I have booked in at the same apartments I stayed at in Santiago for four nights, reception closes at 9pm so I hope I am OK as my flight lands at 6:50pm. I have done a tiny bit of repacking to get my suitcase weight under 20kg but I doubt I have succeeded. I just hope they will charge me extra, as the woman at the travel agency said, rather than out-and-out refusing my bags. Bit worried about it but there's not much I can do except try to be at the airport with plenty of time to argue.
Have come out for something to eat and will go out for a drink after, I might as well. I do feel a bit shit for missing the chance to do some tourism today (there is a hill I cold have walked up, and probably a museum of interest if I remember what my guide book says) but no point punishing myself by just milling around the hostel tonight. I will try not to make it a late one, but it is Friday night and I just may get caught up in the weekend atmosphere, although I doubt it.
9:10pm Walked around for ages again trying to find a bar. Currently at a table outside Cafe 21 but it's not quite my cup of tea.
I stumbled across the actual Sky Airlines office just now. (Yet again my 2005-era guide book lets me down. Two of the four bars I jotted down from it to look for last night weren't there either.) Far too late of course. This doesn't mean my ticket from the local travel agent is a fake, naturally, but it does mean I could have avoided that source of worry by buying straight from the company. Oh well.
10pm. Tempted to go back to last night's karaoke bar but I figured I should see new places and I do vaguely plan to be back my midnight, so have come down some acceptable if ordinary-ish moderately busy bar in Bolognesi, next to Alakran where I went first last night. (I only just twigged that name is a misspelling of alacran, assuming I'm not reading too much into it.) CLP1300 for a probably half litre draught, same as at Cafe 21. I ordered at the bar here but for some reason they asked me where I wanted to sit and a waitress carried my beer over and brought my change after. I may not be the strongest person in the world but I can carry my own beer... Left CLP50 as a nominal tip in the change tray for this valuable service. It's still far cheaper than Alakran. :-)
Still feel I was maybe stupid not to force myself up today but what the hell. Also a bit jittery about the validity of my ticket and the luggage weight question tomorrow, plus the slight rush over to the apartment to get the key before 9pm. Just have to assume it will all be OK I guess.
It has occurred to me that I am arguably being imprudent staying in a tower block in Santiago under current circumstances, but then again if the building is still intact then I am probably naively assuming it's not going to be affected by any of the more minor aftershocks which may still be to come.
11:30pm. Staying out for a fourth and last beer, in some vaguely teenagerish way I feel it a point of honour not to turn up by midnight, although I don't expect to be out much later. This bar is busy and noisy in a not unpleasant but not deeply fascinating way. I do want to be up early to engage in whatever negotations are necessary at the airport. Am toying with the idea of getting a cab from the airport to the apartment, although I suspect it will be ridiculously expensive compared to getting the bus to Parajo (or is it Pajaro?) metro station and the metro on from there. I wouldn't contemplate it where it not for the tightish timescale. If I can conveniently engage a cab driver I feel I can trust I will ask how much it is and make the call on the spot. It's probably worth a tenner to avoid to hassle but if it's going to cost the sort of money it would take to cab it into the centre of London from Heathrow I will take my chance with the bus and metro and find some random hotel for t
he night if push comes to shove and I get there too late. Of course, this all assumes I have a ticket and actually get to Santiago in the first place.
Midnight. Honour being satisfied (I hope I can get in after all) and having less than half a pint left, I plan to leave on finishing it. It is slightly tempting to stay later but despite my late start I feel a little tired (but not too emotional, although another pint would probably push me in that direction). And I do have to fly tomorrow and I hope to pass a somewhat dissipated night tomorrow, so bed looks like a good decision all round. I think I will be strong but a misplaced decent tune at the end of the beer may cause me to stray from the path of righteousness. It's not great here though, so fingers crossed.
12:15am. Got back in OK, checkout is midday so on the one hand that's good, on the other I need to avoid pushing it. I theoretically don't have to be at the airport until 1:40pm. I guess leaving here midday will still get me there with an hour extra to spare for arguments, tears and/or excess baggage payments, but if I can stomach it I may try to leave by 11am. Do half wish I had stayed out later but it wasn't that great and I could do with a sleep, illogical as it may be. To bed!
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