Weather just slightly cool, but I'm sat here in a short-sleeved shirt and a fleece (not zipped up) and it's fine.
Have uploaded my photos of Arica and left the laptop uploading a slightly carefully chosen set of additional (some are probably duplicates as there's no easy way to prevent it) photos of the Nazca lines. I think I took a picture of every pattern I saw, but some of them will probably require some contrast jiggery pokery to make visible assuming I get copies of them back home.
Oh, I suddenly remembered while walking over here talking to that woman I met at Crazy Bar last night about my problems with continually getting served lomo a lo pobre with the fried eggs cooked crispily. Man, I'm smooth. :-)
(In the unlikely event anyone else is reading this, I might observe that the only correct way to serve a fried egg is with the white cooked firm but NOT CRISPY UNDERNEATH OR AT THE EDGE. I don't know if the crispy ones result from a difference in taste or just careless cooking.)
9:55pm. Still here, feeling just slightly cold which is a bit crap. Oh well.
I do wonder if I'm wasting my time here, I'm sure there is lots of other sightseeing kind of stuff I could do. Maybe I will do a bit tomorrow or Tuesday, although I do need to get some laundry handed in tomorrow and get DVDs burnt and the like. As I waffled earlier, I am kind of treating the time here as a relaxed bonus bit of time in a city I like without trying to pressure myself to 'do stuff', on the grounds that I didn't expect to be back here again for more than one 'useless' night between Easter Island and Buenos Aires. I think that's a good plan but I do have this nagging sense of my 'tourist duty' to see things.
E-mailed the hotel in Easter Island earlier just to be ultra sure the booking hasn't been lost. I'm sure its OK but better safe than sorry. I did note on the confirmation e-mail that March is the start of low season, for what it's worth.
There are a few stars visible overhead, though not enough for me to recognise anything.
Oh, when I bought the soft drinks earlier to allow me to indulge in unlimited imbibing back at the flat, I got two three litre bottles of Coke Zero and a two litre bottle of some non-diet lemon drink (probably intended as a mixer). I hope I can get through all that before I leave. :-) Did spot in my 2005-era guide book that Chileans are apparently one of the biggest, if not the biggest, consumers of soft drinks, drinking on average 100 litres a year. I suspect I drink that much back in the UK (I mean, it's only a two litre bottle a week), but still, interesting bit of trivia.
I do sort of feel I should maybe have stayed in and had a totally quiet night, although I doubt I will be having a particularly mad one as it is. But I knew from past experience there is a certain amount of life on the street on Sundays and since I'd already had one beer earlier and ruined my chances of a totally alcohol-free day already I figured what the hell.
I suspect the evenings on Easter Island will be fairly quiet, though who knows?
I still need to book a hotel near the airport for when I fly back here for that night after, and book myself something in Buenos Aires. With luck I will get round to that tomorrow. Undeniably being a little bit slack.
Oh, I finally checked my credit card and bank statements online (first time in a few weeks, I think) to make sure there have been no dodgy transactions. Superficially all OK, though I noticed my current account was down to eleven quid. A bit scary that, both in terms of "hell, I've spent that much" (of course, there were a few ISA investments and the like coming out too) and "man, I nearly got whacked with an overdraft charge or with my card being refused at an ATM". Transferred a bit over from another account at the same bank (so it took place immediately) so I'm OK again, but still.
Oh, assuming I am now right about the time (I need to find a trustworthy clock or get round to checking on some web site), the laptop is wrong. I don't know why.
As random colour, as I was walking back to the flat from my late and minor lunch, there was a woman singing "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte" rather well, accompanied by a bloke on a keyboard, at one cafe I passed. Was vaguely tempted to sit down and have a drink there but it was quite busy and I didn't. Pretty cool in a strange way all the same.
I haven't really eaten today, unless you count the pizza at 5am. I finished it when I eventually got up and then there was that tiny ham & cheese sandwich. I think I just saw someone get served with food and was vaguely tempted to try and order something, but I'm not really that hungry. It's not as if I need it to counteract the beer tonight and maybe if I do get hungry in the night it will help me drag myself out of bed. I do hope to get up about 9 or 10 tomorrow, and given I'm unlikely to be out late I think I have a chance, although I am sure my sleep patterns are a bit messed up right now and I can vaguely imagine staying up til 2 or so looking at random crap on the web if I'm not strict with myself.
As I write this drivel, it is driven home to me just how much I am writing this blog for Future Steve, even a lot of the 'meat' is a bit dull for the random reader but this stuff can only have the most minimal interest. Still, since all my friends are working, I guess it's possible even reading this will provide a welcome respite from the labours of the day. :-)
11:20pm. Just ordered my third litre, I am sort of enjoying myself in a quiet way though I appreciate my consumption of beer is not technically 'quiet'. From overheard conversation I gather they are open til 1am, which surprises me a little, but what the hell. Decidedly slowing down my consumption now and I doubt I will exceed three litres. A tiny bit of chat with a big group at the table next to me, but nothing excessive. What the hell, it's still a relatively quiet night.
Midnight. Ok this a bit odd. The group next to me invited me to join them. I feel I was a drunk twat but I am starting to think I naturally feel that when I speak to locals, I really was not and am not that drunk. Quite a decent chat with a couple of them. They left (of course I wonder if they could have invited me to join them, but given it's Sunday night I suspect they were going home to sleep ready for Monday at work, it's easy to forget people have to do that in my current lifestyle) and am now sat inside the bar as they are closing, am clearly the last one here tho the bar next door has tables outside where people are still drinking. I feel rather awkward but will see how it goes, if I can finish this third litre without totally fucking the staff over I will. The awkwardness is of my own making, no one has said anything and they seem very pleasant. They are very clearly clearing up etc though. Oh well, it's all experience.
OK, I just asked if they were waiting for me to leave and they said yes, so I left the remains of my third pint. Slightly disappointing (especially since I have gathered from UK barstaff they often have a drink or two post closing) but better not to be more annoying than I can help, and I guess if I cut my drinking short it makes it more of a quiet night. Am writing this in the street outside. There is a slight temptation to seek out another bar but unless serendipity throws something blatantly open in my way I shall wend my way home and call it a quiet night, even if my liver will disagree.
12:20am. Walking home (literally). Passed a bar or two that may have been open but not very lively and probably shutting soon. A bar/club near the flat I have walked past god knows how many times without ever going in was shut, I guess it's Sunday night. A club-looking place next door was open, I dithered but I'm not in the mood. Stupidly writing this in the street about 10m past the door. I know full well I could find an open bar (my thoughts drift to Bar Liguria, twenty minutes walk or a short cab ride, if I knew the address - but I could dig it up on my phone if I wanted) but I am strong and can't be arsed. To bed!
12:30am. I am stupidly feeling the urge to record what I have noticed before (I am in the street writing this on my phone) that the Crowne Plaza hotel is right next door to my apartment building. I'm sure if you crave the 'luxuries' of a hotel it's a nice place to stay, but personally give me the serviced apartments next door any day of the week and twice on Sundays. :-)
12:31am. Back at flats. Meant to observe earlier that some of the street dogs are very handsome creatures. I suspect a detailed expert examination would show signs of malnutrition, and they are not all like that, but I stroked a couple earlier which to my inexperienced eye were very attractive animals indeed.
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