So High It Touches The Sky
3 December 2005 (Saturday) – San Pedro de Atacama to La Serena, Chile
San Pedro is too touristy and too expensive for my taste. Well, I did enjoy my shower, finally washing off all the sand and salt on my body and a good time existing on the hammock yesterday. I had truly enjoyed myself chatting with Mark who had also arrived from Bolivia on the same day (he had the same curious question – why did he need to pee so much on our second day of the Salar de Uyuni tour?) and Monica whom I had felt some kinship with. So, I certainly could stay another day existing on the hammock.
But, no… I had to get out. I had contacted a friend from Hospitality Club. He lives in Calama but was at the moment in Caldera and promised to write to me if he would be in Calama by this weekend. Having heard nothing from him by nightfall last night, I bought a ticket to Calama.
My original plan was to visit the largest copper mine in the world, near Calama. But it does not open over the weekend. As I also recently received news that my return flight to Singapore is now on 1st January, not mid-January, I decided to travel faster through Chile. So, I guess… forget about the copper mine.
When I arrived in Calama in the morning, I stored my luggage at the Left Luggage (ka-ching!), used the toilet (ka-ching!) and hunted for an internet place (ka-ching but half-price than in San Pedro). Rats, he was still in Caldera. But he invited me to go to Caldera instead. I searched for bus timings and stuff. Nah, the timings were horrid.
I decided to buy a ticket to La Serena directly instead (KA-CHING!!!!!!! It was SO EXPENSIVE!!). Everything is so sky-high expensive! Argh! Oh well, forget it… just spend on the essentials and stop bitching, stop comparing with Bolivia!
I hurriedly wrote to Alejandra from Hospitality Club who had agreed to host me but who had NOT given me her telephone number and to Claudio who had also agreed to host me, and whom I had said, thanks but I would be staying with Alejandra, but who HAD given me his telephone number to warn them of my earlier-than-expected arrival. I hope they read their emails tonight.
The very expensive bus-ride did not even have good bus service – no leg-rest, horrid dinner. Argh, compared to Peru, for its price and service, this was pure robbery. But as travel routes in Chile is just straight – north to south or south to north, the ride was at least comfortably straight with no winding roads. So, I could sleep rather well.
Tags: 10) It's Chile Here
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