Mendoza, Thursday

Wed 0018 Prob looked this up before, but quick poke at web suggests it takes two weeks to acclimatise to heat, and it takes a couple of days for process to start (I think this is part of the two weeks). You need about 2h exposure a day doing light exercise, so aircon isn't necessarily going to slow the process down unless I camp indoors all day.

1632 At Bon Cafe - which is *air conditioned*, yay - getting medium coffee, 2 croissants and a juice (70, will prob make it 100). Just had 2 apples and 3 bananas on street purchased from a fruit stall I happened to come across. Bought ticket to Santiago for Saturday, was going to trog over and book either trek or bus tour for Friday then rebelled - I am feeling shit, have to be up early Sat for Santiago, not in mood for dragging myself up super early Fri too, just not that bothered about this tour or small trek up that mountain, so decided sod it. Maybe another time I visit.

Got up maybe 1030 after snoozing pleasantly ish on alarm. Didn't leave house til 1pmish IIRC, didn't see host or other guest(s).

Enough waffle for now. Read book on phone and try to relax.

1652 OK. Just to ramble a bit. The Mendoza-Santiago trip is about 7h. I dithered quite a lot while loitering in bus terminal but I figured it's a bit too short to do overnight - if you leave here at say 2145 you're getting into Santiago at arse o'clock in the morning with probably no ability to check in. I also sort of want to do it in the day in case there are good views. But - especially if I'm airbnb-ing an apartment - I may have to be checked in at accom by 8pm, which meant I kind of had to chose 1000 departure. You need to be there half an hour before, I can't assume I'll get a taxi near my current accom and it's a fair hike - call it 45 mins, maybe more - so even with 1000 departure I'm looking at having to leave house 0845 or earlier (just hope host isn't going to be asleep at that time).

Was feeling decidedly like I was/am rushing around like fucking crazy. TBH I am a bit dubious whether I'll enjoy myself in Santiago, but I think it's a slight low mood talking there.

1729 Been to bog to finally stash bus ticket and cards (brough both credit and debit out as not sure what might be acceptable; was able to use Halifax Clarity in the end, though in hindsight brining aqua card instead might have been better since I at least get cashback on that) and cash (since I couldn't assume bus ticket could be paid on card, and also intended to be buying tour of some kind). Feeling a bit better though not super "happy" I'm making good use of my time. I need to just relax and try to meander and observe a bit. Prob get a small coffee before I go, wander a bit then try to find somewhere to eat. Just *may* have a beer or two (since I may not want to be out Fri night, given early start) but we'll see how it goes. I may be out Sat night in Santiago if all goes well.

Feels good to have stuff stashed, I must say.

Bit leery of walking back to house after dark but was OK yday and I won't get lost today, plus not intending to stop out very late.

1739 Ordered cafe grande (45); this is black so negligible calories (as with the medium just had; not so much the croissants and juice) and I'm already in for a tip and by time finish this will have a briefish wander and see about food and maybe beer. Feel slightly I should be doing "more" (activity, socialising, whatever) but probably irrational. Phone batt is mildly limiting at 61% but be OK.

Address of this place is Av. Além 21. Slightly sterile and currently mostly empty but not too bad on the whole.

Bus ticket was 1200; that's semi-cama, cama was 1400. I asked a few places and price fairly standard. One did tell me 1050 for semi-cama but their bus left at 1030 and I felt that would be pushing it further than desirable on arrival time (plus they only took cash, which probably works out about 5% more expensive than paying by card by the time you factor in the cash machine fees).

I was feeling a bit pushed this morning at terminal with need to get over to the tour agencies after. I hope tomorrow to get up 10ish, ask about using washing machine, then go out for a more chilled wander for the day, since apart from needing to be up early Sat I will have nothing I have to do tomorrow. Will book accommodation in Santiago back at house tonight; need to take some care over it, though may be willing to take a chance on a central-ish but new-to-me area if it seems cheap or interesting; I can always get a cab home from Pio Nono if I want/need to. (Plus plan is to spend a week there; if I get bored - which I doubt - that's almost good, I can just chill out quietly - then try Concepcion. However long I spend in Concepcion will be back in Santiago at least briefly after, so I can always stay in a "better" place in Santiago on that second stint if the first one doesn't work out. But do want to exercise some judgement in selecting where to stay.)

Bought two litre bottle of carbonated water (with a sort of soda syphon gadget on top! Doesn't seem to work for me, I unscrewed top) this morning on walk to terminal (ARS50); drank most of it on the walk in, still lugging remains round in a carrier bag now. Used some of it to wash apples off; I don't normally bother washing fruit back in UK but feel compelled to abroad.

1845 Been mostly staring out of window and mulling, not feeling amazing but not too bad, moderately positive thoughts. Will get bill and go wander for food shortly.

1852 Interesting. Bill 115 and then they have added a suggested tip of 11.50. This suggests a raw 10% tip is generally fine. I was probably going to tip 30ish, will make it 130. Useful info, I think. Place may actually be *Bom* Cafe FWIW.

2014 Been walking round trying to find somewhere cheapish with acceptable menu. Knackered. At Berlina in Sarmiento (corner 9 de Julio), looks like they do small pizzas. Sitting outside, no idea if will get any service but let's wait and see. Also seems to be associated w Patagonia beer, may be pricey but might be OK for a couple of beers. May get taxi home but not too late anyway. It's warm/hot out but not too bad.

