Journal Entry from South America

As i write this it is 10:35 pm on March 20th. To give an update on the last few days I was in Valparaiso from the 13th of March to the 18th, 2009. I stayed at the hostal that has the address of 596 Uriola in Conception. As soon as i got off the Tur Bus after paying 4800 pesos i looked for a place that had cheap accomadations. A friendly lady told me there was a place in Conception that charged 5000 pesos per night. So i figured it was reasonable for about 9 USD equivalent. She said to wait for 2 minutes for someone which i later found out was the owner of the hostal. She was carrying a bag with multi package toilet paper in it. So i helped her with it as we walked from Pedro Montt bus terminal to the hostal. (we took the local bus for across Pedro Montt and it dropped us at the bottom of Conception where we walked up the street.) it reminded me of staying in one of the hostals in New Zealand on a hill. i have no idea where because i didnt keep a travel journal on that entire trip. I wish i had but you live you learn. From there i met the hostal owners son and his girlfriend, who was actually pretty good looking where he kind of looked like a slob. I found out i was staying with a Dutch dude in a 6 person dorm, which later got filled with 2 scottish girls and 2 Argentinian cyclists. I stayed at that hostel the longest out of everyone. There was also 2 British girls whom i mistook fr Aussies. The brits love that. The next day i spent wondering around Valpo with Jan (the dutch dude) and went up to visit La Sebastian which was Pablo Nerudas house at the very top of the hill. We walked and shared our background for about 1.5 hours up Almiverez Avenue i think it was called. We passed the museum at first and had to backtrack cuz we had a feeling we passed it. Took about 2 hours to walk through the museum. Was very interesting to read all the handout literature in each room that gave background to who he was and what he did. Winner of the Nobel Prize, advocate of Stalin movement and was pretty much a communist. Wrote only in green ink which is the color of hope. Had a few affairs. While i was in Valpo i read a lot of Don Quixote; i would say approximately 500 pages of the book i completed in this city and eventually finished it when i got back to Santiago later finished about 200 pages in that Bar on Bandera Ave and then another 50 pages in the Plaza De Armas square at that cafe on the SW corner.
Anyways im getting sidetracked. So in valpo i visited the Vina Del Mar and mistook the mini beach as the main beach on the first day but later found out in the evening as i walked the shore from the Sheraton (where i tanned for a bit for free by sneaking in through the lobby to the pack porch and down the stairs so they thought i was a guest) to the main beach area. it was neat to see the surfers trying out the waves in the opening to the little river that goes through the city of Vina. i think they called it a casino for some reason.
The next day i headed there with Jan (day 3) and then basically tanned and read DQ the entire day. Found out that Jan had his bag stolen at knifepoint in some bad community after going up one of the ascenors at 2 PM in the afternoon. he lost his cash, his wallet, his bag, his camera, his guidebook. But not his passport or cash card. Rough day. He stated that i wish i was with him because i knew martial arts. Funny how people automatically assume u can do something. Was funny to see this one latin american couple wrestling on the beach. they were more playful than the couple that was directly beside us. Also the dude of the couple that was right beside us got his bag stolen by some boy who looked about 13 or 14 years old. A New Zealander, who looked very in shape had a good eye and ran after the boy and caught him. I wasnt able to see what happened though. I remember discussing how there wasnt a McDs in Valpo and of course we then saw one in Vina del Mar. Probably a biz opp to open a McDs in Latin America i think. Or even a starbucks as maybe a middle class might develop over time. Who knows. Day 4 went to a coffee shop in Valpo to read DQ again and then headed to Vina del Mar again on the beach by myself and read most of the day. Tried doing situps on the beach and pushups because i found it diffcult to get any exercise since Aconcagua. Day 5 i headed back to santiago on a Pullman bus which i later found was cheaper than Tur Bus because they charged 3000 pesos instead and the buses were actually cleaner. Took 2 hours to get to Santiago and then from there took the train to Santa Ana station and then walked back to the Hotel americano on Compania de Jesus 1906. Again read most of this day after checking in only for one night. Posted all my notes of DQ online. finally finished this damn book. was not an easy read. before i left valpo though i picked up A Farewell to Arms and also bought the Count of Monte Christo at the SW corner in the Libreria in the Plaza de Armas. Im going to try and finish both books by the time im done the W circuit. Ill try and take a lot more notes this time when im doing the W circuit.
Anyways from Hotel americano i left some luggage again there (plastic boots, crampons and such) and then walked down the main road where Santa Ana was to the road where the Aeroporte buses come and go (they are blue buses that go directly to the airport for 1400 pesos really cheap!). I took a bus at some ungodly our like 7 am because my flight left at 10:15 am; so just wanted to be on the safe side of arriving on time. Of course i got there at 8AM. very early. i had to tape my hiking poles when i checked in so it wouldnt puncture other peoples luggage. then i sat and read the count of monte cristo and finished about 180 pages during the whole day on the airplane and on buses. As soon as i landed i took a bus from Punta Arenas (had to go into the city). Then took a bus with Bus Fernandez to Peurto Natales at 630 pm. stopped by Limolat to eat a hamburger since i had to kill 2 hours. Then got into PN about 930 pm. i was gambling on the fact that i would be able to find a hostel in the pitch black night. And of course there they were outside when i got into the city. I whole pack of people trying to sell their hostels. So gamble paid off and went with an old lady to Hotel Patagonia in a free ride to her hostel which i later found out was actually about 15 blocks from the main square which is quite a long distance in such a small city. Anyways makes for a pleasant walk. I met 3 koreans which told me how all the hikes work and the choices of where to enter the park. Most people go from east to west i told him according to the lonely planet which i later find out he did as well. He also said food as very expensive on the mountain and you could drink water from the glaciers. He showed me the route and then talked for a bit (he worked for samsung helping design ships or something, i had mentioned that i help hedge commodities for companies). The other 2 koreans lived in seoul and were graphics designers and editorial designers and were married. The 3rd korean met them on this trip. he was going south and they were going north to peurto montt. The rate was 5000 pesos for one night or 6000 including breakfast. so i chose the breakfast. and also chose to stay 2 nights, since i realized i needed a tent. Today i booked with Bus Gomez for 12,000 pesos return where the return trip is flexible. They will pick me up at 7 am in the morning. Also paid about 8500 for a nice salmon meal. And bought groceries for the next 4 days. i think i will have to buy a meal on the 5th day. it will be great practice. I also want to buy a stove when i get back to canada for cooking outdoors and a pot set and a 1 man tent that is super light and high quality. Read only 40 pages of count of monte cristo today. visited a lot of the adventure shops to look for a one man tent and none of them sold them. So went to rental shop to rent one for 5 days. will cost 30 usd, but at least its a Doite which is the company that Luis might work for this summer so i can tell him about it if its a good tent. so dumb i have to use this one and not buy one. my pack is really heavy also. haha....