heavy duty jacket, wellies and a hardhat with light. All of this was necessary, it transpired later.
Our first stop was the Miners Market, where it is customary for people taking the tour to buy gifts for the miners not only because they need the equipment but by way of thanking them for allowing us to essentially invade their workplace. We bought them gloves, juice, coca leaves and as a little quirk, dynamite. Apparently this is the only place where you can buy dynamite without a license so that I did.
We were first shown some of the refinery plants where they extract the raw materials that they want. The smoke created was choking and this was from a safe distance away - apparently the workers don't wear protective masks and are fully exposed to all the gases and stuff that are produced. Not a desirable job, you could say.
After that, we went into the mine itself through one of the many entrances.
There was a deep reservoir of water along pretty much all of the path in and it was obviously very dark and gloomy and depressing. We were shown the miners at work and were able to stay and chat to them because our guide is an ex-miner so knows most of them.
We had a go at shovelling the stuff and had a look at the different stuff they do, and at one point had to pull ourselves up a thin passageway that had been recently blown up and was in the process of being dug out.
The miners here are very dependant on the coca leaves for sustainance, and they mean that they can work a long shift without having to eat inbetween. Apparently, because they obviously don't have running water here and don't want to be leaving the mine regularly, they urinate on their hands to clean them and to make their hands 'clean enough' to shove more coca leaves into their mouths.
By far the most horrific experience was when we went to see the guys drilling - they drill holes in which to put the sticks of dynamite. The gas and shrapnel produced was blinding and I couldn't see more than about a metre in front of me, even with a head torch. More importantly, I was choking on the horrible fumes and sediment that these guys were drilling and afterwards I really felt ill.
That was after being there for maybe ten minutes, and these guys are at it for hours at a time. I think this is what people mean when they talk about the horrific conditions.
After that, we went to meet some more people. These guys were older - some were late fifties or early sixties, obviously the lucky ones - the average life expectancy of a miner here is 40 years, not sure if I mentioned that before but it's a pretty important statistic. What's worse is that they were lighting up cigarettes - I guess they have got this far and their lungs are probably screwed anyway so why not?
Talking to them was both interesting and very harrowing - when we asked what one condition they could change of working here to make it better, they simply responded that it was too late and looked truly condemned as they said it.
The final thing we did was stay inside the mine while dynamite was being blown up - although we were obviously a safe distance away, some of the vibrations really shook the passageways and my body in turn.
And then we were out.
I'm really glad I went there because it was so interesting and certainly an experience I will never forget, but seeing these old guys just resigned to their fate and the young guys following the same path was really difficult.
Our guide explained that there are pretty much no other jobs available in Potosí except for at the beer factory, so this city is essentially breeding people for horrific, early-ending lives. The guide also explained that the miners don't bother saving money because they go by the philosophy that any day can be their last, so on their three days off per week they hit the town hard together and spend their money on socialising with their friends, living in the moment. Again, the sense of being resigned to their fate is just a horrible notion but it is reality for 15,000 people here in Potosí.
After I got back, speaking left me breathless and I could tell I had some crap deposited at the back of my throat. My warm shower was certainly welcome.
I then went to town and talked to both my sister and Amy, both of which were very nice conversations and made me so excited to go home.
Although I am obviously loving my time out here, I have missed both Warwickshire itself and most importantly, my family and friends that live there pretty much since I left and the thought of being back home by the end of the month is a very nice one.
I went to the same place as last night for dinner - I tell you again, you don't change a winning formula. I'm currently waiting for the referendum results though a 'NO' vote seems pretty inevitable. I'm hoping for a low turnout that will aid a slender 'YES' victory but it seems a hope in vain.
All in all, a fascinating but fairly distressing day and the thought of those miners being back there tomorrow morning while I am off visiting more beautiful sights and enjoying their country as a tourist is a tough one to swallow.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the miners and their families.
JG
Had such a poor night 's sleep last night.
The reason for this can largely be attributed to the person snoring ridiculously loudly who, of course, was on the bed nearest to me. Not only did he snore loudly but he clearly had something horrific in his nasal passage and the resultant noise was something I wouldn't wish anyone to hear.
So that woke me up several times and obviously made it pretty hard to get back to sleep once I was awake.
It was eventually time to actually wake up so I did, and went down for breakfast. It was better than I have had at the last few places: not one but TWO bread rolls, marmalade, butter, tea and JUICE! What a novelty.
