Tacna, Monday

1231 At bus termina, bought ticket for bus at 1245 taking 6 hours. Went to first place saw as didn't realise loads more ticket windows round corner but judging from the signs in windows I couldn't have done much better on time (I would maybe have liked to go 11ish), best I have seen is 1230 and since guide book says 7h I think 6 is not bad. PEN20 for semi-cama (plus PEN1 tax; I have located the hasslesome booth where you pay this separately, but will pay tomorrow on advice of chap who sold me ticket) is also towards low end of price range from guide book. So seeing all these other ticket windows and feeling like maybe I fucked myself over is just my brain treating me badly. Display here at terminal says 36C...

1317 OK, the market I walked through on the night I got here was not there. No sign of any fruit purchasing options except a few old women sat in streets with baskets of some vegetable looking thing I don't recognise. Bought much overdue new toothbrush and floss. Come to some restaurant for lardy half chicken and chips, then back to hotel to stash ticket and Skype parents and book Arequipa hotel. Went into three change bureau and may well swap my 40k CLP to PEN; will check rate (virtually identical in all three) OK online, but no point sitting on that cash when will be at least 2 years before am likely to be back in Chile.

2009 Went to museum at train station, oddly cool seeing all the old trains and some weird cars converted to run on rails and miscellaneous junk, also hardly anyone there which gave it a slightly 'trespassng' feel. Came back to room and uploaded some photos etc. Needed more water so popped out about half hour ago, was wondering about having a coffee but didn't really appeal so just came back. Were I not remotely concerned about keeping my consumption down I might have had a beer or two, but frankly even that didn't have massive appeal. Nothing wrong with a quiet night in, it's not as if I haven't been out here and I think had it not been for the water I wouldn't even have been strongly tempted to leave room. Quite a few people out and about round plaza, tried to take few photos but not sure how well have come out.

Not eaten since the ultra lardy half chicken and enormous quantity of chips earlier. Did flirt with idea of asking one of those old women what the fruit/veg she was selling was but never got round to it. Slightly tempted to eat when was out but really not hungry, I have snacks for the bus and I may eat at the bus terminal. I asked and checkout is midday, want to be leaving bit earlier than that jic and in some fantasy parallel universe maybe I would be up by 10ish and pop off briefly to some nearby museum before I check out. Not desperate but was 430 when left train museum and most others shut 5 so didn't want to rush then and be good to see something else, but not a massive deal anyway. Wish I could have eaten some fruit but meh. The chicken and chips came with a salad but it was drenched in some kind of dressing. I suppose had I thought about it could maybe have asked them to leave dressing off but I wasn't sure I was getting the salad as part of my deal until it arrived. Anyway, fingers crossed Arequipa is a bit more amenable to fruit purchasing.

Tacna, Sunday

1601 Naturally the wifi did work, I had the password wrong. In my defence, it didn't say anything about that, it just wedged at 'obtaining IP address'. Oh well.

Got up about 130 but meh. Most museums shut today anyway. Wd some more cash. Come out, at Chinese restaurant for prawns and rice with a coke zero. May then walk 15 mins south of train station where some park has an old locomotive in, will be exercise if nothing else.

Had quick look at guide book this morning, looks like Arequipa is next stop. There is all sorts of high altitude hiking shit round there (3h off by bus), sounds a real fucking hassle but I may have a look if I can stay there overnight booking online and it's worth it if you don't have all the fancy gear, or maybe tho not very clear I can book a tour from Arequipa. Will probably try to get bus over there during day (in some sense an overnight bus is a waste, given I am not desperate to have Tue during day here in Tacna, plus I can look out of window on day bus) Tue and stay a couple of nights and see what I can do about booking tour. Need to read up on this first. Can feel myself not rushing through Peru as much as intended but that is good really, if I don't make it to Colombia no harm done, always next time. Anyway, not writing more now, bit fed up tho less so than was now wifi sorted.

