An interesting night

There was karaoke on at Snack Bar Top's last night. I was strong and didn't sing, perhaps for the best as the standard was pretty high. It was quite diverting, about 4am a woman sat at the table next to me asked me if I was on my own and invited me to join her group. I talked with them (in bad Spanish) until they chucked us out at 5am, then we went to a sort of nightclub which was open surreptitiously late for people in the know until about 7am. One of the guys (a renewable energy engineer, as it happens) then drove us over to some street kiosk where we bought hot dogs, then they gave me a lift back to my hotel. They seemed quite keen for me to go to Pan de Azucar with them, although I don't know when, but I said I had already bought my bus ticket to leave the next night, which was true of course. I gave the two women (the only ones who asked) cards with my e-mail address on, although as always I don't expect anything to come of it. This exchanging contact details with people you've just met and will never see again just seems to be the done thing.

I walked down to the beach instead of going into the hotel, it was just getting light but was very quiet. There was an absence of stranded jellyfish for some reason. I got back to the hotel about 8am and slept somewhat fitfully until about 5pm. I've packed, except for a few clothes I am giving a little extra time to dry and will pack later, went out to get something to eat and am now back at the hotel killing time (and maybe uploading some photos) until it's time to do that last bit of packing and go get the bus.

I feel today was a bit wasted, I had half hoped to get up by about midday and wander round a bit and maybe get my haircut, but I guess last night was a better use of time really.

Chanaral

The bus was OK, the seat didn't recline fully but it was still pretty comfortable. I dozed fitfully from about 11pm to 4am, when I woke up and got panicky I would miss my stop. In the end it was OK, although it was only because I happened to ask the guy who gave me something for breakfast that I knew. I had expected they would come and tell me when we were there, maybe they would if I hadn't got off anyway but I am not sure. I mean, how am I supposed to know? I'm a tourist and the curtains on the bus were all drawn, so it's not as if I can see where we are even if I could recognise it. (Besides, bus stations never clearly indicate which city they are in when you look out of the window.)

By sheer chance I managed to walk over to the hotel from the bus terminal and they let me check in early, at about 9am. The hotel is quite nice although the room is a somewhat dingy and battered monk-like cell off the garden. Passable though. I need to follow up on it but the free wifi doesn't seem to reach to my room so I am writing this in the hotel bar with a nearly flat battery.

Went for a bit of a walk earlier, the views are quite spectucular with the mountains and the beach (possibly the first time I've seen the Pacific). The guide book hints that the beach is toxic as it consists of sand excavated from some nearby copper mine (there is a map showing the former coastline, which suggests there was an impressive amount of material dumped). Apart from a slight tendency to junk it looks quite nice though. I wandered around there and saw a lot of vultures (or possibly condors, I have no idea, and according to the guy at El Bar de Ruperto condors are essentially a type of vulture anyway). I went down onto the beach and found it heavily populated with still living jellyfish and the dessicated remains of their unlucky relatives.

While I was staring at one particular one hoping to watch the tide wash it back into the sea, I turned round to find a dog behind me. It went and sniffed at the jellyfish and then insisted on following me as I walked back off the beach. Fortunately I managed to lose it, and I must admit it seemed superficially friendly and quiet, but I didn't like having it around.

The place is pretty desolate. The only real reason to come here is as a stopover on the way north and to see the Pan de Azucar national park, which I need to go and book this afternoon.

Skies are very clear, this region has a number of world-class astronomical observatories. I just may manage to get a look at the stars, although I am not sure I fancy walking over to the beach at night, the considerably amount of graffiti and empty drink cans imply it's a popular hangout with the slightly dodgier element. Maybe there will be an OK view from somewhere else, we'll see.

I had a quick look on the web just now and it looks like there are rooms available in hostels in San Pedro Atacama when I leave here. I need to book those later today before they fill up, but it's a surprisingly long 10-12h trip from here to there so I need to decide if I am going to do it as an overnight trip or not. The main reason not to try to do that, I think, is that it means I will effectively be here in Chanaral for four full days and while it's probably a relaxing enough place, I am a bit uncertain about wasting that much time. I am feeling the pinch a bit for time.

I have booked the hotel here for three nights but I may end up leaving a day early and just forfeiting the extra night's charge. I need to think about it. If I can get the tour of the park in tomorrow then I have no major reason to stay, if I had all the time in the world it would be nice to relax here for a few days but as it is I'm not sure I ought to.

I am a bit reluctant to go book the tour as (following advice from reception) I am just going to have to go to some ratty-looking kiosk in the street. Anyway, better get it over with.