This morning I had booked a tour around what put Potosí on the map, its' mines. The silver rush of the 1500s made mining a lucrative job but though the pure silver has long since gone, there are still 15,000 miners digging for tin, zinc, white silver and iron. The conditions that the miners work in are notoriously awful and visiting the mines has become a popular tourist activity so at 8:30, our tour guide arrived and took us to get kitted up.
We were given waterproof trousers, a waterproof heavy duty jacket, wellies and a hardhat with light. All of this was necessary, it transpired later.
Our first stop was the Miners Market, where it is customary for people taking the tour to buy gifts for the miners not only because they need the equipment but by way of thanking them for allowing us to essentially invade their workplace. We bought them gloves, juice, coca leaves and as a little quirk, dynamite. Apparently this is the only place where you can buy dynamite without a license so that I did.
We were first shown some of the refinery plants where they extract the raw materials that they want. The smoke created was choking and this was from a safe distance away - apparently the workers don't wear protective masks and are fully exposed to all the gases and stuff that are produced. Not a desirable job, you could say.
After that, we went into the mine itself through one of the many entrances.
There was a deep reservoir of water along pretty much all of the path in and it was obviously very dark and gloomy and depressing. We were shown the miners at work and were able to stay and chat to them because our guide is an ex-miner so knows most of them.
We had a go at shovelling the stuff and had a look at the different stuff they do, and at one point had to pull ourselves up a thin passageway that had been recently blown up and was in the process of being dug out.
The miners here are very dependant on the coca leaves for sustainance, and they mean that they can work a long shift without having to eat inbetween. Apparently, because they obviously don't have running water here and don't want to be leaving the mine regularly, they urinate on their hands to clean them and to make their hands 'clean enough' to shove more coca leaves into their mouths.
By far the most horrific experience was when we went to see the guys drilling - they drill holes in which to put the sticks of dynamite. The gas and shrapnel produced was blinding and I couldn't see more than about a metre in front of me, even with a head torch. More importantly, I was choking on the horrible fumes and sediment that these guys were drilling and afterwards I really felt ill.
That was after being there for maybe ten minutes, and these guys are at it for hours at a time. I think this is what people mean when they talk about the horrific conditions.
After that, we went to meet some more people. These guys were older - some were late fifties or early sixties, obviously the lucky ones - the average life expectancy of a miner here is 40 years, not sure if I mentioned that before but it's a pretty important statistic. What's worse is that they were lighting up cigarettes - I guess they have got this far and their lungs are probably screwed anyway so why not?
Talking to them was both interesting and very harrowing - when we asked what one condition they could change of working here to make it better, they simply responded that it was too late and looked truly condemned as they said it.
The final thing we did was stay inside the mine while dynamite was being blown up - although we were obviously a safe distance away, some of the vibrations really shook the passageways and my body in turn.
And then we were out.
I'm really glad I went there because it was so interesting and certainly an experience I will never forget, but seeing these old guys just resigned to their fate and the young guys following the same path was really difficult.
Our guide explained that there are pretty much no other jobs available in Potosí except for at the beer factory, so this city is essentially breeding people for horrific, early-ending lives. The guide also explained that the miners don't bother saving money because they go by the philosophy that any day can be their last, so on their three days off per week they hit the town hard together and spend their money on socialising with their friends, living in the moment. Again, the sense of being resigned to their fate is just a horrible notion but it is reality for 15,000 people here in Potosí.
After I got back, speaking left me breathless and I could tell I had some crap deposited at the back of my throat. My warm shower was certainly welcome.
I then went to town and talked to both my sister and Amy, both of which were very nice conversations and made me so excited to go home.
Although I am obviously loving my time out here, I have missed both Warwickshire itself and most importantly, my family and friends that live there pretty much since I left and the thought of being back home by the end of the month is a very nice one.
I went to the same place as last night for dinner - I tell you again, you don't change a winning formula. I'm currently waiting for the referendum results though a 'NO' vote seems pretty inevitable. I'm hoping for a low turnout that will aid a slender 'YES' victory but it seems a hope in vain.
All in all, a fascinating but fairly distressing day and the thought of those miners being back there tomorrow morning while I am off visiting more beautiful sights and enjoying their country as a tourist is a tough one to swallow.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the miners and their families.
JG
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
#92 - Ice cream sundae
04/05/2011
Woke up a bit early so I watched a bit of CNN's coverage of Bin Laden's death. Interesting point about whether they should release pictures of his dead body or not.
On the one hand, I don't know if I completely trust the US Government and there are scores of wacky Americans who won't buy the 'quickly buried at sea and we won't show you photos' and will create some conspiracy theories and never shut up about them.
