El sur de Natalie

Done done done

I’m back in la. After a night and most of a day in Santiago (smoggy as all hell, holy crap I went to the top of cerro San Cristobal and you could kind of make out the Andes in the distance, and for at least one of the further mountains you could see just the snow capped peak but not the rest if the place, so it was like a floating mountain peak) I got on a couple planes and tada, back on American soil. Wow some shit went down while I was gone, dude blago was indicted! Pat Quinn huh.

Oh dumb me

Turns out I just couldn’t find the real bell. Aghhhh. I brought Enzo to help me translate, but it was embarrassing, my lack of Spanish, and of course he doesn’t really understand the fisheries terms…

Anyway, today I was supposed to return at 10 to get some literature to bring back with me, but it’s not ready?

I don’t really understand… So I said I would come back but I think I was supposed to go back an hour ago but DUDE I have a few more hours in this city and I needed to pack and shower and see a former prison thing and buy a bus ticket… So I’ll go back later right before I actually leave. I can’t plan my day around inconsistency and waiting around, though technically I am currently waiting around for Enzo and Rico to return from the ATM and the money exchange.

It sounds like a typical American thing, but I am looking forward to going somewhere where people speak the same language. It can be embarrassing and frustrating.

Damn you, chileano business hours.

They make no sense. Seriously. Everytime I have left a hostel or hospedaje before 10 am (or, god forbid, 9 am) without a bus ticket and simply a desire to see shops or find a phone or, god forbid decent coffee (doesn’t exist in chile, ftr) I end up wandering on empty streets and closed shops. Seriously, not even espresso.

Anyway, today in Valpo I am supposed to meet with the organization of fishermen down here “during the day.” I don’t know what that means in Chile, but apparently it doesn’t mean before 2 pm. I feel a little trapped, luckily it is around the corner from my hostel, but at 4 pm I am going to walk with Enzo (from the navimag 2+ weeks ago, he got here last night) and his friend (is god-brother a term?) along cerro concepcion to la sebastiana, where Pablo Neruda used to live. Apparently it’s rad and I really don’t want to miss it, plus I’d like to go with someone. I don’t want to hang around here forever waiting, wondering when conapach opens… I shouldve asked for a specific time, my own fault really, chile is chile is chile.

Also I am about to break down and buy bottled water here because an American’s metabolism really isn’t accustomed to valpo and vina water, there is a risk of hepatitis, and I’ve been feeling not so awesome after drinking the tap water (which also tastes terrible). The tap water is fine everywhere else, in fact in Torres del Paine we filled our water bottles from the running steams and at the farm near Metri the tap water was straight from the laguna.

Alright, it’s almost 2:30. Maybe they’re open now. If not, I’ll come back here and write about my weekend with Caitlin’s former host family.

(ps 1 full day left).

(pps nevermind I was told to try after 3:30).