On the eve of a big party the Chilenos have big siesters. So I sloped off to the beach for some photography.

After leaving Hostel Lao, there was only one thing that was going to happen when I arrived at my next ¨hostel¨, disappointment. Not only was it pretty much a B&B, I dont think it could have been more quiet and boring. So after my initial arrival and, after even considering heading off to a new place, I decided this was home for the next week...

If Valparaiso is Nice, Viņa del Mar is Cannes, with a tinge of Monte Carlo thrown in, what with the not-so-overly glitsy casino (Lonely Planet authors for SA must not have been to Vegas as they referred to the casino as 'overly glitsy' or something to that effect. Viņa comes complete with nice beaches, a great promenade, beatiful people, a casin...

Sa, 23. juni 07 22uhr Richtig realisi** hab ich noch nicht, dass ich jetzt weg bin. Klar am Bahnhof hab ich geheult wie ein Schlosshund, ab** dann am Flughafen ist man so im Stress, dass man wied** v**gisst, wieso maneigentlich hi** ist. InBasel ging alles gut, leid** sass ich nicht neben Jule und Alex, ab** das war nicht so shclimm. D** Flug wa...

27 Aug., Sun.: I slept in after a very late night the night before. Over breakfast my host sister told me that when she was returning home 30 minutes after I did, she encountered a friend who told her that someone was being mugged a street over from our house. So when she got home, she had come to check I was in my room, which by that time I was...

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 (Viņa del Mar/Valparaiso): Caroline was feeling much better this morning and after a quick breakfast, we caught a minibus to take us to the Viņa del Mar, just 15 minutes south. In no time we found the jewelry shop where Caroline had bought the ring she lost. She couldn't find another copy of that ring, so bought some...

Wed --- We arrived in Vina after a short two hour drive from Santiago. Jorge & Pili's apartment here is fantastic, with great views of the ocean, indoor & outdoor heated pool, sauna, BBQ on the balcony, etc. We had "battle of the stick" in the pool, plus & walked on the beach. Thurs ----- Having slept really well to the sound of the waves echoin...