Concepcion-Chillan

1236 On bus at Concepcion, due to leave 1240. Got here about four mins ago, paid for ticket (2500) on Clarity card contactless - it's not a big expense but it's probably safe and it all helps keep cash withdrawals down.

Only realised when sat on bus that I had been pronouncing the "ll" in Chillan in an English not Spanish way when bought ticket, probably due to pronouncing it incorrectly to myself in head. Not a big deal but felt a bit stupid. No one corrected me, I just suddenly twigged.

Got up just after 11, showered, packed, left airbnb a few mins before 12. Due to 1.6l water and maybe those two packs of peanuts bag felt bit heavy so wore it as a backpack; bit uncomfortable but prob a bit better than carrying it in hand and feeling lop-sided.

Bus is semi-cama, slightly tatty but not really bad and it's only a short trip. Let's message airbnb now.

Oh, was a tight squeeze but managed to get bag minus daypack (which is at my feet as usual and contains water and fleece) into the overhead luggage rack. Not sure if there is option to put stuff in boot on this service, maybe if I'd asked I could have.

This *might* be my last bus (coach) journey until Brazil, if I can get train from Chillan via Twhatsit to Santiago. Though there will hopefully be a minibus trip or two related to start/end of hiking tours from Twhatsit.

1855 El Restaurante de Moe (as in The Simpsons). Mouth dry as fuck, in theory have litre of Cristal on the way but looks like they're probably only bringing it with food. Pretty shitty afternoon. Will write more late today/tomorrow when perhaps have bit more perspective.

1904 Got beer, 1.2 litre. In a bit of luck, I've got a winning bottle top which I think gets me the same again, but I need to take the bottle top and the returnable bottle somewhere so to be honest it seems unlikely I am going to claim it.

2020 Food not bad, chicken (pollo a la planca) not huge portion but enjoyed it. Feel bit pissed but would sort of like another beer. Getting a coffee for now anyway. May walk out with the retournable bottle, tomorrow will be an admin day (booking flights, acoom/train for Twhatsit, finding a self-service laundrette since new accom after airbnb fuckup has no washer available) so maybe I can go into somewhere and see if can get a full replacement.

Bit iffy about walking back after dark but prob OK.

2030 Got coffee, don't think will have another beer, do feel a bit pissed. Hope can buy water on way home tho have got fair quantity left from bottle was lugging around all day.

2058 Off. Confused. Bill with tip seemed to be 7000 but got 2100 change from 10k note. Meh. Taken all the change, 7900 is OK for food+1.2 lt beer+coffee and fairly sure I've given a tip already. Taking empty beer bottle with me, WTF. Still feel bit pissed.

Place is corner Riquelme and Constitucion.

2128 Home. Stopped off at corner shop for overpriced cachantun with gas (990) but still dubious about claims this place is 10 mins from centre. Didn't feel unsafe on way home, saw a nice cat (that sort of light/dark browny splodgy pattern which is a classic pattern I don't know name of - tabby??) which came to me and let me stroke it a bit as it rubbed up.

Carrier bag developed hole in bottom as I clinked the street door shut and beer bottle fell out but didn't break. Have fridge in room, not sure how well it's working, and aircon, which is nice but a) never missed it in other places in Chile so far b) landing on this house does feel hot in the extreme.

Only had that 1.2lt beer but do feel a tiny bit pissed. Ideally would have had more non-alcoholic liquid before drinking it but the way things fell out wrt time didn't happen.

Was twilighty/darky as coming home but as say rightly or wrongly didn't feel unsafe.

Upper landing here has two mats which are slip-tastic, noticed earlier when first arrived, but meh. Room is large and quite nice in general. Mixed feelings if fallen on feet or not re airbnb fuckery, but write up in full tomorrow or later.

Right now gonna sober up for an hour or two with some water than maybe see if can book Brazil flight before (if hasn't already) price soars.

Today is definitely "strike 1" (to probably misuse the sports jargon) for airbnb. Be foolish to boycott them right now but this is a fucking wake up call that all isn't plain sailing; there was simply no need for today's mess to have happened.

Thu 0024 So help me God, I've just booked a flight with Sky, an airline so budget they even charge you to take a carry-on bag. The flight leaves Santiago at 9am which means I'll have to pay through the nose for a private transfer to the airport (given I need to be there for 6am), but a) that will still cost less than the price difference for a flight leaving midday-ish which would let me use public transport b) has the advantage I should be arriving in Sao Paulo early afternoon and can thus have the fear-reducing properties of daylight to aid me in getting to my ho(s)tel (not booked yet) and ideally popping out to a nearby cheap eatery. Flight has cost me USD113, I paid on my Clarity card to avoid any foreign currency fees; I don't think I could have paid in GBP if I'd wanted to. (Half wish I'd brought my aqua card instead/as well; 0.5% cashback isn't a lot, but every little helps. Oh well. Of course there's tension here as don't want to expose myself to more express kidnapping etc risk than necessary.) I booked directly on their site, other places had the base flight for more money than the base flight on Sky's own site and I don't think they were rolling in any of the extras.

Scrupulously fair - if you don't pay for hand baggage you do get to take a small "under seat in front of you" "handbag" anyway, so if you were a local going to visit a friend or similar you just might be able to usefully fly without paying for any extras, though I'm dubious. Still, even with the extras they were easily cheapest and if the leg room bites I can cope for 4h, plus I'm small anyway. I did pay USD7 to pick a seat; "better" seats were more but I got an aisle seat and that's all I really care about.

Still need to write up today's airbnb fuckfest but just a random note - while waiting outside the original booking, I noticed a grey spider (maybe an inch overall diameter) scuttling around on my bag. It wasn't so large as to be terrifying but it did seem to have some (whiteish?) fangs on the front which moved about and gave it a relatively imposing appearance for its size.

IIRC host woman actually lives next door, but seems a bit hard to believe given number of personal knicknacks etc on ground floor. In any event it seemed pretty dark and quiet inside when got back, so I must admit I have actually got Howsarlock on the room door. Door frame is actually too deep for it to properly fit but probably is doing some good. Don't get me wrong, I'm not serious nervy or anything, but there's no lock on the room door and although the "garage" door to the street locks, I think the actual house doors are not locked - they were open when I got back and I didn't get given a key for them - so just feels a bit nicer to be able to at least try to lock myself in.

There is at least a socket nearish to the bed, so although it's honestly about 50/50 if phone charges or drains slowly even though plugged in, at least there's a chance of it having topped up in morning.

Can't help feeling there's something else I should be doing but prob go to bed shortly - it's 0038 now. Not really tired but not not tired. Hope (unlikely but never know) to be up earlyish, check out accom situation in Twhatsit then go into town to a) do laundry (no washer in this accom, unlike failed airbnb, and it's shared bathroom so don't really feel can do it myself in sink) b) buy a train ticket to Twhatsit c) just have a bit of a wander.

Do have a double bed here and it seems pretty comfortable.