oh my gosh it has been forever since I have updated this, I blame it on a mix between lazyness and shocking internet connections. In about 11 days I am coming home so while I am sure I can tell you everything when I get there, I'll start now... and see how far I get

4MAY - We arrived in Vina Del Mar with the intention of staying one night, having a mooch around the town and then immediately moving on (where to I'm not sure because we don't really think too far ahead). We got off the bus about a mile farther into town than we needed to be and then gathered our stuff and hoofed it back out toward where our hostel was. Great start, the only saving grace is that for once the area is relatively flat, something I was learning to love about Chile. (little things eh) As we settled in to our hostel two new people walked in to book into the place and as luck would have it these two people were awesome.. (I have to say that incase they read this). It was Emma and Sheryl that we had met in Huacachina in Peru some weeks earlier and again I am struck with what a small continent this is when your backpacking. It was a treat to see them and our one night quickly turned into two and while I can say that Vina del Mar seemed like a nice place, apart from one or two excursions through town I didn't really see a great deal of it, as once again we had to leave.. back to Santiago

6MAY - This journey to Santiago was an exciting one for us.. for one this is probably the shortest bus ride we have done the whole time we have been away.. and after a few 20something hour jobbies that is definately something to be excited about. For two.. We were gonna meet up with our now old friend from Kristina (who is from Norway but we know from our trip to the Galapagos). And for three.. We were going to Easter Island!! Whoop.

8MAY - We had to be at the airport stoopid early for our flight.. so we booked a taxi the night before and on the day of our flight got up at about 4.45am to get ready. Quiet as tiny mice we squeeked, out of our dorm room and down the stairs to await our taxi.. it was late, at first we did not worry, I'm pretty sure they don't have a direct translation for the term PUNCTUAL in latin spanish, however as the clock ticked we started to twitch in time with it. The girl at the hostel called the taxi company where they kindly informed us that the clocks had gone back one hour..(we could have had one precious hour more sleep - if only some b***** would have mentioned) we told the taxi to come anyway, went to the airport, and ate humongous cake for breakfast (well we deserved it getting up that early)

As an aside may I just say that if you have seen me on facebook .. asking for the time on multiple occasions it is simply because since I have been away I have crossed on land maybe 4 or 5 time zones and the clocks have been put back in two different countries all on different dates.... talk about confusing!

We landed on Easter Island from what was becoming the mainlands increasingly chilly weather to TROPICAL BABY YEAH... it was lush, and a little less shack in the wilds than the Galapagos was, greeted as we were by the people from the hostel we booked, with Leis...like them actual real flowers they stick round ya neck as some ginormous dude plays the Ukulele.. Brilliant (apart from I just made the Ukulele part up.. but it was defo happening in my head). Teh island was beautiful (and tiny) and after we had settled into out hostel which was right right next to the sea.. Toby went for a sleep and Kristina and I went for a walk to see what we could see. Kristina was buggin about getting in the water (did I mention that she is Norwegian) so I left her to it and continued along the coast on my own.. I walked for maybe an hour stopping regularly along the way until I came to a collection of big heads..(see piccy above) they are amazing.. and they are huge the mind boggled in a Pyramid sort of way as to how people hundreds of years ago shifted these babys.. and then put hats on some of them...wow!!

Our depressingly short 3 nights on Easter Island were just lovely we met a great couple from the states Ken and Kristine who were so fun to know, and could shoot the s*** about politics and the state of the world until the cows came home which made me a very happy camper. We hired a car for the day and saw literally, the whole island. And we did the intsiest bit of shopping.. Ken and Kristine got themselves tattoos and I am dead jealous because I was sorely tempted myself. And after toby and i left our Kristina stayed on and she went and got one too.. jammy b*****!!!

11MAY - We flew back to Santiago stayed just the one night and slacked about the whole next day waiting for our bus to Pucon.

anyhoo.. it's 1.30 am now and I am wiped so I'll tell ya Pucon onwards tomoz.. Promise xx