So I thought that maybe my last week hadn´t been all that exciting, which is why I hadn´t felt compelled to write a blog entry. After some encouragement from Lee, I decided it was time and in the process I realized I had a week full of exciting (or not so exciting) superlatives.
Hostal Forestal: the hippest hostel in the world. It actually said on the flyer that it was "one of the 5 hippest hostels in the world." I was obviously suspicious, but my German friend who I was traveling with was really excited about it. It was cheap and came with all the necessary ingredients (a comfortable bed, internet, breakfast, storage, a safe-box, a TV so I could watch my novela, 24 hour reception, a printer) but I hated it. There was loud music playing on the bottom floor, crappy breakfast, only english speaking travelers who always came home as I was waking up in the morning, a new person at the desk every day, and generally had no character. Still, I was too lazy to move and stayed all week. Plus, I ended up meeting some people I really liked including a receptionist who offered to be my guide and take me hiking when I come back to Santiago and a really handsome Canadian who wants to celebrate my birthday with me in BA.
Aire Libre: the cooolest cafe in Santiago. I know you´re thinking it will be hard to prove that this is true, but I beg to differ. Sunday night I finally decided I should eat dinner and wandered out of my hip hostel at about 10 to search for something. I ended up walking by myself to Bellavista, a neighborhood full of cool cafes and bars. I wasn´t really planning on sitting down and eating a whole meal by myself but the place just caught me. There were colorful tables, reasonable prices, adorable waitresses, and a lovely man singing classic chilean music with his guitar. I spent an horu and a half enjoying my quiche, my Allende novel, and the live music. The next night, Rodrigo, a guy I met with my family in the south, offered to take me out. I have the cooooolest place, he explained. I got out of his car only to discover he brought me to the safe cafe, but at a different location. I ordered the same quiche and few beers and we sat for hours listening to yet another chileno with a sweet voice and revolutionary chilean music.
El Desierto Atacama: the driest desert in the world. Okay so I don´t actually have the proof to substantiate this one. Somoeone did say it to me, but I feel like it was just a symptom of how chileans like to exagerate about their land. I finally did make it though, and it is pretty dry. I woke up yesterday morning with crackling dry skin, and a weird head ache. NOt only is it dry, but super high up so you need a day to adjust to the altitute. I had lots of pancitos for breakfast and spent most of the day sitting down, and today I feel fine.
Chuquicamata: the biggest open pit copper mine in the world. Now, you wouldn`t think that a copper mine would be a big tourist spot. Honestly, its not because to get there is a bitch. I had to stay overnight in this ugly town, and basically devote my whole day to the tour since it was smack in the middle of the day and becuase there´s nothing else to do in Calama. But Chris insisted it was worth it, so I had faith and waited it out. It was pretty cool. The mine is 5km long, 3km wide and 1km deep. You also get to see the abandoned mining town they built and then abandoned right next to the mine, and the BIGGEST trucks in the world (two superlatives in one day!) that carry all the copper. Not surprisingly, this company produces the MOST copper in the world which ends up to about 1/7 of the world´s production (okay, 3 superlatives).
Sumaj jallpa: the nicest 7 luca dormitory bed I´ve ever seen. My hostal was in a pamphlet of recommended hostels that has not disappointed me thus far. After two warnings from chileans that have a skewed sense of distance that the hostal was too far, I decided to make the 10 minute trek anyway. The adorable woman at the desk apologized and informed me that all the dormitory rooms were taken, but she could offer me something else for the same price. This place is adorable, clean and desert-y and I have a private room including a private bathroom with two beds (one, big one for sleeping and a small one for my belongings). I´m probably never going to leave.
As you can see, everything is good. I hope to spend my next five days in the desert doing a variety of inordinately expensive activities that include some combination of salt flats, sandboarding, archeological tours, 4am geysers and then finally coming home every night to watch my novela and sleep in my big comfy bed.
Me queda muy poco.... (I should be in NY on May 10th).
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