I started the day with a wonderful breakfast. This being a German hostal, they even had salami! The rolls were crispy and fresh, just great.

Afterwards, I was asked if I would mind to move rooms and I went to pack my bags. I had noticed the evening before my DEET mosquito spray had leaked, but did not think much of it as it had been in a side pocket anyway and just threw the thing away, thinking it would dry.

Now, I had a better look at it. It turns out it had burnt throught the plastic bag it was in, then leaked all over the pocket, reaching the inside as well. Now, DEET is horrible stuff and the places where it had gotten to were all black goo. I foolishly tried soap, then alcohol but neither made much of an impression. So I just emptied it out and put it outside, hoping it will dry. Any household tips on how to get rid of this stuff welcome...

I had a shower and an attack of self-pity. On the Pullman bus to Copiapo I had snatched a cord of my rucksack and it snapped, which didn't bother me at the time but suddenly it seemed the world was out to get me, with having to move rooms, the arrogant owner yesterday and now the DEET... not to mention the fact that there was no hot water in the shower.

I stormed off to the town centre, in a petulant mood and feeling like hitting someone. There were a few likely candidates: the three guys,of which one wore a see-through t-shirt, going 'holaaaa', the begging women asking money for milk for their baby (which they didn't have with them) then asking rudely 'and why not' when I refused, or the guy whispering in what he thought was a seductive voice 'hey gringita'. All things I've shrugged off or even found amusing for months but now made me want to punch their lights out. Even the fact that it's sunday and siesta, ie that everything is closed, managed to annoy me.

But I think the one that got closest to being shouted at was the girl at Ripley's where I went in for some retail therapy: you're only allowed three pieces in the fitting rooms and she asked 'don't you have a friend or something?' in a tone as if she thought I was mental for shopping by myself. She got within an inch of having the clothes thrown at her, but I breathed in deeply, said 'no', hung the extra stuff on a hanger right in front of her, daring her to comment, then went into the dressing room.

I love travelling by myself because it gives you freedom, but there's a few truths the world in general and South America in particular hasn't woken up to yet:
1. sitting by yourself and reading a book does not automatically entail that you want to be disturbed and want conversation. Usually it means you want to read your book.
2. if a double room costs 10.000, a single room should cost 5.000, not 8.000. Single people do not take up more space than one half of a couple.
3. I am not available to anyone with a penis just because I am white and by myself
4. a table for one by the toilet/kitchen/exit is not attractive under any circumstance
5. it is entirely possible to go shopping by yourself and you can even make a decision on which clothes suit you without a second opinion
6. Being by yourself should does not necessarily make you an easy mark for fortune tellers, beggars, shoe shine boys, artesania sellers etc and they should not be so surprised at the ability of a single person to say 'no'
7. And the one it all boils down to: people without boyfriends (or, as in my case as an honorary single for four months, boyfriends far away) are not freaks.

Well, as you can probably tell this is something I can get furious about. In a world where there are more single people than ever, you are still considered as an oddity, something abnormal. I hate the judgement that people seem to make on the basis of singledom, a judgement that, like any form of discrimination, seems to come from ignorance and fear.

Anyway, it's all the fault of my DEET leaking. If that hadn't happened, you wouldn't have had to read this rant on the rights of singles... But there you go, my Bridget Jones moment is over. I feel better now.