On the other hand, it is pretty disrespectful to publish images of a dead person, especially one shot in cold blood.
I then had the 'breakfast' provided by the hostel which consisted of a bread roll and a cup of tea.
You're joking. I'd rather pay slightly less and go for breakfast somewhere else than be led under the illusion that I might in fact receive adequate food to last me until lunch and then receive wartime rations.
I then got my laundry, packed, paid my hostel bill and went for lunch at, you guessed it, Abi's Cafe. I defy anyone to question the logic of not changing a winning formula. Some will say 'variety is the spice of life' but you can never be sure of a winner and anyway, I was never one for spicy food.
That's actually a lie, I do like spicy food but it sounded cool so I decided to write it.
One taxi ride to the bus terminal later and I was ready to head on to Potosí, my next destination. As soon as I arrived at the terminal, two women from rival companies were drawn to me and shouted 'Potosi, Potosi' at me which was a bit annoying. That said, I got a ticket for a bus leaving just ten minutes after I turned up.
That's efficiency.
The bus ride was fairly comfortable and one thing I quite like is that every once in a while, the bus stops and women come to the windows selling refreshments. The journey was only three hours but I bought an empanada, some cakes and an ice cream.
Oops.
We then arrived in Potosí. It is one of the world's highest cities (4100m) and pretty lifeless and uninspiring. It was only built because in the 1500s, a shepherd accidentally realised that a mountain there was an untapped massive source of silver. There was then an explosion of mining and the city was built and was once the world's biggest silver producer.
The silver has long dried up however and the town is a bleak shadow of what was once clearly a vibrant and prosperous place.
I found a cheap hostel and then went to find a computer to Skype but couldn't find one with such capabilities. I hope that the internet cafes in Chile (my next destination) are better equipped.
One thing I did do was book both a tour of the mine for tomorrow and a trip to the Salar de Uyuni salt flat, the biggest salt flat in the world.
A little further down the same road I found a cheap little diner and got a hamburger and chips. I then treated myself to my first pudding I've had since I've been travelling and went for a massive ice cream sundae. It was absolutely fabulous and I felt a little bit naughty but it was well worth it, even though it massively defeated the object of having Coke Zero though it's nicer than regular Coca Cola anyway.
Mmm, ice cream.
JG
Woke up a bit early so I watched a bit of CNN's coverage of Bin Laden's death. Interesting point about whether they should release pictures of his dead body or not.
On the one hand, I don't know if I completely trust the US Government and there are scores of wacky Americans who won't buy the 'quickly buried at sea and we won't show you photos' and will create some conspiracy theories and never shut up about them.
On the other hand, it is pretty disrespectful to publish images of a dead person, especially one shot in cold blood.
I then had the 'breakfast' provided by the hostel which consisted of a bread roll and a cup of tea.
You're joking. I'd rather pay slightly less and go for breakfast somewhere else than be led under the illusion that I might in fact receive adequate food to last me until lunch and then receive wartime rations.
I then got my laundry, packed, paid my hostel bill and went for lunch at, you guessed it, Abi's Cafe. I defy anyone to question the logic of not changing a winning formula. Some will say 'variety is the spice of life' but you can never be sure of a winner and anyway, I was never one for spicy food.
That's actually a lie, I do like spicy food but it sounded cool so I decided to write it.
One taxi ride to the bus terminal later and I was ready to head on to Potosí, my next destination. As soon as I arrived at the terminal, two women from rival companies were drawn to me and shouted 'Potosi, Potosi' at me which was a bit annoying. That said, I got a ticket for a bus leaving just ten minutes after I turned up.
That's efficiency.
The bus ride was fairly comfortable and one thing I quite like is that every once in a while, the bus stops and women come to the windows selling refreshments. The journey was only three hours but I bought an empanada, some cakes and an ice cream.
Oops.
We then arrived in Potosí. It is one of the world's highest cities (4100m) and pretty lifeless and uninspiring. It was only built because in the 1500s, a shepherd accidentally realised that a mountain there was an untapped massive source of silver. There was then an explosion of mining and the city was built and was once the world's biggest silver producer.
The silver has long dried up however and the town is a bleak shadow of what was once clearly a vibrant and prosperous place.
I found a cheap hostel and then went to find a computer to Skype but couldn't find one with such capabilities. I hope that the internet cafes in Chile (my next destination) are better equipped.
