Both waitresses dressed the same (including colour of clothes) so I guess this is probably deliberate. Sure it's cool, I don't think I'm looking at a fifty quid beer here. I will be narked if it costs CLP10,000 though. Still, experience cheap at any price etc etc.
Place is quite busy I might add, which is the primary reason I hope this is just a slightly pricey beer not a clip joint. I hope we're looking at a 'Hooters' sort of thing here.
2103 Some late middle aged woman just came up. Feared this was a shakedown but she was just a beggar. I mean, it must be OK if they let beggars wander in and out, right?
Am aware I'm kind of overreacting but the exortion side of anything like this always plays on my mind. It's bad enough somewhere like the Old Axe but at least I know what's going on there and I'm with mates too. Was tempted to make my excuses and leave when the waitress first came over to take my order but felt it might make things worse.
2129 At American Bar. I asked the waitress at Carlitos how much I owed, CLP1400 ('mil quatro'). I left a CLP2000 note under the glass; I gather you're supposed to tip well in such places and was glad to get out for no more. Clearly I overreacted but I can't blame myself as I had no way of knowing it wasn't going to be a rip off.
Possibly might drop in there tomorrow night for a couple by way of 'getting back on the bike' but maybe not; it wasn't great (it's hot here, though not as bad - street was lovely and cool but nowhere seems to do tables outside here) and I'm not sure exactly what I'd be proving and to who. Perhaps main lesson is not to panic if I find myself in a similar bar by accident again; now I know, and knowing is half the battle. :-)
Sat at a table here and waited for waiter unlike earlier when I went to the bar; guy just came over. I think I had to pay there and then; gave him CLP5,000 note and hope am gonna get change. Fuck it.
Quite busy in streets round plaza, a bit thinner out this way and was a bit thin in street near hotel (about two smallish blocks west).
Just got change. Will leave a tip when I go. Gotta stop feeling so off balance somehow. ;-)
Quite busy but hardly rammed. Have a table in corner and probably not going to attract excess attention. Vaguely open to chat if it feels safe but not going to go out of the way for it.
2225 Well that was cool. They just played 'Shine on you crazy diamond' and 'Sheep'. (Guy at the table behind me even asked me if it was Pink Floyd.)
Feeling a little better though (to probably quote another of their songs) I have a slight pain behind the eyes. Probably more that my eyelids seem a bit heavy. I guess I didn't sleep brilliantly last night.
Altitude might also have something to do with it but it's not that high and, as someone said to me in La Paz last year, people blame everything on the altitude.
Still feel a bit worried with 'eyes up' rather than down at my phone. I have somehow lost a lot of confidence in my ability to speak Spanish, even though recent experience shows if anything I do conversation better (if still ungramatically) than I do minor service interactions. Will probably have at least one more, maybe two and just maybe more, then go home. Not quite sure why I don't feel as safe here as I did in Santiago, though I guess I was a bit jittery that first night on Pio Nono. I need to get my balance back and maybe a little more of the sweet brown liquor and a good night's sleep will do the trick. I need mental and physical balance by the time I get to San Pedro.
Feeling a tiny bit concerned about time, but I guess especially if I don't leave Chile, I am not going to be more than (say) 24h tops of intense bus travel from Santiago at any point, and with even the tiniest bit of forethought the worst that's likely to happen is two consecutive overnighters. Plus if push came to shove I could fly, though I would regard it as a bit of a failure to have to resort to it.
2236 Just had slash and got another beer (second here, third of the night). Asked waiter and he said it was CLP1,700; I shovelled change at him for that plus a tip of maybe a couple of hundred. He actually brought the change over as if I'd overpaid; I said it was the tip and felt a bit patronising, but WTF can you do? Half suspect they don't really expect tips here but this is one of those things which it's damn hard to get right when you're not local.
2329 Feeling OK, not drunk or too tired. Busting for a piss but have nearly half this beer left and just a bit too cautious to leave it unattended. Occupied myself pleasantly for half hour or so knocking out an e-mail to Rab; it's the modern equivalent of a postcard I guess. No longer worried anyone is going to try to start a conversation with me and if they do I'm probably just about up for it. Will probably have one more and then home. Still a very modest night (4 near-pints, though I had two before lunch), of which I am slightly proud. Beer is probably a key part of having a good time for me, but I don't have to go to extremes.
Place far from heaving but pleasantly busy. Quite likely to be back here tomorrow night, unless I find myself compelled to take an early bus to San Pedro on Saturday.
