Convalescing in San Pedro de Atacama
Trip Start
Sep 04, 2008
1
16
33
Trip End
Jan 11, 2009
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San Pedro de Atacama,
Chile
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Got to San Pedro de Atacama about lunchtime, I think. Ive descended down to 2,240m - it is hot and I can breath again. Just so you know, the yogurt worked too - yippee! Found a hostel for 8,000 pesos a night. Yeah, eight thousand pesos a night - its just monopoly money to me. Apparently there is around 1,200 pesos to the pound, but as I'm crap at maths I'm treating it as 1,000 to pound. So that is about 8 quid a night for a dorm room. A mixed dorm room - shared last night with three boys, Life (yep, thats right, Life) from Texas, and Max & Stu from Wales. Stu is very ill, the room smells bad. I bought him some yogurt.
San Pedro is just here for the tourists. Buses only leave on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, so I'm here for a few days. I'm going to chillax, as Jane says, and convalesce after the no-showers, crap sleep, dusty tour of Uyuni. There isn't a terrific load to do here so its just me, my book, the Internet and sunshine. Ive even put on my summer dress (knew Id need it eventually) Only problem on arrival was money: there are two cash points in town, one is empty, the other only takes Maestro/Master card. I only have Visa. The exchange rate in town for U$D is rubbish, about 500 pesos per U$D when it should be closer to 640 ps. Have sorted it out now but it was a bit of a stress in a town where I dint think they've seen stress before.
Plus side is that the Internet here is fast and I have got my hands on some moisturiser. My skin so far is wrecked, so dry, I have rub marks around my ankles from my walking boots, and everywhere else is red and flaky. Nivea to the rescue!
(a few days later)
Life has ground to a halt, pretty much. There isn't much to do here, there are some tours of the Salars but Ive seen geysers and flats already. I really wanted to do the guided tour of the night sky but so far the office has been open. I think he may have finished for the season. It is the end of the tourist season for this part of SA so there are very few people around. I like it, I think this place would be awful if it were full with tourists.
Wander around and read a bit. As San Pedro is so small Ive bumped into quite a few people, and made some new friends. First day I saw Duncan (again!), yesterday I found Tony & Michelle from the Tour wandering the streets looking for a coffee. Then we saw Els & Nuala in the main square. After that I chatted with Tom & Ed, a couple of lawyers from Putney that have moved into my dorm (Stu & Max have moved to the cheaper HI down the road). Then met Stu & Max in the street on their way for some beers, joined them. Met their new HI buddies, Gavin & pal from Boston, and Zach from Australia. Got a bit drunk and went for a pizza at The Cave. Yesterday bumped into Anilese from Spanish School in Cusco in the Internet Cafe, arranged to meet her and Esme for dinner. Then had lunch with Els & Nuala. Then back to the hostel for more chats with Ed & Tom and two new girls from London. This morning I had breakfast with Anna, another new girl in my dorm from Holland. Its been great here, very sociable, the time hasn't dragged at all.
Only two minor down points: as I "catch the sun" quite easily Ive invested a lot of time and effort on sun cream so far this trip. This means I am still pretty white (I have tanned hands, thats about it). By this point most tourist have at least a little colour, so I guess to the locals here my paleness makes me a bit exotic - they stare A LOT and make quite a few comments, some nice, "You're so beautiful!" The slack-jawed staring is a little off-putting though. The other crimp in my days has been my super-dry skin has led to a cracked foot - ouch! Ive had to abandon the Crocs, strap on a bandage and put my trainers back on. Trainers, with my sun dress, whiter than white legs, and baseball cap (no more burnt scalp for me) means I look like your typical Brit Abroad. Och well.
So todays packed schedule includes finishing this, buying snacks for tomorrows bus, packing and meeting Stu for more beers at the HI. Phew! Nearly everyone Ive met is waiting for tomorrows morning bus to Salta, Argentina. Its going to be a long ride (12 hours) but should be fun as by now almost everyone on the bus knows each other.
So that was Chile. Better crack on with the To Do List.
xx
PS) Thanks to the civilised speed of the Internet here, I now have all my photos up on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/bongo76
Comments
Chile
Say hi to my mates if you see them!
OK - I don't remember their names, but just thought I'd mention I met some Chilean surfers when I was in Aus & they were v cool ppl.
Glad to hear the tummy is better.
Take care
DebX