One thing I did do was book both a tour of the mine for tomorrow and a trip to the Salar de Uyuni salt flat, the biggest salt flat in the world.
A little further down the same road I found a cheap little diner and got a hamburger and chips. I then treated myself to my first pudding I've had since I've been travelling and went for a massive ice cream sundae. It was absolutely fabulous and I felt a little bit naughty but it was well worth it, even though it massively defeated the object of having Coke Zero though it's nicer than regular Coca Cola anyway.
Mmm, ice cream.
JG
#91 - Sweet as Sucre
03/05/2011
Arrived in Sucre after a twelve hour bus journey.
It was very comfortable - the seat reclined an impressively large amount and I slept almost the whole time! I also had loads of dreams which is a sign that I've slept well.
Upon arrival I quickly found a reasonably priced hotel with a hot shower and cable TV - this means I can watch Two and a Half Men tonight which makes me excited. I may be in Bolivia but that show is worth seeing.
My first impressions of Sucre were good. Although La Paz houses the Congress and everything else important, Sucre is still officially the capital city of Bolivia and it is clear that the Government wants to preserve its beaut - there is a ban on neon signs and all buildings must be whitewashed once a year. The efforts made have certainly worked - it is a bright and energetic city with the feeling of a small town.
That said, it is very busy and the narrow pavements mean that people were constantly bumping into me which got a little tiresome.
I spent a bit of time just walking around and looking at the beautiful old buildings and churches that are in very impressive condition, and really add a lot of beauty. The main plaza is also really cool with loads of massive trees making a shady and relaxing place to sit.
I am aware this is sounding slightly like a holiday programme but it really is a nice city.
You get the idea.
I went for lunch at a little cafe and had a nice chicken salad. I was going to stay for a pastry but was full so that idea went out the window. I went to the plaza expecting to find the usual sight of street vendors selling fresh juices and cakes but found nothing of the sort. That disappointed me a little bit.
I then went to send a letter to England and it only cost me the equivalent of 80p - this suggests to me that the service may not be 100% reliable but it's done now so fingers crossed.
I tried to find a bar to watch Barcelona V Real Madrid, the second leg but could not find a single place with a TV showing the match.
This was poor in my opinion, and I went back to my hostel to watch it.
I had a Skype appointment at 4pm so went to an internet cafe which I had scouted earlier as it had headphones and webcams. However upon arrival, the woman said that none of them work. What an absolute joke, the internet cafes in Bolivia have been a real let down and having them there just strikes me as the most pointless thing for an internet cafe. I don't understand why they bother falsely advertising and drawing people in when they know that all they're going to do is turn away a disappointed potential customer.
Makes no sense.
I decided to go back to the same place I went for lunch (Abi's Cafe) for dinner, as one of my philosophies is that you don't change a winning formula. To this end, I had exactly the same salad and drink as earlier and it was every bit as good.
I then went to collect my laundry and it wasn't ready at the time they had specified - I will return tomorrow and it will hopefully be ready before I leave to get my bus.
I retreated to my hostel perfectly in time for Two And A Half Men.
Excellent.
JG
Arrived in Sucre after a twelve hour bus journey.
It was very comfortable - the seat reclined an impressively large amount and I slept almost the whole time! I also had loads of dreams which is a sign that I've slept well.
Upon arrival I quickly found a reasonably priced hotel with a hot shower and cable TV - this means I can watch Two and a Half Men tonight which makes me excited. I may be in Bolivia but that show is worth seeing.
My first impressions of Sucre were good. Although La Paz houses the Congress and everything else important, Sucre is still officially the capital city of Bolivia and it is clear that the Government wants to preserve its beaut - there is a ban on neon signs and all buildings must be whitewashed once a year. The efforts made have certainly worked - it is a bright and energetic city with the feeling of a small town.
That said, it is very busy and the narrow pavements mean that people were constantly bumping into me which got a little tiresome.
I spent a bit of time just walking around and looking at the beautiful old buildings and churches that are in very impressive condition, and really add a lot of beauty. The main plaza is also really cool with loads of massive trees making a shady and relaxing place to sit.
I am aware this is sounding slightly like a holiday programme but it really is a nice city.
You get the idea.
I went for lunch at a little cafe and had a nice chicken salad. I was going to stay for a pastry but was full so that idea went out the window. I went to the plaza expecting to find the usual sight of street vendors selling fresh juices and cakes but found nothing of the sort. That disappointed me a little bit.
I then went to send a letter to England and it only cost me the equivalent of 80p - this suggests to me that the service may not be 100% reliable but it's done now so fingers crossed.