Battery at 28% - only at 50-60 when I left cos of shit USB charge rate - but no big deal, it should easily see me through the remainder of tonight. Just switched to airplane mode too FWIW. I've said it before (if maybe not on the blog) but if it had wifi, I'd much rather be on a Treo 650 than this modern HTC Desire Z. Keyboard small but perfectly formed and excellent battery life. Screen a bit crap but perfectly adequate.
Noted earlier the streets here, if a bit dusty, are paved - road and pavement alike. Which my memory says was not the case in San Pedro - certainly I have vivid recollections of dragging my suitcase along a dusty, rocky road on arriving there last time. Of course I am travelling a lot lighter this time - with no real loss of comfort, and I believe that would be true were I on a six month trip, and I feel a lot better for it. (I still put my bag in the baggage hold on buses, but at least I know it's with me, and though it's swings and roundabouts at least it can't be pilfered in the hold while I sleep on the bus.)
Oasis now. Not sure of title but "But you need more time just to make things right... All the things caught in my mind."
2348 Just had a slash and some guy's nicked by table. No big deal, moved to another in the slightly cold adjacent area. Other tables free in main area but don't want to be too central. Actually, fuck it, will move. Not gonna freeze my arse off and if someone wants to chat they're welcome to it.
Just ordered another. Have been told the staff remember people by face not table (and seen it proved) but it's not an issue here anyway as it's PAYG.
Don't want to pat myself on the back too hard but I guess I deserve some credit for my language skills. I'm not resorting to gestures or English. This isn't Brazil.
Actually if I'm not careful I might have another after this one. Vamos a ver. :-) Only slightly concerned about the short walk back to the hotel, primarily that couple of short blocks west of the plaza. Do remember in other smallish places being forced to detour heavily by barking street dogs. Of course I might get mugged but no real reason to expect it and while it would obviously be a fucking shock I'm pretty bare of valuables tonight; left camera at home, wallet has no cards and about CLP15k cash. Do have a credit and debit card and a bit more cash in hidden belt but I have spare cards and I like to think a mugger is unlikely to go that deep.
0013 We just had 'Hey You'.
0029 Yay! The Smiths! 'I'm so sorry'
0036 Just got one more. 'Comfortably Numb'. Guy tried to talk to me at urinal but no muss, no fuss. (Nothing dodgy, unless he maybe offered me drugs, which I don't think he did but not sure.) Bit dubious about walk home but not pissed and if anything happens might as well enjoy myself as much as possible first. Almost certainly cool anyway; I've been on the streets (fnarr fnarr) a lot all over Latin America and nothing except dogs has molested me yet. First time for everything but still. You've got to live etc etc.
Crowd definitely thinner, maybe 20 people here. Dunno when they shut and not pushing it tonight; no fuss about getting this beer anyway, and for all I know there will be a surge of people later, or they'll stay open til 2, 3, 4 or 5 anyway.
Oh, this schopp is in a 'mug', ie the classic faceted style glass you get in the UK.
0051 Starting to feel a bit jittery. Not seriously worried about the walk home - I think it's about 5 mins, 10 tops - but still. What are you (meaning me) going to do? Be home every night before it gets dark?
Tour guide on Valle de Elqui tour said to me (in English) people thought Chile was dangerous and found it OK when they got here. I felt - and sort of said - it wasn't supposed to be dangerous at all. To the best of my recollection, F&CO site had the usual cautions (bearing in mind they say stuff about Spain too) but didn't make it out too bad. If anything I reckon these days going to Mexico seems riskier. (And that's a shame, 'cos I have a nasty feeling Mexico is going downhill with the drug stuff, and it's such a great place with so much potential.)
I guess I could in theory get a taxi back but in reality I won't lay eyes on one on the route home anyway. Worrying myself about nothing I think. I guess if tonight's good I will have (possibly false) confidence tomorrow.
Battery at 16% by the way.
0114 Just got back. Eight minutes walk by the watch. No problems at all of course. A few people on the streets, if not as many near the hotel. In passing 'Club Plaza' or similar (memory already hazy) was pretty full, so maybe worth a look tomorrow, though to be fair maybe not as much my kind of place as American. Lots of street dogs but they weren't being posessive and in general were in their peaceful daytime mode. As have probably remarked before, in general the street dogs here are aimiability personified (canified?).
Still, all good. Need to book the damn hostel in San Pedro tomorrow but apart from that all pretty cool. Not a bad night at all.
Oh, were about three guys waiting in reception. Tiny bit embarassing but in all seriousness not particularly drunk and who gives a fuck? They were all very pleasant anyway. Gotta give them some business for the 24h reception!
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