Chillan, Friday

Fri 1225 At restaurant near-ish to airbnb (on Bules, corner with street can't see) having picked up clothes and going back home to drop them off, as don't want a loss/theft to deprive me of 80% of my clothes. Getting lomo a lo pobre (4800) and a small coke zero.

Not sure if slept well or not. Got up about 1115 and made it to Fast Clean about 1210. Asked if by any chance they'd seen my green Vaseline tin (showed them a blue one) in case it had dropped out of pocket as was scooping out change to pay them yday but they said no; worth a try anyway.

1257 That was very good, two fried eggs and cooked really nicely, large portions of steak and chips, the fried onions how I like them. Actually feel a bit stuffed, which is kind of good. Will probably get a coffee, then go home via Botilleria 911 to return beer bottle and buy fresh water and head straight back out for a general wander.

1317 Sat for ages unmolested, getting quite busy in here now. Flooding in north of country according to TV, photo of Calama (think been there but didn't recognise it) square full of water. Getting coffee. Quick poke at guide book suggests - tho am bit dubious, given it is apparently an ordinary workin school - Escuela Mexico with some murals by famous muralists may be worth a punt this afternoon.

Guide book mentions some area outside town (Termas de Chillan?) where you can hike but I don't see/haven't seen any kind of tours offered and am reluctant to head out on my own (it's 1.25h by bus) for something like that, plus of course it's really a bit late in this stay. I think that's the kind of thing I'd maybe need to be researching and planning a bit in advance, either before I left UK or really sitting down and looking into it and perhaps having time to post questions on web forum first.

Bill 6800 including 10% tip; paid it exactly (if you ask me for a specific tip I tend not to pay more) and unloaded some shrapnel. Might come back here another time though of course am leaving tomorrow. Anyway, let's go.

1437 Back at airbnb. Returned bottle at 911 but they wouldn't give me a deposit back without some kind of ticket. Mildly annoying but fair enough since I actually "stole" the bottle from the restaurant. Obv wonder if this is a mild scam cos I'm a tourist but prob not; they were OK about redeeming my winning bottle top, and they did originally tell me to pick up a new bottle today (so I'd pay for beer but no deposit for bottle, I guess) but of course I didn't want a refill.

Spoke to host, she advised me to have a look inside cathedral and confirmed my guess it would be best to go to Escuela Mexico about 4 when students have left. Also spoke to her and cleaner about my missing Vaseline tin, they hadn't seen it but at least I tried - obviously could have lost it anywhere but it *might* be/have been in house so worth a go.

Didn't buy water at 911, will get some later. Cooling off slightly and using bog before heading out again.

Sat 0001 Have half packed, been watching loads of Youtube videos instead of eg studying or dealing with the zillions of reminders popping up about booking hotels or complaining about return flight. Meh.

Went over to cathedral. Pretty cool inside, very modern but in my non-expert opinion a cool design, huge arches give an impressive effect and draw the eye to the altar and the lack of any pillars inside creates an impressive space. I didn't realise at first (though given the amount of light I could in theory have guessed) that windows in one side of the arches mean if you look towards the altar from the entrance you see no "visible" source of daylight, but looking from the altar to the entrance you see light pouring in from the windows round the edges of the arches. Have photo from entrance but didn't like to take one from altar end as it would have been "face on" to people sitting and praying.

Then went to Escuela Mexico. I did see the murals both on staircase and in hall upstairs but (even though a sign on the hall door upstairs said til 5pm and I was there almost dead on 5pm) both a woman I assume was director on ground floor and another woman who was up (cleaning floor? not sure) in the hall told me they were closing/closed, but they did let me in. Which was nice of them, but of course I felt super rushed and couldn't really have a good old stare. Upstairs woman gave me an English language pamphlet about the murals as I was leaving, but that meant (not that I felt I had time anyway) I couldn't look at them with the leaflet to guide me. Director also came out to ask me if I had been up (or something; due to nerves due to them shutting or Chilean accent or just poor Spanish skills I couldn't understand what either said to me very well) as I was looking at leaflet just outside in street.

Guide book had said donations were welcome (incidentally I would have made small donation at cathedral but couldn't see any collection box!) but partly due to being rushed so not really feeling I wanted to pay and also partly due to not seeing any collection box and being reluctant to just hand a note over I didn't. I had a 2k note tucked in my shirt pocket to be handy, I might have handed over 1k for this hurried look (and I do appreciate them letting me in at all, though also deeply confused given they seemed to have a sign upstairs saying open til 5) but I didn't have a 1k note "loose" for easy access and as I say I was reluctant to hand a note over person-to-person, it felt like it would have been awkward.

EM is near the train station so I just *might* pop in tomorrow en route but I'll have my bag and I'm not that desperate and I feel a bit reluctant. I would have liked to study them a bit more, they were quite impressive but I think I felt too uncomfortable to really feel impressed. If I come back to Chillan in future I would definitely go back, as it is I don't think I'll regret not going back en route to station on my deathbed even if I never go back. See how I feel tomorrow I guess.

Not sure exactly why - don't really think was disappointment re murals - have felt things v unsatisfactory all night. Not done much. Spanish lesson started 10-15 mins late as my phone apparently decided to swallow all messages for that long which got things off to a bad start.

Got bottles of coke and water from 911 on way back - it was out of way but water is almost half price of some places, including one went into on direct route back from EM. I can't believe just how lingering the coke aftertaste is on my tongue, despite having had most of the bottle of water and finishing the coke hours ago.

Don't exactly feel bad but as I say there's this undertone of discontent lurking around for unclear reasons and I just don't feel great.

Wondering if should got to Entre Amigos for another bistek a lo pobre en route to station or if that would be lardy given I might like to eat in Talca tomorrow night. Haven't had any beer today, mildly tempted on walk back from EM but will prob go out and have a few tomorrow night (with it being Fri [oops, Saturday - losing track of day of week :-/] and hostel being central-ish) if I can find anywhere so seemed smart not to.