I tried to find a bar to watch Barcelona V Real Madrid, the second leg but could not find a single place with a TV showing the match.
This was poor in my opinion, and I went back to my hostel to watch it.
I had a Skype appointment at 4pm so went to an internet cafe which I had scouted earlier as it had headphones and webcams. However upon arrival, the woman said that none of them work. What an absolute joke, the internet cafes in Bolivia have been a real let down and having them there just strikes me as the most pointless thing for an internet cafe. I don't understand why they bother falsely advertising and drawing people in when they know that all they're going to do is turn away a disappointed potential customer.
Makes no sense.
I decided to go back to the same place I went for lunch (Abi's Cafe) for dinner, as one of my philosophies is that you don't change a winning formula. To this end, I had exactly the same salad and drink as earlier and it was every bit as good.
I then went to collect my laundry and it wasn't ready at the time they had specified - I will return tomorrow and it will hopefully be ready before I leave to get my bus.
I retreated to my hostel perfectly in time for Two And A Half Men.
Excellent.
JG
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
#90 - Paz be with you
02/05/2011 (posted 03/05/2011)
Woke up to find that my watch, my trusty watch that I have been through so much with and was the only source of timekeeping for our whole team throughout the mission in Panama, has died.
This must be bad luck.
On the up side, after 15 hours of sleep I feel better again which is always a positive.
My ´breakfast´ was a bread roll, some butter and jam and a cup of tea. Are you joking? Even though it cost just short of 1pound extra on my hostel bill, I expect a lot more for that amount of money here in Bolivia.
To add insult to injury, I went to settle up for the three nights I'd stayed there and they charged me for three nights and three 'breakfasts' even though I'd only had one. I corrected the woman who then told me that breakfast wasn't optional but was in fact included whether or not I chose to have it.
This was in direct contradiction to what the guy said when I first went there, so I argued my point in patronisingly simple Spanish for her. She made some calls and eventually got the manager, who relented and I was finally charged the proper amount.
The amount of money in question was tiny, but it was the principle of being wrongly charged, particularly as the hostel hadn't exactly been amazing for the money I paid.
When I left having paid the proper amount, I was pleased with myself.
I got a taxi to the bus station and arrived at 9am, only to find that the next bus to Sucre (my next destination) was at 7pm. That was annoying.
So I had ten hours with which to do something.
I started by visiting an internet cafe and catching up with a few people. I also found out that Osama bin Laden is dead, which came as a bit of a shock. It has to be said that the Americans cheering and somehow suggesting that revenge is justified and it is a great victory for their country is truly sickening.
I then went for a lovely Caesar salad at lunchtime. I felt like a bit of a hippy walking into a nice-ish cafe with a massive rucksack and wearing swimming shorts, a fleece and walking boots but ah well.
Breaking News: I have come to the decision to shave my beard when I get home. I feel that the honeymoon period is over and it is just annoying and looks a little silly, though I now know that the option is there for the future. I am, however, going to wait until I get home and use my beloved and trusty Wilkinson Sword Quattro to apply the clinical cut. I have to say I just like being clean shaven, sorry to Andrew Howe for reneging on my promise to keep it.
Anyway back to La Paz. I went to try and find the ´'Witches Market' that the fiesty Irish woman from Isla del Sol had recommended but unfortunately, I couldn't find it despite going to the road it is apparently on. Maybe the women only come out in the dark or something.
I then went to see the mightily impressive Presidential Palace and the square around it, where I came across perhaps the highest concentration of pigeons I have ever seen. I was flown at several times and almost hit by some rogue ones.
I also managed to pick up a watch for 3pounds which isn't bad - hopefully it'll last me until the end of my trip.
I then went to another internet cafe to watch the First Sunday Video Notices since I've been away, and they were absolutely hilarious. Just inspired ideas and some great banter, makes me miss First Sunday and all of my best friends even more.
Dinner was a hamburger from a street vendor with some interesting spicy sauces - I was wary of going for his chicken option as the idea of another bout of food poisoning doesn't particularly appeal.
It was finally time to head back to the bus station, so I got a taxi and he charged me double what the guy in the morning did! He obviously thought he earned his extra money by pointing to the massive sign saying "Terminal de Bus La Paz" and saying "Es la terminal de bus". Cheeky whatsit.
And then off I went.
La Paz has been quite nice, certainly a busy city with lots more to explore that I won't have seen but I have only about four more weeks of travelling and can't afford to spend ages in any place. Also, I am more interested to see natural wonders than big cities so nice as it may be, now is definitely the right time to leave La Paz.
