Valparaiso, Monday

2003 In extremely 'cafeteriaish' restaurant in town. Biffe a lo pobre. Sod it. CLP4040 with diet coke, paid up front (Schopdog-style)

Got to hostel about 630 or 7. Extremely large old house, quite elegant if a bit run down. No other guests AFAICT. They can't find key to my room so have chained bag to bed. Hope get it later.

Wifi doesn't reach to room. Not been able to download map to phone and don't have map on paper. Took GPS waypoint of hostel. V picturesque but hilly here, so streets curve like buggery. Hope will be able to get back OK. Not sure I saw any streetlights.

Guy said could get into hostel when I like but he turns lights off at 12. Not sure what to make of that. Am gonna be out a bit tonight if only cos don't want to sit around in hostel but will be quietish.

Oh, there are those 'hand shaped' chairs all over the place, including one in my room (which is a twin, actually), which add to the oddity.

Lot of OKish-looking little pubs a few streets from hostel.

Had shower and changed into one clean shirt. Long-sleeved and feeling a tiny bit warm.

Put phone on charge and up to 68% now. Should be OK even taking a GPS track as I am to try to avoid getting lost.

2033 Enormous portion; have to leave a lot of chips. Not the best steak but OK. Took a photo of the legendary biffe a lo pobre on my phone which I hope I shall upload sooner or later.

Stuffed. Would have liked more diet coke (only a 350ml bottle) but a beer or two will doubtless go down a treat. Do hope to take it easy tonight but it seems a bit silly to deliberately go home now. I only have five days including today left, then I will be off the beer for the flight home and recuperation on Sunday. Then another four days at most going out and off up to Skegness for a week on Friday evening.

Anyway, gonna leave CLP300 on table as tip; actually make it 400 and wander a bit. (It's 2037.)

2106 At Pub Matriz. They are playing "Suedehead", which may be a good omen. CLP700 for 500ml bottle Becker (cheapest option).

Wandered a bit. Lots of the bars either deserted or seemed to have people stood outside which always puts me off.

This seems OK. As it happens it's the one nearest hostel although I passed over this little stretch in its entirety twice and also wandered around the commercial centre nearby a little. Main sightseeing time is tomorrow, of course.

2123 "Just won't do" (?) just played. Don't really like it but I think I remember seeing the video when I was at that restaurant in Mexico City where I had a row about the bill.

2132 Oh, saw a cat in a shop doorway earlier and it let me stroke it. Reminds me that at Mamalluca, a cat turned up (I just got a glimpse of it; I mean, it was dark and there were a lot of people even in the smaller groups doing the observations). Despite the preponderance of native speakers, there was still confusion over whether there was a cat (gato) or rat (rata). Odd, to me, was one oldish woman who said she hated cats and looked scared when it turned out it wasn't a rat.

2145 The streets here are two-way, it seems. I am somehow no longer used to that and am gonna get run over if not careful. Oh, and they do have trolleybuses in some of the streets here, with a perfect rat's nest of cables above.

Nearly finished this beer. Feeling a little tired. Probably for the best. Will prob have a slow one or two more then home; I may even be able to get the wifi to work.

Oh, and the taxis here have meters. It's weirdly different from all the other places I've been in these little details.

2153 Just ordered another.

2242 And a third. Feel a little pressed for time but unless I get lost hostel really is like 5 mins walk. Battery at 26% but should see me through.

2246 Only one other customer and about three staff here, by the way. But it's fine. It's Monday and possibly early by local standards. Not looking for a big night anyway.

2313 One glass left of this 500ml bottle, just paid. 2100 as expected plus 200ish tip. Oddly nervous about getting back but should be fine.

2319 OK, feeling a bit bloated, have rushed this one slightly I think. Oh well. Anyway, one more swallow and off.

2326 Back. 240mish straight line. Stiffish uphill walk but OK. Quite a few people in street too. Really worrying over nothing, except possibly hostel being shut. Think it's cos Valle de Elqui tour guide said to that youngish German couple Valparaiso was a bit dodgy at night. She was probably referring to area round bus terminal anyway.

2349 Staff fucking elusive verging on nonexistent. Wifi doesn't work even sat in lobby. Asked some bloke for password and he gave me something totally different to what the bloke who showed me my room told me. Still didn't work. So that's another tenner I'm going to have to burn on roaming data. WHY THE FUCK IS IT SO HARD TO GET INTERNET ACCESS!? It's not just the blog, I have e-mail I need to send.

I suspect the only person who may know the true password is the woman who checked me in and who I assume is owner. (Do wonder if fat bloke in lobby/reception/lounge bit is her husband. No idea.) Fuckety fuck fuck fuck. Not seen her since I checked in. Saw bloke who showed me my room as I came upstairs but not since.

Still no key to room but is at least a bolt on inside of door.

Sweating like a bastard for some reason as well. Oh well. Spunk a tenner away because the free wi-fi doesn't work then clean teeth and bed I guess.

2358 A mysterious £1.50ish has appeared after I topped up another tenner despite it showing zero earlier. FFS. Anyway, will send this now and if I do have any wafflings later they can go in next entry. Dogs barking outside which is a bit disconcerting somehow.