on solid land
I´m in Temuco, trying not to freak out. Well, trying to gain a little courage, more accurately. I have been spending too much time with english-speaking people and my spanish has not progressed since leaving Bariloche (3 weeks i think). Chileans slur all their words and use much more slang and are MUCHO MAS DIFFICILE A ENTIENDO. ARGH.
I´m trying to head to a farm just west of this city, tomorrow, but there is a distinct possibility I may chicken out. The rest of this trip has been so easy, really, because I have mainly headed to tourist places. The worse that could happen is I get an expensive hotel room (hasn´t happened!) or robbed (I AM LITERALLY KNOCKING ON WOOD).
ANYWAY. So the Navimag was pretty rad. I did not get seasick during the 12 hour stretch on the ocean, though I took plenty of Dramamine and came up with a theory that if I got just a little tipsy, then my brain would think I was drunk and thus be okay with the spinning floor etc. Plus I would fall asleep faster. I´d like to think it worked and am going to patent that theory and sell it in a bottle.
Highlights of the Navimag:
- glacier
- dolphins!
- puerto edén stop (45 minutes of dry land, it was as if the ship were our prison and this was our exercise time. except it cost $4,000 pesos to exercise- around 6.50US i think)
- jellyfish
- seals jumping full out of the water
- the ocean
- volcanos
- SMOKING volcano
I spent most of my time with some fantastic people from london, france/hong kong/singapore, germany/argentina, holland, germany, australia, etc etc.
After we disembarked I got a bus north to Temuco, and now I need to try to get to this farm tomorrow. I guess. I should probably call them first, tonight. Hopefully they speak enough english for me to get by… otherwise maybe I´ll just do a touristy thing and hike Volcan Villarica and then go to Valpo and Viña del Mar… it´s not like I have a whole lot of time left.
I want to come back, and see more things. With better spanish.
I love you and miss you all. Has anyone got my postcards???
