Back in Santiago - Random Musings

Back in Santiago to get ready for my flight to Bolivia tomorrow. A few random bits and bobs, and stuff I forgot, before I leave:

Hotel El Ciervo, Villarrica

The car hire man was cool - he even apologised for the behaviour of his countrymen (although I agree with Andy K - it was probably Scousers). $25 covered the damage - result!

Goodbye to Chile - it´s been nice here, and I´d love to come back. I didn´t even get to the main attractions: Easter Island, Torres Del Paine (Patagonia), and Atacama (the driest place on the planet) - all too far away. Any country that has "By Reason or By Farce" as a motto is OK by me.

Last night, I had a strange encounter in the Pharmacy, which went a little bit like this:

Ruta 5 - El camino es largo.....

Me: "¿Hay Immodium por favor?", Pharmacist "Ee-mod-un". She looked it up on her computer, shot me a filthy look, and said emphatically "No Señor!". I have absolutely no idea what she thought I wanted. Crack cocaine probably.

Volcan Villarrica is one of the few places in the world where you can go to the top of a volcano and see molten lava bubbling around in the caldera (400 Metres diameter). There are guided trips from Pucon, 6 hours there and back. Sadly, I couldn´t be arsed.

The number of stray dogs in this country is amazing, and you really need to watch your step, if you take my meaning. I thought that it was just a big city thing at first, but it´s actually worse out in the country, down South. The dogs are very docile (although not to each other), but it isn´t a good idea to eat in the street, as you will have an instant, dribbling, fan club.

Andes

Note to Ged: There is a team in the Chilean Premier League called Everton! I watched them on television earlier tonight playing Colo Colo. They were stuffed 3-1. You needed to know that mate. 

The film "Il Postino" was actually about Pablo Naruda (see the Santiago post). Note to self: watch this again when you get home.

There were lots of German immigrants to the Temuco/Villarrica area during the early 20th Century, which is the reason I was drinking authentic German beer last night. Lovely stuff.

The James Bond film set is still in the news. It´s a big thing here, and some people have got very upset about where it´s being filmed. The film set is in the Antofagasta/Atacama region which used to be in Bolivia, but was annexed by the Chileans during the 19th Century. Although it´s being filmed in Chile, it´s portraying Bolivia and some Chileans don´t like that. Meanwhile, I suppose the view from La Paz is that filming is actually taking place in Chilean occupied Bolivia - funny old world, isn´t it?

Feeties

Goodnight

More Andes