On I go.
JG
Woke up to find that my watch, my trusty watch that I have been through so much with and was the only source of timekeeping for our whole team throughout the mission in Panama, has died.
This must be bad luck.
On the up side, after 15 hours of sleep I feel better again which is always a positive.
My ´breakfast´ was a bread roll, some butter and jam and a cup of tea. Are you joking? Even though it cost just short of 1pound extra on my hostel bill, I expect a lot more for that amount of money here in Bolivia.
To add insult to injury, I went to settle up for the three nights I'd stayed there and they charged me for three nights and three 'breakfasts' even though I'd only had one. I corrected the woman who then told me that breakfast wasn't optional but was in fact included whether or not I chose to have it.
This was in direct contradiction to what the guy said when I first went there, so I argued my point in patronisingly simple Spanish for her. She made some calls and eventually got the manager, who relented and I was finally charged the proper amount.
The amount of money in question was tiny, but it was the principle of being wrongly charged, particularly as the hostel hadn't exactly been amazing for the money I paid.
When I left having paid the proper amount, I was pleased with myself.
I got a taxi to the bus station and arrived at 9am, only to find that the next bus to Sucre (my next destination) was at 7pm. That was annoying.
So I had ten hours with which to do something.
I started by visiting an internet cafe and catching up with a few people. I also found out that Osama bin Laden is dead, which came as a bit of a shock. It has to be said that the Americans cheering and somehow suggesting that revenge is justified and it is a great victory for their country is truly sickening.
I then went for a lovely Caesar salad at lunchtime. I felt like a bit of a hippy walking into a nice-ish cafe with a massive rucksack and wearing swimming shorts, a fleece and walking boots but ah well.
Breaking News: I have come to the decision to shave my beard when I get home. I feel that the honeymoon period is over and it is just annoying and looks a little silly, though I now know that the option is there for the future. I am, however, going to wait until I get home and use my beloved and trusty Wilkinson Sword Quattro to apply the clinical cut. I have to say I just like being clean shaven, sorry to Andrew Howe for reneging on my promise to keep it.
Anyway back to La Paz. I went to try and find the ´'Witches Market' that the fiesty Irish woman from Isla del Sol had recommended but unfortunately, I couldn't find it despite going to the road it is apparently on. Maybe the women only come out in the dark or something.
I then went to see the mightily impressive Presidential Palace and the square around it, where I came across perhaps the highest concentration of pigeons I have ever seen. I was flown at several times and almost hit by some rogue ones.
I also managed to pick up a watch for 3pounds which isn't bad - hopefully it'll last me until the end of my trip.
I then went to another internet cafe to watch the First Sunday Video Notices since I've been away, and they were absolutely hilarious. Just inspired ideas and some great banter, makes me miss First Sunday and all of my best friends even more.
Dinner was a hamburger from a street vendor with some interesting spicy sauces - I was wary of going for his chicken option as the idea of another bout of food poisoning doesn't particularly appeal.
It was finally time to head back to the bus station, so I got a taxi and he charged me double what the guy in the morning did! He obviously thought he earned his extra money by pointing to the massive sign saying "Terminal de Bus La Paz" and saying "Es la terminal de bus". Cheeky whatsit.
And then off I went.
La Paz has been quite nice, certainly a busy city with lots more to explore that I won't have seen but I have only about four more weeks of travelling and can't afford to spend ages in any place. Also, I am more interested to see natural wonders than big cities so nice as it may be, now is definitely the right time to leave La Paz.
On I go.
JG
Monday, 2 May 2011
#89 - Tiwanaku/Food Poisoning
01/05/2011 (posted 02/05/2011)
By the end of this month I'll be home. Strange thought.
I got up to visit Tiwanaku, apparently Bolivia's most impressive archaeological site. I was about to go downstairs for breakfast when I felt very weird and kept doing burps smelling of eggs. I decided this was reason enough not to get breakfast.
During the journey to the site, I felt ill and was relieved to get to the toilet when we finally arrived.
We looked round a museum with some artefacts and the tour guide then said 'ten more minutes to look round and then we'll move on'. I used this time to go to the toilet again and then waited by the entrance for him and the rest of my group.
They didn't show up for forty-five minutes and I was just waiting like an idiot for the whole of that time. The guide then came bounding towards me from the ruins making stupid excuses that someone told him I was already at the main site when I couldn't possibly have been as he had my ticket. He also said he thought I was in the museum, but yet again he had my ticket to get there.
