Off to the desert...

Yes, it has been awhile, but I am alive and well!!! No pics this time even though I have 5 mil to share, but not enough time in this quick stopover with internet access. Coming soon I promise!

Saturday morning I said goodbye to Santiago and headed off on a 6 day bus adventure with a small travel company called Pachamama that runs the entire length of Chile only. I'm in a small van with 14 others and a funny guide named Yerson and we stop to see sights all along the northern coast, eventually getting me to San Pedro de Atacama - the world’s driest desert! I have been really excited about this place after hearing how much other travelers have enjoyed it. Last night and tonight we are in cabins in this reaaaally isolated little beach called Bahia Inglesa. The group is really fun and currently we are about to go get supplies for tonight´s beach BBQ.

Chile has been a really nice change of pace after my journey through Argentina. Santiago was a great city and it was nice to set the ol’ mochila down for more than 4 days, in a standout hostel that became like my home away from home. La Casa Roja is an amazing converted mansion that fits a ton of travelers but yet still maintains a cozy feel. It is beautiful architecturally, with 2 courtyards, full backyard with pool, and a fully stocked professional kitchen. The hostels I have loved have been ones with a kitchen culture, people from all over the world whipping up some really impressive meals. Well this one tops them all I would say, and I was lucky to befriend a man named Luis from Brazil right upon arrival who everyone called the chef of the house unofficially because of all the time and effort he was putting into cooking, and I joined him for a lot of it. It was really fun going to the central market to purchase all sorts of local meats and fish and then acting as sous chef to prepare the hostel feasts- like a free cooking class for me! This Luis was seriously a character, and our dorm became a little dysfunctional family of sorts. We had Javier, a guy from Santiago who has been living in the hostel for 2 months to “work on his English” and sets up his “office” every day outside in the courtyard, complete with a lamp, headphones and audio exercises on his computer. The shining stars were the two amazing chicas, Kristiana (Bulgarian from Denmark) and Natasha (Colombiana from Holland), lovingly called Shakira because of the resemblance. They are both traveling alone as well and both 20, which I was shocked to find out because they are both so wise for their age, and such independent spirits who have logged a really impressive amount of world traveling already. Truly global gals, and we had a lot of fun together. Natasha will be in Colombia when I go so we have planned to meet there eventually.

So what else did I do in my 2 weeks in Santiago? Well, of course I had to do another bike tour - my absolute favorite way to learn a city, and this time the bikes were green. I seriously wanted this bike for my own… my fave shade of green with a cute little white basket and bell, cruising around town….yes! We had a fabulous guide Glen who told us a ton about Chile’s difficult political past and showed us some really beautiful areas of the city. I fell in love with Santiago that day. It is SO clean, the parks and plazas are incredibly Euro and beautiful, and the public transportation is amazing. After 2 months of Argentina’s pollution spewing buses and BA’s subpar metro this place is like a dream. Top 5 subway system in the world and I loved it. Again, so clean, so easy, and trains come what feels like every 30 seconds.

I also took a day trip to Valparaiso. I had been excited to check out this funky little port town for awhile now, and a 1.5 bus ride in and out the same day was perfect amount of time to roam the streets. It is famous for its cobbled hills with funiculars, the beautiful street murals/graffiti, and brightly colored homes… it has been referred to as the SF of South America because of the hills, the water, and the bohemian feel. A really cool little city and we went with a group of Chileans that Kristiana had met, and it was nice to have local guides.

Ok, off to go find my bus peeps. Hasta pronto amigos!

P.S. Check out this crazy video on you tube…. Footage of my Santiago hostel captured during the earthquake!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8a8RXe1fdY

P.P.S. Last week marked my 2 months on the road anniversary! 2 months, still going strong :)