Tacna, Saturday

2047 (Peru) In some deserted restaurant near hotel saw when came for cash, having bistek a lo pobre and a coke zero, then will see about beer. Showered and changed, including from cargo trousers to others, feel much better and as it's night and wearing jacket shortage of pockets on these trousers not such a big deal.

Wifi wasn't working, both hotel networks show strong signal but sit there at 'obtaining IP address'. Hope it's transient. Not tried netbook as wanted to come out asap. Hotel moderately plush by my standards, though nothing astounding. Not sure if staff found me strange but sod em. I asked and I can ring the bell to get in (I am not sure I ask right when reception closes) and at least 1am (my example to her) is OK. Prob not be out that late, sitting on fucking bus for 12h is harder work than you'd think but let's see.

2125 Food pretty good, just one fried egg but with rice as well as chips and two possibly fried chunks of some slightly familiar but not identifiable vegetable or fruit. Steak pretty tender. Bill PEN23, will make it 25 or 26 if change permits; as of now I have no coins. It's about 4.6 to the pound, as with CLP I will probably end up acting as if things are cheaper than they are by mentally working at 5 to the pound. OK, got 20+2+5 change from 50 so let's make it 25. Off.

2207 Wandered. Saw plaza, v nice. Come into some bar, can't remember name. PEN10 for a bottle of beer, largish but the chap poured it into a tankard for me so no idea of size nor can I remember the name of the beer. Music here v English pop/rock, not absolutely my taste but could be worse. Looks like there might be a live band on, we'll see. Feeling a little lost but meh.

2216 This place is however on same street as my hotel, slightly over one block away, despite circuitous route took here. We had 'Message in a bottle' just now but now some Spanish language rock which may be Mana but I don't recognise it.

Oh, I was at Hostal Denzel (on Balmaceda) in Calama.

2221 Strange but interesting cover (?) of song I recognise but can't place. "And when the car broke down they got to talking... left before the sun came up that day... It's always summer, they'll never get cold".

Does look like we could have some live music. I am a bit tired but OK so far and it's not far back. Bit short on cash as machine only let me take 400 out and hotel was 220ish but tis OK, it just means I don't have any stashed away so if I lose my 100 bill a bit fucked. But I paid for this beer when I got it, not at all sure if I had to or not, so if I don't run a tab no big worries anyway.

2248 Woo, Mr Brightside. Always reminds me of Ben singing it at the Eat & Drink (RIP).

2303 Oasis, Wonderwall. Am a bit tired but it's OK.

2306 Bittersweet Symphony. There is some more modern music mixed in, eg 'umbrella' and the 'we found love in a lonely place' song.

2313 Robbie Williams, the "are you getting on a bit?" song. There probably *are* bags under my eyes...

2322 Suede, Beautiful Ones. Personal favourite for some reason.

Am intermittently reading Wuthering Heights (for first time ever), incidentally, started it other night. Inevitably provokes the Kate Bush song in my head when I think about it to much.

2337 Green Day, When I Come Around. Band may be coming on. Quite impressed by how many of these songs I know, yes, I am of a certain vintage and so are they, but I was never monstrously 'into' music at that time so I am somehow still surprising myself.

This place is 'next door' (except across street) from Euro Bar, if I forget to look at name when I leave. Not so sure band coming on soon, tho from earlier warm up they will be on. Smidge worried can't get into hotel after 1 but think it does say 24h online and within reason may push it to 130. But that is 330 body clock time and I got up at 0645 body clock time so may not last. Meh. We'll see.

2346 Mmm bop or whatever, Hanson. FFS... And now The Rasmus, the one about "won't stop before I find a cure for this cancer", which is a step up in my uncool opinion. Not hugely busy in here but four or five tables occupied. On furtive glance round I'd probably say most people are 30ish but some definitely younger and a few look considerably older.

2354 Looks like band are coming on.

0209 Band just finished. Superhuman set length. I perhaps stupidly got another beer (my fourth) shortly ago, have second wind and not too pissed and FFS just hope is truly 24h reception, but probably worth risk, been pretty quiet last week since weekend in Santiago and I won't be out again here and blah blah. They played 'borracho y loco' v early (lamento boliviano?) and much more recently did 'tren al sur'. Pretty good in general tho I couldn't understand a lot of what was sung, doubtless in part due to my level of Spanish but also in part due to classic 'pub rock' mangled vocals due to sound mixing.

Would hesitate to say am only foreigner here as could be some weekend Chilean visitors but I could well be the only "Westerner" here, maybe I delude myself.

0223 Oh, the sax player persisted and persists in wearing shades indoors. Maybe they're prescription. Song recognise playing now. Devuelve a mi chica. FFS, it's Hombres G. And Zheyla said they weren't cool. This is way older, I think, than the English language tracks I was naming earlier.

0232 Slightly tempted to go over to band and say thanks and obviously try to scrape a chat, but while not pissed am slightly (only slightly) so and am tired and think it would be awkward. Did slightly hope that LatAm friendliness to random loners would have caused someone to speak to me but not desperate tonight and been a genuinely good night (as long as I can get into hotel) and will just finish this beer and go. If can't get into hotel may try coming back and seeing if place still open but on multiple levels hope won't come to that.

Place was never rammed but not empty either, not exactly emptying out but think people are drifting off. Hopefully later (eg next weekendish) elsewhere can go somewhere like this, maybe in Cusco, need to make plans tomorrow.

0247 In room. Place a bit locked up but woman let me in. She said I have to pay more, I think this is cos they didn't allow for the booking.com overhead on third night. Tis OK, depending on exactly what that extra is I did think 212ish was a bit low but naturally didn't argue. Probably irrationally felt totally safe on walk back, Euro Bar had little cluster of people outside and was another pseudo club looking place which seemed totally open but empty, dunno if that was cos is early or late, was tempted to try but on multiple rational grounds didn't. Anyway, teeth clean then bed and fingers crossed for the extra tomorrow morning not being insane. Not too pissed and don't think I had too much trouble with language with that woman letting me in re extra, but didn't understand everything. Meh. Sufficient unto the day. Am feeling a smidge more pissed now back home but tis OK, not too bad, I am genuinely tired and it being a Saturday night makes it well worth any inconvenience tomorrow from exerting myself tonight.