In short, he screwed up.
It ended up ok as he gave me a one-to-one tour of all the bits I had missed, and he was a nice guy so I didn't make too much of a fuss about it. Mistakes happen, I just wish he has acknowledged this and apologised instead of giving ridiculous excuses. The site itself is fairly impressive with lots of statues and some ruins of buildings, but nothing special. Nothing like Machu Picchu.
After the tour, we went for lunch which I mistakenly ordered even though I didn't feel too well. The first course of soup completely filled me up but I had a tiny bit of llama steak before I was beaten.
I then felt horrific for the entire bus ride back and was desparate to get back without being sick in the bus.
Luckily, I got to the hostel just in time.
I then went to an internet cafe but left straight away as my stomach felt weird and I couldn't rely on not throwing up or worse in the middle of the cafe, and I didn't want to take that chance.
I then went to bed at 5:30pm and went pretty much straight to sleep.
It may have been the food yesterday or some weird bug, but whatever it is I hope it's gone tomorrow.
JG
By the end of this month I'll be home. Strange thought.
I got up to visit Tiwanaku, apparently Bolivia's most impressive archaeological site. I was about to go downstairs for breakfast when I felt very weird and kept doing burps smelling of eggs. I decided this was reason enough not to get breakfast.
During the journey to the site, I felt ill and was relieved to get to the toilet when we finally arrived.
We looked round a museum with some artefacts and the tour guide then said 'ten more minutes to look round and then we'll move on'. I used this time to go to the toilet again and then waited by the entrance for him and the rest of my group.
They didn't show up for forty-five minutes and I was just waiting like an idiot for the whole of that time. The guide then came bounding towards me from the ruins making stupid excuses that someone told him I was already at the main site when I couldn't possibly have been as he had my ticket. He also said he thought I was in the museum, but yet again he had my ticket to get there.
In short, he screwed up.
It ended up ok as he gave me a one-to-one tour of all the bits I had missed, and he was a nice guy so I didn't make too much of a fuss about it. Mistakes happen, I just wish he has acknowledged this and apologised instead of giving ridiculous excuses. The site itself is fairly impressive with lots of statues and some ruins of buildings, but nothing special. Nothing like Machu Picchu.
After the tour, we went for lunch which I mistakenly ordered even though I didn't feel too well. The first course of soup completely filled me up but I had a tiny bit of llama steak before I was beaten.
I then felt horrific for the entire bus ride back and was desparate to get back without being sick in the bus.
Luckily, I got to the hostel just in time.
I then went to an internet cafe but left straight away as my stomach felt weird and I couldn't rely on not throwing up or worse in the middle of the cafe, and I didn't want to take that chance.
I then went to bed at 5:30pm and went pretty much straight to sleep.
It may have been the food yesterday or some weird bug, but whatever it is I hope it's gone tomorrow.
JG
#88 - Death Road
30/04/2011 (posted 02/05/2011)
First things first, the fact that you're reading this means that I survived the Death Road.
This is the nickname for the road from La Paz to Coroico, also known as the ´World's Most Dangerous Road' due to its sheer drops and narrowness. If you have seen the Top Gear Bolivia Special, they drive down it.
The day started by going for breakfast with the rest of the group. Many of them speak are Austrians or Swiss so I am regrettably burdened with their disgusting dialect for the day. German is just such an ugly language.
Ergh.
We started the ride at 4800m, which was very cold and my hands felt like they were about to fall off. In fact, they fairly quickly lost any feeling. The first section was downhill on a beautifully smooth section where I reached very high speeds and felt fairly safe. When this section finished, they company drove us up an uphill section as going uphill is obviously too strenuous for tourists to do.
We then started the really dangerous part. There was a lot of mist around, which made it both eerie and exciting. Throughout the whole road there were magnificant views and yes, on occasion sheer faces and fairly narrow stretches. However I would much less rather drive it than bike it - a lorry came down while we were on it and I have no idea how it negotiated some of the corners without falling off. Maybe it did fall off.
But what I'm saying is that the title 'Death Road' is very grand but, as you may expect, the experience was more one of beautiful scenery than terrifying. It was more bumpy than anything - by the end my hands and arse had taken a battering and were really sore.
We finished up at a hotel where we had hot showers and a buffet lunch, which featured horrific coffee and some disgusting sausages. There was also a pool table but with severe rips in the baize and a cue with half a tip. Shocker.
