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After 2 attempts to call home on the public payphone in Santiago (guessing the instructions) gave up as the friendly chap from the bus office informed me the bus had just arrived and he didn't want me not to enjoy my premier class seat for a second less than the maximum! Upon boarding the bus didn't know what to expect, turns out it was something better than flying business class (although I can only intimate this given ive never had that priviledge). Huge seat that reclined 180 deg, felt a bit like royalty but just without the asscoatiated class! Fair to say it was a last 6 hour trip of sleep and ipod usage….not the intended Spanish lessons!
Arrived in La Sarena 5pm ish to find out my bank cards still weren't working. Decided to call HSBC (naming and shaming).Told them I was calling from Chile at £1.50 p/m and if they could hurry it along it'd be great. 10 long mins later I got to talk to Rahul in Mumbai who assured me the issue would be fixed in 2-5mins……by the time I hit the hay my accounts of course,were still frozen and I was 15 quid shorter in the hip pocket and down to my last 10k peso's. With that in mind I rang back in the morning this timewith a bit more gusto. This time after talking to Sabit for 2 mins and waiting on hold for 13mins the cards were up and running.He then added there was a reverse charges number from abroad so next time it happens to to call that number…..nexttime!!!!!! Phew. Anyway, said I want to be reimbursed to which he said it was highly unlikely…..not the type of thing you say to an unemployed person who upon returning to Oz will have a lot of time to spend chasing this matter up.
La Sarena was great, 2nd oldest town in Chile, with very friendly locals who thoroughly took the piss out of my 2nd rate Latin American Spanish. Had the local delicacy of a hot dog with guacamole, mayo, onion, chilli, ketchup, American mustard and salsa. Who would have thought that combo would work but it does!
Last night hoped the bus to Calama then onto San Pedro de Aticama. 18 hours of pure bus travel, sadly not in the premium, sadly just semi cama (one below premium). Little tip for you budding SA (South America) travelers, don't accept a seat within 3 rows of the back of a buss…..right next to the loo, doesn't smell great, especially when I (in the front row) can smell it. San Pedro is pretty amazing, at2440m above sea level its on Oasis in the middle of a very hot, very barren desert surrounded by copper mines, lots of them. In the day it quite hot, by night very drunken….oh and cold. Tomorrow heading out to look at the Valle de la Luna in the desert for the sunset which was recommended by a few ppl on the bus then Thursday the salt flats of Bolivia for 3 days. Heres hoping the altitude acclimatisation works as at4000m+ for most of the time it could be interesting.
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Stratto You sound like me complaining, good to see my influnece rubbed off on you. Sounds great mate not being on the bus near the toilets but it could of been worse I could of been on there. Keep the blog going lightening up the Day with big bird in my ear. His breath.........wrong
Leaf Peace. Love. Hippiness. Munched on any Coca leaves yet?