Vallenar to Calama

2211 Switching to new email, will leave prev one in outbox waiting for a connection before it slips out into the world.

2301 Yay. No sign of bus. Can't wear headphones any more out of paranoia. Several buses with non-functional LED signs, one was announced as 2240 (my bus's time) but to Santiago and had handwritten sign saying 'Santiago' in front. Was a bus to Calama but I asked out of desperation and it wasn't the 2240 and it left about 2235 anyway. I've never missed a bus yet but there presumably will be a first time.

There is a nice little dog here which seems to be good at playing up the 'lost dog' card. Looks soulfully at people, puts its paw out, etc. I hope someone takes it home eventually.

There appears to be a small tear in the fabric of my bag. Seems a bit shit, esp as not aware of having exposed it to any unfair strain. It is only small and it will last out this trip easily I expect (touch wood) but will have to look into the 'lifetime warranty' on the thing when I get home. I wonder if I could find the paperwork for buying it if I needed to. Anyway, sufficient unto the day. Wish this fing bus would get here. It's worse when I can't listen to music for fear of missing something. AFAICT (though I'm not finding the rare announcement super comprehensible) has been no announcement about it. And it's not as if I'm potentially a bit pushed for time on arrival in Calama anyway.

Half an hour ago there was a bus every ten minutes, it's gone dead as fuck since. Traffic congestion?? Fuck knows. Why tell me anything?

2309 Woo, a bus just turned up. It's the 2315 to Santiago. Could there be congestion northbound? I have no fricking idea what the scheduled time of that earlier Calama bus was.

Fuck it, I am putting headphones back on. I tend to hear announcements anyway, plus I am sat out on the small platform area and can see every bus pull in.

2319 On bus, it just got here. A chap checked my ticket as got on so at least certain is right. Seems a bit shit for cama, no overhead rack yet struggled to get my bag under seat, if not for fact have the leg rest 'covering' where the bag protrudes would probably be shittily uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood but super-unimpressed. Oh well, it's not *that* bad even if it really is pretty poor.

1150 Just got to hotel. I have just received an email, sent one minute ago, saying all visits to the mine are suspended until further notice. Life, eh? Still, at least I got it before trogging the two or three kilometres to the bus terminal on foot to be there for 1pm.

Hotel is OK, basic but cheap and clean, as expected, and CLP26k for two nights is not to be sneezed at.

I think I will go get food then trundle back over to bus terminal to buy a ticket to Arica; didn't want to waste time when arrived there as it was about 1115.

1239 At small restaurant round corner from hotel waiting (they said 20 mins; btw I had to negotiate to not get it with sauce or mayonnaise, wtf?) for quarter roast chicken and chips. I have booked a hotel in Tacna for Sat & Sun with free cancellation up to midnight tonight; after this I will go to bus terminal but think plenty of time and also probably best to be in better frame of mind post eating. Guide book says 9h bus from here to Arica, I had been thinking 6. But I still think it's best to do it during day Saturday and cross border same day. If I get a 9am bus would be there 6pm which is about sunset but not end of world. There are buses (cheaper) every half hour or collectivos across border, I have personal experience of latter in reverse direction and have little fear of being stranded at the border at 6pm. I might get an 8am bus if possible, that would be a bit sucky but I can obviously rest on bus and not planning a big night out here on Fri.

Not v comfortable on bus last nights, arms and especially hands and feet sort of numb, fuck knows, no doubt I have some horrific disease. Did sleep but not brilliantly. Didn't get given anything to eat or drink at all.

Anyway, will terminate this entry and start fresh one for today in Calama.