2024 Spoke to waitress, had to go in to order pizza. No sign of beer prices anywhere. Ordered pizza especial at 120 and paid 230 (no tip yet) with a small looking pint of Patagonia golden ale. May go elsewhere for another pint or two after this, this beer price isn't terrible but not great and as I say it looks a damn small pint, tho that may be misleading. If so will prob pop in and tip 20ish before leaving.

2046 Pizza not huge but OK, went in and tipped 20 (bit low maybe but then again it's not full service, is it?). At another place down Sarmiento (poss called Bremen something but not sure), got litre bottle of Andes for 135ish (plus tip), will have this then go home.

2054 Bugger. Left my mostly empty bottle of water and carrier bag (luckily a smallish one) on table at Berlina. Not going back, prob gone by now and I haven't paid for current beer here anyway. Not the end of the world but annoying. I already left it behind at Bom Cafe once but realised almost immediately and popped back for it. Annoyingly that means if I buy a bottle of water on way home I don't have a carrier bag to carry it in, but not end of world - obviously can't be given a carrier bag when I buy water, that would kill the planet.

2159 Brilliant, the normally-doesn't-work feature to activate camera without unlocking phone has gone off in my pocket to drain battery further. Bill 138, paid 150 which is bit low but OTOH got no change back or acknowledgement on the receipt thing I paid 150 so tis OK, fuck 'em. Prob gonna walk home but play it by ear, will buy water en route if can. Fingers crossed.

2229 Home. Stopped in for bottle of water just after leaving bar - bit pricey at 60 for 1.5 litre (sin gas this time) but hey, it was late and well worth it. No shit getting back, a few people on street including what seemed like a rugby club practicing on small athletic ground en route (mildly disturbing to see from a distance people sprinting round in a group, but rapidly realised it wasn't A chasing down B). Some woman - gf/wife of host? - said hi to me from lounge and fellow airbnb guest in her room with door open exchanged "buenas noches" as passed into my room. Sweltering. Don't like to shower after drinking but it was 3 pints, gonna "chill" (purely metaphorical, alas) for 30-60 mins then shower. Will investigate Santiago accom in 30-ish mins; not that I'm really drunk but might as well sober up first. Do appear to have successfully charged power bank again (tho fucking phone sucked the thing dry overnight, no idea why but hey, it's Android, so...).

2348 OK, I've just booked an apartment in Santiago (no air con, 2nd floor so prob no views but otherwise sounds good - and I've never had air con in Santiago AFAICR) near Santa Lucia metro for a hair under £26 a night for 8 nights. I cross checked with booking.com and they had no apartments for less than this (without even looking at their locations) after taxes and fees were added. Reviews look good and it's self check-in so apart from fact they allowed me to specify 6-8pm there should be no worries if I am delayed on the bus.

This is about 20 mins walk from Pio Nono according to Google Maps, so I should be good to go out there at night and walk back or if not get a cheap taxi. I think I can occupy myself for eight days in Santiago, I like it there, and if nothing else be good to chill out and do not much some days. This is a smidge expensive but it is within my mental budget. I also dug out an old e-mail and I paid USD80 a night (!) for one booking at Inmoba - still my mental "gold standard" for Santiago apartments, probably irrationally - though they then cancelled that due to electrical problems, but without dredging up a billion old e-mails this suggests £26 a night for a nearly as good location is pretty decent.

OK, quick look at old e-mails, I paid USD65 a night (poss plus 19% tax but not clear, let's assume I didn't have to pay that on top) in Jan 2014. That was in Monjitas which (looking at Google Maps) from a narrow "getting to Pio Nono on foot" perspective is perhaps *slightly* better, but not that much. Google suggests spot USD rate was 1.65 at that point, which makes that a hair under £40 a night. So really (assuming Santiago itself has not got cheaper) this suggests airbnb or general market economics have worked in my favour, especially bearing in mind the current spot rate is maybe 1.3 at most.

No further analysis. This is still *relatively* expensive but I think well worth it for the freedom of a place to myself in a city I like (we'll see if I still do), and as I say it is within budget.

Google Maps says Inmoba is permanently closed; didn't try to book there and not researched this further but FWIW.

0011 Not exactly tired but not not tired, will go to bed and read on phone in bed til I drop off. No regrets yet about not booking onto any kind of all-day activity for Friday.

Did briefly wonder about staying in a hostel in Santiago. I do intend to experiment with hostels and socialising on this trip, but so far been experimenting with airbnb (which has a social aspect when renting rooms not whole apartments). Also, while - let's be honest - I would like to be able to socialise with other travellers and have a few beers etc - I would *rather* meet locals if I can and staying in a hostel ain't so hot for that. Plus I really (assuming nothing has changed) do like Santiago and want to hang around on my own in the city and see what happens without any hostel shit, either feeling awkward or (dream on) getting sucked into hanging round the hostel socialising (or hoping to socialise) or going out with hostel people socialising. Plenty of time for that sort of shit later on.

To be scrupulously fair it may be that some hostels will have Latin American travellers rather than English-speaking ones and there is a slim chance I could get chatting with them; I shouldn't blindly assume all hostels will be dominated by English speakers (even if ESL ones, as with the many Europeans in Guatemala).

Feel quite good ATM. Be good to just wander round Mendoza tomorrow without much pressure, don't relish getting up and out to bus terminal on Fri morning but not a huge deal and it will be nice to settle down in a private place (I will probably try to cook for myself a couple of times too) in Santiago for a week.

Anyway, as I said a while back, bed.