Oh, last night's bar was Rustico Video Bar (on first floor in UK terminology) on Zela. Asked at reception about buying fruit, basically seems I either go to market which finishes at 1pm at least on Sun or get a taxi to some supermarket out of town. Tis OK, will buy some at market tomorrow.

1640 Food OK though a smidge dry (gasp), and the prawn to rice ratio a bit poor. Still, filling and semi-healthy I think. Bill 18, made it 20.

I went just inside entrance to cathedral earlier for quick look, BTW. Didn't want round, not sure if OK, especially on a Sunday.

Place is Chifa Shanghai, just off plaza.

1738 Back at hotel, had walk, saw locomotive, walked down pedestrianised but with frequent road crossings bit down centre of a street, back to hostel with detour to buy water.

Oh, noticed last night are quite a few casinos here. Something for Chileans to cross the border for??

2119 At Munchen Brauhaus from guide book. Hombres G's Temblando playing. Not making session of it but thought WTF. Drinking half litre of 'Porter Ale' at 8 PEN which the menu in the window identifies as UK origin (as is the Golden Ale; the Irish Red is Irish).

Was going to go to Jethro but even though is supposedly right next to this place couldn't see it. Maybe not open but would have expected to see a sign.

2205 Second half litre, maybe last. As I suspected from overheard conversation as my first was being poured, other draught beers off so this is the Porter Ale again.

Wonderwall being played.

2218 Pink Floyd's ffs can't remember name "Open the priesthole..." playing. From Final Cut album.

2232 Rolling Stones "Paint It Black". We just had that Phil Collins song, is it "Another Day In Paradise".

2249 Getting third and last. At bar. Tren Al Sur playing, yay. They seem to be struggling with the tap.

2316 If anything it is slightly busier (all tables occupied, not flooding over with people) than earlier but I've nearly finished third beer and back home after this. In some ways another would be nice but not that nice and these days I like/have to pick and choose my boozy nights, and for multiple reasons this isn't going to be one of them. Atmosphere here v pleasant but not immensely partyish and after last night a bit of tranquility welcome, plus I hope/need to be up early tomorrow to go and enquire about a bus to Arequipa.

2353 Been doing laundry and fiddling with some photos. Just realised up to now had forgotten to change camera's time zone, so today's photos will be wrong. Oh well.

0001 Quick look at booking.com for two nights starting Tuesday (I am thinking I might depart on a tour including an overnight stay Thursday morning, plus have already been to Arequipa so not intending to hang around there excessively) suggests there is reasonable availability at both the dormitory and private room (poss with shared bathroom for cheapness) level. I intend to go to bus terminal tomorrow morning and see what's what, this looks like no need to rush into booking accomodation in case I can only travel overnight and hence don't need accom Tue night. Wondering if a hostel with a bar might be a desirable social option (though experience suggests dormitory makes no difference so not inclined to that barring apparently unlikely cost savings, at least staying for my typical durations, and for me personally probably makes me *more* reticent) but anyway, that is something for tomorrow. Ideally be up earlyish say 10, go to bus stn, come back to hotel to book accomodation and maybe Skype parents (GMT-5 instead of GMT-3 changes things) then go to some museum in afternoon.

(Also while in a way socialising with other tourists is nice, I'd always prefer to meet locals and even if that's less likely, it suggests my alcohol budget should go on hanging around in public bars instead of hostel bars.)

Anyway, may surf a little now or listen to some music, bed about 1am prob be ideal.

0127 In bed, meh, tis OK, I think problems getting up are more psychological or 'just how I am' than tiredness, besides, even if you believe the old 8 hour crap this is still OKish for getting up 930-10.

Tacna, Saturday

2047 (Peru) In some deserted restaurant near hotel saw when came for cash, having bistek a lo pobre and a coke zero, then will see about beer. Showered and changed, including from cargo trousers to others, feel much better and as it's night and wearing jacket shortage of pockets on these trousers not such a big deal.

