Chillan-Talca

Sat 1238 At Entre Amigos (corner Argentina and Bulnes) for bistec a lo pobre; sue me. Left airbnb about 1220, got up about 1115, showered, shaved, packed last bits, think all OK. Think slept fairly well tho have memories of waking up 9ish feeling bit ill at ease, perhaps over some dream.

Got a litre of coke zero today; yday they only had small bottles of no-sugar coke. Not healthy I'm sure but whatever.

1307 Very good. TV shows intense rains in Iquique. Lucky I came south from Santiago...

1436 Bill was 6400+600 suggested tip. Got to station about 1420 and allowed on train - which had been in platform since arrived, this is the southern terminus - a few mins ago. Air conditioned (though not perhaps quite as fiercely as I could wish), bit faded (eg seat fabric very worn) but not bad. Windows have "fabric with holes" in pull-down shades which are down, but it is possible to see out of window through them, albeit in a rather pixellatedly fuzzy way. I got a window seat when I booked, so far no one sitting next to me. Quite a lot of ppl on but maybe half full tops so far.

Not sure I have seen/head another English-native-speaking tourist since left Santiago (and I haven't here either). Which is nice in a way (it avoids feeling inadequate about my socialising abilities :-) ) but it's not as if I'm meeting any locals either. Well, I guess airbnb host conversations count a tiny bit. TBH while things haven't been exactly excitement and adventure and really wild things I also don't think I've been feeling lonely yet, and as I think I said other day there was modest social stuff in BA with airbnb host and with various people in Santiago, which really wasn't that long ago.

Three coach train, one coach (coach 3 judging from seating plan and info on back of seat in front me of) is first class; I'm in coach 2 which has a pleasant Tren Al Sur resonance (though it was a 50/50 chance if only two standard/second class carriages).

1707 At hostel, v close to train stn - we got in essentially on time, maybe a minute or two late. Seen v little of town so far due to hostel being so near stn but seems dusty and hot. Hostel is bit odd, there is a moderately nice courtyard (including a small fountain with a large terrapin in, which seems a bit cruel but there you go) and a pool, room is rather cell-like, small with no window, but does have private bathroom which wasn't something I expected.

Phone down to 34%, gonna try to top it up a bit then go out for a wander and maybe some beer, though may go out, buy water and bring it back then go out for beer, depending how it goes.

1717 There is a window in the bathroom, actually.

1910 OK, been reading on phone and it seems to have been charging simultaneously if perhaps slower; at 93% now. Let's go for a wander.

2036 At La Leonera. Been walking ever since last entry, along most of 1 Sur, 1 Norte and 2 Sur. Really struggled to find a bar. Not sure if this is gonna be pricey but assume it will be OK; not seen a menu but ordered litre of Cristal seeing one of few other occupied tables has one. Niceish garden place to be fair.

Quite a few people on streets but loads of places on Google Maps either don't exist (eg Wurlitzer) or are shut. It might be early-ish but hardly really early (eg one bar I didn't go in as all could see was an illuminated sign and a stairwell is listed as shutting at midnight on Google Maps), so fuck knows. Maybe I'm missing something. Google Maps says this place open til 5am, maybe it is a late place. Doubt I will be out that late as not sure about how to get into accommodation from street, but whatever.

Tongue hanging out. Not bought water yet, would have if known be walking round.

Been given 1.2 litre bottle (cap doesn't win another) and four cold hips; is this some legal hack? Meh. Beer.

Bohemian Rhapsody playing/intermittently cutting out.

Beer nice and cool. Have to be careful not to just neck it.

2051 Absolutely wasn't hungry before came her but now feel a bit so; think this is illogical. Dropbox has just decided to blat me out of writing this and create a conflicted copy. Crock of shit.

Music all English language so far. Sweet Child of Mine and now Come Together.

Big garden area, hardly anyone in it. Can't quite relax, wonder if worrying about bill or about access to hostel. Feh.

2114 An advert is coming over the speakers, maybe something about The Loop. Are they using some kind of music video channel for the music?

Nearly (not quite) finished this bottle. Bit worrying. Feel OK, not as pissed as other day in Restaurante de Moe, but still. Might get a coffee before have another. Have asked host via airbnb app when hostel shuts, no response yet.

Didn't see much sign of any tour agency type places on my peregrinations earlier. Not to say there's no possibility of some assistance with visiting near-ish park but Guatemala this is not. "Highway to Hell"

2127 "Sultans of Swing" About three tables occupied other than mine. Still finishing this beer, prob will get a coffee before I chance a second and almost certainly last bottle.

2136 Last mouthfuls of this bottle. Getting a small-but-not-espresso coffee. Should prob have had larger, meh.

Just had "Can't get no satisfaction" , now that "Shook me all night long" song (not sure that's actually title).

2143 Still waiting for coffee. "Wonderwall" . Shouldn't amuse me but it somehow does.

2147 Got coffee. The usual tub of Nescafe proferred for me to fill my cup and then they top up with hot water. Am no coffee snob so fine by me and hopefully suggests not too expensive a place. "Living on a prayer". Sweet brown liquor has done its work and modulo fact have had no reply re closing time of hostel yet feel mildly drunkenly cheery. Still v quiet here though lit one or two more tables occupied. Feel this wasn't a bad choice/lack of choice really.

