Vallenar, Wednesday

0848 I must be fucking nuts, I'm sat in the plaza (Plaza O'Higgins) waiting for the 9am chimes.

1201 Captured chimes on video (why oh why can't the camera have a sound-only recording mode like the Casio I used to have? The video is 700MB and I feel compelled to keep it, but that's a big chunk of storage when I'm not at home. I also recorded on phone with Smart Voice Recorder but figured quality would be better on camera. I might recompress the video later on, the camera inevitably can't afford the CPU time to do a decently tight encoding). Went back to hotel, decided not to go back to bed, fiddled with that video a little (xz lossless compression didn't help, not much surprise), showered, packed. Chap let me leave bag at hotel when left just now. Going to have pizza then walk over to other side of town where OSM shows a bridge, WTF, nothing else to do. Bus 2240, said I'd be back at hotel 9ish. Fruit mid-afternoon and perhaps lard out on chicken, rice and chips this evening. Eating too much but meh.

Oh, am seriously leaning towards getting an earlyish bus Calama-Arica (say 9am) then I'd probably be in Arica 3pm ish and could feasibly cross the border to Tacna without feeling too rushed or adding stress by doing it at night. I could then spend two nights in Tacna giving at least one full day and maybe most of the following day depending on bus out. That would save 'wasting' a night in Arica, the place is perfectly nice but I have been there before and this journey up through northern Chile has swallowed up quite a bit of time already and probably be better to press straight on to Tacna. Will probably mull this over and try to book something in Tacna once I am at hotel in Calama. No emails from mine tour people to tell me if am on waiting list or not, but I am going to Calama now anyway and I've done all I can and I will just turn up and hope.

1412 OK, had pizza and diet coke and then nursed a large espresso but time to get bill, have slash and go for a walk.

Bill 7250, making it 8000.

1912 At place came last night, Billboard on Prat. Having 1(.2) litre of Cristal and no food; I am not hungry having had pizza and fruit earlier, so silly to eat. Walked over to other side of valley, quite nice views and sort of cool to be seeing something a smidge obscure (from a tourist perspective). Then over past bus terminals partly to be sure I could locate TurBus tonight and to see if the old railway station had anything interesting to look at; if it did I missed it. Then wandered a bit, got fruit and water and 1.5 litre diet ginger ale and stood in street for ages eating and feeling slightly bloated and musing over stuff. Then into square for brief sit and use of free wifi for mail before coming here. In square hearing church bells play some tune didn't recognise for 7pm felt slightly sad to be leaving and probably never coming back, but while pleasant and sort of relaxing the place is a bit dull and as I always say better to be sad to be leaving that pleased.

2059 Still got bit left but paid, 2.5k, make it 3k but didn't want to say that to waitress so she will have to trog back over with change which I will leave on table.

2133 At terminal. Left bar 2115, had bag by 2125. Walk over bit dark but loads of pedestrians plus ended up following group of guys anyway so no worries. Two guys in a van asked me for advice, say I was a tourist but would help if I could but they dismissed me. Noticed earlier but again just now there is small shop near terminals called 'Quinta Estacion'. Didn't notice early an oil-painted-ish sign about 'nuestro patrimonio' or something pointing out notable buildings in town. No major details so not a huge touristic loss but still. It mentions the old train station; honestly. the building on the site looks like a small doctor's surgery, I wonder if you can go inside it but it was fair from obvious and I didn't try.

Wish I was at the main terminal not this tiny TurBus one, especially after feeling badly treated when bought ticket here, but meh. Will definitely not rush into buying with TB on arrival in Calama, even if they aren't at a shared terminal there. Touch wood etc but I have two nights there and I would hope therefore that even if I postpone buying my ticket til tomorrow night (not that I intend to, unless I am pushed for time to drop bag at hotel and go to mine tour office for 1pm) I won't be stuck for a bus to Arica on Saturday. Plus I plan to go during the day so semi-cama is super acceptable, clasico also no problemo.

Battery 33% so think wil switch to spare. Recharging both is a minor hassle but probably worth it.

2209 Unusually for me have dug headphones out and am listening at terminal. Half Man Half Biscuit's "Surging Out Of Convalescence" continues to cheer me up (not that I was feeling so down) and has to be a strong contender for personal best song ever.