Canada to Patagonia at a Worrying Age

Urgent email from the company that was going to take me on the next leg of my trip…

Considered Passengers:

Ours ferry Magallanes have suffered a mecanic flaw, therefore we inform you that ours travel had been suspend for the trip of 6 th of February 2006.
Acording to this your money its given back to your credit card, in the next 48 hours

Thank you in advance for your atenecion and understanding us.

Navimag.
Ferries.

FYI there is one ferry a week. I was booked onto Monday´s. I think Chile is now at an end…

Still, at least I wasn`t on Mike`s tip in the Wolverhampton race. Thank Heaven`s for small mercies.

OK – finally left Santiago today and utilising the advice of the woman in the Tourist Office, headed for San Fernando on the train. It`s important to remember that this woman was clearly mad. In fairness I suppose any small town will be dull on a Sunday (and it has livened up a bit post 6pm), but this is a one-horse, multi-stray dog joint. However, it does have an open bookies – the first I´ve seen in South America.

After a slightly worrying 45 minutes of trying to secure a bed I finally found one about one minute from the railway station. It`s 20 quid a night and some serious economising may well have to come into play now I`m in the expensive countries of the continent. Did consider putting my wedge on the 4.45 from Villarrica, but without Mike`s advice, there`s a danger I might have won, so didn`t bother.

Noticed that there were buses with `Centro` written on them. From where? Turns out the cemetary and the hospital were the destinations. The alive and healthy people here are lovely, though – generally very friendly and helpful.

Still, carry on moving south tomorrow – perhaps to finally catch up on some the famous Chilean landscape now I`m a way from limited visibility of the mountains around SdC.

Good to see United saw off the mighty Wolves, although tempered by L`pool`s lucky squeeze through.

I`ve had emails and now comments advising me not to moan. OK – it`s 30 degrees outside and I`ve not got work in the morning. Very, very happy about this. OK? And finally I`m approaching the place in the title. All good.

Finally, has anyone got a Motorola mobile phone tools disc that they could send to an address yet to be published? If so let me know. Would be useful for when I replace my notebook. Cheers.

(Today`s song is Tainted Love – Soft Cell`s version, simply because it`s on in this cafe and was a suitable blast from the past.)

The office I had to go to is in the ´burbs a couple of blocks from a stop on the very efficient Santiago Metro. The area is one of general law enforcement all crammed into one space just off ... [Continue reading this entry]