Since I'm re-reading some Andy McNab novel (Firewall) *and* have pinko-civil-libertarian issues, I'll note that while I've had to show my passport when eg buying train ticket and booking coach tickets, they've generally accepted my credit-card sized laminate copy of my passport when doing so. No one asked for ID on the train or at the hotel today. Just possibly they did when I got last coach, but I think for the internal no-border-crossing journey they didn't - if nothing else, pretty sure they didn't when I got the short bus from Concepcion to Chillan. So were I so inclined, I could easily have offered a home-faked copy of my passport with a different name/photo/number - this home-made credit-card sized laminate is there to provide the details and have a veneer of authenticity for situations like this when I don't have or don't want to dredge of the real thing from my hidden belt, it's not (of course) replete with anti-forgery precautions like the real thing, so faking the details would be near-trivial.

2204 Finished coffee. Feel very slightly pissed but will have another bottle. Modulo problems getting in and fucking dogs having a go from behind their fence (I hope), the hostel isn't far, it's Sat night and for once I'm not in a private home so even less need to worry about disturbing people. "She wouldn't dance with another when I saw her standing there." (whatever it's called)

2207 Getting another bottle. At least my Spanish is up to this level of interaction. ;-) Mildly less flippantly, am mildly pleased with myself I've not had any real problems in this bar arranging the beer and coffee and beer, not that it's high level advanced shit, but still, it feeds my fantasy of being cosmopolitan.

2239 "Take On Me". Again, can't help smiling. Perhaps in part thinking of Literal Video version; not sure had ever seen the video before that, MTV or similar not existing in 80s UK.

2234 Just been for slash. Stairs up to upper floor have no handrail; did not feel remotely dangerous but also delightfully Latin Americanly non-H&S.

2245 Both here and in Chillan - not sure if Concepcion too, maybe but prob not - have had that Latin American thing of walking along street in broad daylight and some fucking dog trapped in a front yard decides to bark its fucking head off at the innocent passer by. It still gives me a turn but in daylight I can just about hack it - logic says if the fucker was loose to get to passers by it would have been killed or tied up by now, because what are the chances I'm the first person to pass - but logic doesn't work so well after dark in a foreign country. This is seriously one of my least favourite things about LA. Street dogs bother me slightly, but while technically more risky they generally seem amiable (am reminded of what that other tourist in Guatemala told me, that a street dog which isn't amiable is gonna get killed by locals) - it's the homeowner's dogs which are the real issue. Not super worried about walk home but writing this for truthful atmospheric reasons.

"Uptown girl". Chubbard might like that, think it's his birthday. Not that have seen him lately.

2307 Quick poke at web earlier suggests water here is safe bit diff minerals may upset tourists. " Karma Chameleon". Was toying w chlorinating some tap water overnigjht, but prob try to be strong and do without given that - chlorine ain't gonna change minerals and while that sounds a bit bollocky web advice, I have done well sticking to "don't drink the water, otherwise don't worry" and should stay with it. Have a bit (not much) of bottled water to swig in morning if feel thirsty and can obv buy some some fresh and chilled water tomorrow morning. (Am dubious about finding a tour/trek but wander tomorrow and see. Also saw some mention of Cerro del Virgen on a sign for a tour bus - a negative, not-included sign - so maybe there's a local hill I can trog up.)

Apropos of nothing did note road signs to the Cristo Redentor statue which I understand sits in the Andes on/near border shortly after our bus finally left the border post as we crossed from Argentina to Chile. No idea how impressive it may or may not be but I suspect it's a relatively rarely visited site by tourists like me, given you probably either have to be driving yourself or go seriously out of your way to visit it.

"Time after time" .

2319 A few people here but at most a fifth of tables are occupied. I find myself wondering if there's some hidden secret of nightlife here I don't get as a tourist or if it is just a bit dead. Still no response to airbnb q. "I'm still standing" . Am feeling a bit drunk but torn re getting a further bottle (maybe w coffee first).

Just noticed they still have a trimmed Christmas tree in the corner.

Batt 37%. It had got down to 78%ish by time I got here tho.

2340 Batt low but... "Come On Eileen" . Laughing.

2347 "Walking on Sunshine"

 0211 OK, I think Dropbox has fucked me over wrt casual drinks. I am now home after 3 1.2 litre botttles. Man I felt lost coming home  but a certaikn qyuality led me to entrance to my accom and also a  bit down road could see party happening. Tambien was g£ad tlk see place down  by la leonora having a relaxded night oyut. Honesrly this is wierd, I am being reated resrrictevly well b

yet at same time amwaware ^f being sensible.

Feh.

Hell, I only arrivded today but I wish I had a few litres of self-contained water tied privately.

0219 What is scary is that I was sat down at La Leronora so comfortably, I passed that other place thinking there was a party on. FFS I don't object to local politics but I also don't want to be the idiot tourist who just automatically agrees with the locals