Well, after mendoza i decided to head over the andes to visit Santiago for the weekend, and then head up to Lima. And im glad i made that decision. Santiago was indeed kinda expensive, but it really wasnt that bad. I didnt eat out, opting instead to cook for myself at the hostel, which saved some serious $$$. Most expensive thing was my hostal...which only cost $9usd a night and was a fucking cool hostel called...Casa Roja. It was the most english speaking hostel ive ever been to....there were no signs in spanish, and everyone there spoke english. They even hired the people staying there (usually they would work a few hours a day in exchange for a free bed) Everynight everyone sits around drinking cheap chilean wine or beer. On thursday, when i arrived i was too tired to go out, hell i didnt even finish my Liter of beer. On Friday, i walked all over town, visiting 4 measumes and a park. National History measume, Pre-Colombian Art Measume (my fav.), Museo de Santiago (city history), y Museo de Bellas Artes (with nice art), and Parque Cerro Santo Lucio (cool little hill with a great view of town with the all the buildings, smog, and towering andes en the background.) Then i had dinner at the hostel and proceeded to get really drunk with my fellow backpackers, including one fellow Texan (Rob) who went to UT and studied history and is doing the exact same thing that i am, but he is only just starting his trip. Then after we all caught Taxis to this club which had a very expensive cover of 4.000 pesos chilleno (almost 8 bucks). While waiting in line there for a drink, i met these two beautiful chillean sisters who invited me to sit with them and drink. Then they invited me to come home with them for an "after party." On Saturday, I was too hungover to do much of anything so i hanged around the hostel most of the day. Then i stepped out a night to see some heavy metal bands that were performing at a nearby venue. Fuckin rockin bands, but i wasnt in the mood.
On Sunday, i visited 3 museos....Modern art (had a pop art display called Fluxus), Natural History (lots of animal bones and rocks), and a mueso of Banned art that didnt seem edgy enough to be banned, but then again im not sure how strict the dictatorship that my country put into power in chile really was. Then i downed a bottle of cheap chillean wine and hopped on an 18 hrs bus ride to Antofagasta. Fucking shitty bus ride, not much to see out the window as i was driving through mostly desert during the day, and at night,,, well i couldnt see shit. So, now im in Antofagasta killing time before i head to Arica, then to Tacna, then to Lima, then home. Antofagasta kinda sucks, not much going on here, but i had to break up my Santiago to Lima trip, cuz 50 hrs on a bus is not something im ready to do. Man my trip is almost over, what a fuckin trip man! In this final strech of my trip so many memories and thoughts flood my head. Happy times, bad times, mistakes, regrets, loves, lessons, and even thoughts of home. Id like to be able to sum my trip up into one neat little conclusion for the benifit for my readers and curious travelers but its fucking impossible. All i can really say is dont hesitate for a second to get out there and see the world...no matter where you go, especially south america...its going to be FUCKING BADASS!!!!! Ill holler at yall in Lima and then from my home in Irving, TX to give yall more perspective, stories, and pics of course.
Laters!