Settle in

Alright, it has been far, far too long. i hope you are in a comfy chair with some snacks and beverages, this may take a while.

My hostel in BA lacked character, but had probably the best location a hostel in BA could. My first room was inhabited by israelis, my second by asians, and my third by a large norweigen fellow, a aussie-looking guy who slept all day, and a cool couple from LA. 3 rooms in 4 days, dont ask me why. i ended up becoming pretty good friends with them. anyway, i have already done almost everything there is to do in Buenos Aires except go to a soccer game and see a drum show called "la bomba." well the only soccer game while i was there would have cost me $70, which is insane considering that tickets normally go for $10. so i skipped that. i was all ready to go to la bomba with the californians when the woman behind the front desk told us they cancelled the show till next season. i guess its a summer thing. brilliant. i ended up spending my time walking the streets and looking at things for sale, which i didnt buy. except sandals, i found a pair of trendy flip flops for $3, so i got those.

After four days i was ready to leave, and Santiago, Chile, was the destination. I got a fancy bus with my own TV screen, watched "Baby Mama" (hilarious if you like saturday night live), and got comfortable for the 22 hour ride. Made it to santiago, found my hostel (which didnt have free breakfast, something at which i was appalled!) and settled by the pool. for those of you who dont know, my mom and sister were do to arrive the next day for a 2 weeks of traveling with me. They showed up the next morning and we got our things together to find another hostel (the one that didnt serve free breakfast was a bit rowdy--and didnt have free breakfast!). amid the excitement and confusion i realized last night that i left my pen drive with 4GB of photos in the computer there, and when i went back an employee told me he found it and put it behind the reception desk, but it wasnt there anymore, again, brilliant. so thats something i have to sort out.

But we found our new hostel, had a delicous FREE panacake breakfast there, and then headed off for a walking tour of the city, after receiving not-so-good advice from a cynical owner. after many blocks and being lost more than once, we found the house of Pablo Neruda, a famous chilean poet. it was a very interesting muesum-house tour. the man collected everything from pictures of watermelons to colored glass to stamps to unmatching cutlery. he also built his houses (i say houses because he had 3, and we were lucky enough to visit 2 in total) like ships, a few rooms had slanted floors and low, narrow doorways. we also saw the government house and went to a museum about Allende (a democratically elected Marxist president) who killed himself after a CIA-backed coup overthrew him in 1973. Sidenote: Allende and Neruda were friends, and Neruda died just a few months after the coup.

Next day we were off to Mendoza, where we ate nice food (unlike in santiago, where we were unlucky with resturant choice) and rented a car and drove around to several wineries and an olive oil factory. that evening we drove up to Cerro de la Gloria (glorious hill, as the sign translated it) looked over the town as the sun set, and climbed on the statue at the top. A visit to the Mendoza Zoo was the next days activity. the zoo was quite large and varied, although, as with all zoos, pehaps, the animals didnt seem to be enjoying themselves fully. we took a night bus back out to the Chilean coast that night, to a town called Valparaiso, a very european, bohemien-esque city. the houses were all brightly colored and beautifully restored, and apparently UNESA declared it a world heritage site. we ate seafood (the thing to do, according to the guide book) and walked amoung the pretty houses and chic cafes. we took a bus down to another one of Pablo Neruda´s houses, one meant to be even more amazing, but it seemed a little less exciting than the first. perhaps because we had a downright boring old woman as our tour for this one, and the man who lead us around in santiago was cheerful, happy, and possibly a bit crazy, but an excellent guide.

Now it was time for kerewyn´s chosen activity...horseback riding!! we headed up the coast and were picked up by the company (really just a family with an unruley three year old, but who can blame him). the horses were quite nice, and i told him we wanted fast horses but mom made me say we (exept for kerewyn) didnt have much expierence. so he put me on what i found out to be a slow, fat, and slightly asmatic horses that was the slowest of the bunch and simply refused to go where i directed. renaming her hidalgo helped a bit, but kerewyn and her race horse left us all in the dust. after three hours of riding that was fine with me, the slower and less bouncy the better. we were all soar the next two days, but dinner in a revolving resturant helped a bit. i must say, it seems unfair that a 300 gram (or 10 oz) steak with shrimp, more tender than perhaps an steak i have ever had, should only cost $9 or so in a revolving resturant 23 stories above the waterfront. still, with sides and drinks the bill rises quickly, although remains much less than one would pay north of mexico.

Off to a place called Quillota the next day. the only responses we got when telling locals we were going to quillota was, "oh, its warm there," and "hmmm, why would you got to quillota?" the reason: my dearest cousin Sela is an exchange student in the "warm" town of quillota, and we couldnt very well not visit her. we headed out, found a hotel, and had chinese. i talked to sela that night and she said she couldnt meet with us untill 8:30 the following evening, so we would have all of the next day to kill. so it was back to the coast. we lay on the beach in the sun for a few hours, then headed back. we also had chilean enpanadas, meat or chicken or jam and cheese filled pies, usually fried, and a completo which is an extra long hot dog with tomatoe, avocado and mayonaise. they are actually quite delicous.

We waited around in the hotel room back in quillota and when my mom went down to check the lobby, guess who came back with her? sela!! hurray, we managed to meet, in chile of all places, after 2 years. in the words of borat (and say it like he would) very nice! we chatted and told stories and caught up, then headed out for dinner. we found a Pakistani resturant called K2 (i wonder of the average chilean knows what K2 is) and dinned there. the food was quite good, once we sent the chicken back to be properly cooked. back to the hotel to talk and catch up more, until sela´s host sister picked her up. it was very nice to see her again.

Off to santiago the next day, where we legged it around with our packs until finally finding a place with room. on the recomendation of a gay british couple we went to a place called "Las Vacas Gordas," or The Fat Cows to us english speaking folk. once again, delicious food for outrageously inexpensive prices, and (what appears to be a trend amoung more upscale resturants in chile) we recieved a liquor--amaretto, camomille, or mint--on the house. even kerewyn got one, although thankfully didnt drink it.

The next day mom and sister bought some things one can only find in chile or neighboring countires, we went bowling, found out our artesanal market was closed (it was sunday), got ice cream, and walked around the plaza by our hostel. i sent some things home with mom, traded her backpacks (mine is now smaller, lighter, and of a better quality) and the taxi picked them up and wisked them off to the airport. it has been a lovely two or so weeks, although it feels good to be on my own again as well. yesterday i took the 30 hour bus from santiago to the top of chile and tomorrow i am headed back to La Paz. hopefully the swedish couple and the british girl from the eltronic music festival will be there, we will see.

Hope your behinds arnt too soar, i know mine is :)