When I got back to my hostel, my arse was still in agony. Hopefully not for much longer as I have many bus trips ahead of me.
JG
First things first, the fact that you're reading this means that I survived the Death Road.
This is the nickname for the road from La Paz to Coroico, also known as the ´World's Most Dangerous Road' due to its sheer drops and narrowness. If you have seen the Top Gear Bolivia Special, they drive down it.
The day started by going for breakfast with the rest of the group. Many of them speak are Austrians or Swiss so I am regrettably burdened with their disgusting dialect for the day. German is just such an ugly language.
Ergh.
We started the ride at 4800m, which was very cold and my hands felt like they were about to fall off. In fact, they fairly quickly lost any feeling. The first section was downhill on a beautifully smooth section where I reached very high speeds and felt fairly safe. When this section finished, they company drove us up an uphill section as going uphill is obviously too strenuous for tourists to do.
We then started the really dangerous part. There was a lot of mist around, which made it both eerie and exciting. Throughout the whole road there were magnificant views and yes, on occasion sheer faces and fairly narrow stretches. However I would much less rather drive it than bike it - a lorry came down while we were on it and I have no idea how it negotiated some of the corners without falling off. Maybe it did fall off.
But what I'm saying is that the title 'Death Road' is very grand but, as you may expect, the experience was more one of beautiful scenery than terrifying. It was more bumpy than anything - by the end my hands and arse had taken a battering and were really sore.
We finished up at a hotel where we had hot showers and a buffet lunch, which featured horrific coffee and some disgusting sausages. There was also a pool table but with severe rips in the baize and a cue with half a tip. Shocker.
When I got back to my hostel, my arse was still in agony. Hopefully not for much longer as I have many bus trips ahead of me.
JG
#87 - Royal Wedding
29/04/2011 (posted 02/05/2011)
The TV here doesn't have any English channels plus it started at 5am here, so I missed the live coverage of the Royal Wedding.
However I did manage to watch the highlights on BBC World News when I went to an awesome cafe for some brunch. I was the only patron so proudly put on the good old BBC and watched the live reaction and highlights of the whole thing - makes me proud to be British.
Also, the breakfast was special. Toast, eggs, a sausage, juice and a delicious mocha for 3 quid. Just an exquisite meal in so many ways.
I then got a bus to La Paz, the country's administrative capital city. The seat was fairly comfortable but I was sat across from a ridiculous Australian woman who kept making the most pointless observations which tortured my ears for the majority of the journey. I felt truly sorry for her husband sitting next to her, and in fact for the rest of her family and friends who have to put up with her on a daily basis.
When I got there I was very efficient: I found a hostel, booked my place to cycle on the 'World's Most Dangerous Road' and booked a day trip to Tiwanaku, some archaeological ruins near here.
I then went into La Paz to look round and find some food. It can only be described as mental.
There were bustling streets with market stalls everywhere selling everything from clothes to hammers to cooking pans. The one thing I couldn't find in abundance was street food, but I eventually got some fried dough drizzled with honey for the equivalent of 25p. This equals success in my book.
I then fought my way back to the hostel and somehow didn't get lost.
The market may have been crazy but it was kind of fun.
JG
The TV here doesn't have any English channels plus it started at 5am here, so I missed the live coverage of the Royal Wedding.
However I did manage to watch the highlights on BBC World News when I went to an awesome cafe for some brunch. I was the only patron so proudly put on the good old BBC and watched the live reaction and highlights of the whole thing - makes me proud to be British.
Also, the breakfast was special. Toast, eggs, a sausage, juice and a delicious mocha for 3 quid. Just an exquisite meal in so many ways.
I then got a bus to La Paz, the country's administrative capital city. The seat was fairly comfortable but I was sat across from a ridiculous Australian woman who kept making the most pointless observations which tortured my ears for the majority of the journey. I felt truly sorry for her husband sitting next to her, and in fact for the rest of her family and friends who have to put up with her on a daily basis.
When I got there I was very efficient: I found a hostel, booked my place to cycle on the 'World's Most Dangerous Road' and booked a day trip to Tiwanaku, some archaeological ruins near here.
I then went into La Paz to look round and find some food. It can only be described as mental.
There were bustling streets with market stalls everywhere selling everything from clothes to hammers to cooking pans. The one thing I couldn't find in abundance was street food, but I eventually got some fried dough drizzled with honey for the equivalent of 25p. This equals success in my book.
I then fought my way back to the hostel and somehow didn't get lost.
The market may have been crazy but it was kind of fun.
JG
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