Wifi wasn't working, both hotel networks show strong signal but sit there at 'obtaining IP address'. Hope it's transient. Not tried netbook as wanted to come out asap. Hotel moderately plush by my standards, though nothing astounding. Not sure if staff found me strange but sod em. I asked and I can ring the bell to get in (I am not sure I ask right when reception closes) and at least 1am (my example to her) is OK. Prob not be out that late, sitting on fucking bus for 12h is harder work than you'd think but let's see.

2125 Food pretty good, just one fried egg but with rice as well as chips and two possibly fried chunks of some slightly familiar but not identifiable vegetable or fruit. Steak pretty tender. Bill PEN23, will make it 25 or 26 if change permits; as of now I have no coins. It's about 4.6 to the pound, as with CLP I will probably end up acting as if things are cheaper than they are by mentally working at 5 to the pound. OK, got 20+2+5 change from 50 so let's make it 25. Off.

2207 Wandered. Saw plaza, v nice. Come into some bar, can't remember name. PEN10 for a bottle of beer, largish but the chap poured it into a tankard for me so no idea of size nor can I remember the name of the beer. Music here v English pop/rock, not absolutely my taste but could be worse. Looks like there might be a live band on, we'll see. Feeling a little lost but meh.

2216 This place is however on same street as my hotel, slightly over one block away, despite circuitous route took here. We had 'Message in a bottle' just now but now some Spanish language rock which may be Mana but I don't recognise it.

Oh, I was at Hostal Denzel (on Balmaceda) in Calama.

2221 Strange but interesting cover (?) of song I recognise but can't place. "And when the car broke down they got to talking... left before the sun came up that day... It's always summer, they'll never get cold".

Does look like we could have some live music. I am a bit tired but OK so far and it's not far back. Bit short on cash as machine only let me take 400 out and hotel was 220ish but tis OK, it just means I don't have any stashed away so if I lose my 100 bill a bit fucked. But I paid for this beer when I got it, not at all sure if I had to or not, so if I don't run a tab no big worries anyway.

2248 Woo, Mr Brightside. Always reminds me of Ben singing it at the Eat & Drink (RIP).

2303 Oasis, Wonderwall. Am a bit tired but it's OK.

2306 Bittersweet Symphony. There is some more modern music mixed in, eg 'umbrella' and the 'we found love in a lonely place' song.

2313 Robbie Williams, the "are you getting on a bit?" song. There probably *are* bags under my eyes...

2322 Suede, Beautiful Ones. Personal favourite for some reason.

Am intermittently reading Wuthering Heights (for first time ever), incidentally, started it other night. Inevitably provokes the Kate Bush song in my head when I think about it to much.

2337 Green Day, When I Come Around. Band may be coming on. Quite impressed by how many of these songs I know, yes, I am of a certain vintage and so are they, but I was never monstrously 'into' music at that time so I am somehow still surprising myself.

This place is 'next door' (except across street) from Euro Bar, if I forget to look at name when I leave. Not so sure band coming on soon, tho from earlier warm up they will be on. Smidge worried can't get into hotel after 1 but think it does say 24h online and within reason may push it to 130. But that is 330 body clock time and I got up at 0645 body clock time so may not last. Meh. We'll see.

2346 Mmm bop or whatever, Hanson. FFS... And now The Rasmus, the one about "won't stop before I find a cure for this cancer", which is a step up in my uncool opinion. Not hugely busy in here but four or five tables occupied. On furtive glance round I'd probably say most people are 30ish but some definitely younger and a few look considerably older.

2354 Looks like band are coming on.

0209 Band just finished. Superhuman set length. I perhaps stupidly got another beer (my fourth) shortly ago, have second wind and not too pissed and FFS just hope is truly 24h reception, but probably worth risk, been pretty quiet last week since weekend in Santiago and I won't be out again here and blah blah. They played 'borracho y loco' v early (lamento boliviano?) and much more recently did 'tren al sur'. Pretty good in general tho I couldn't understand a lot of what was sung, doubtless in part due to my level of Spanish but also in part due to classic 'pub rock' mangled vocals due to sound mixing.

Would hesitate to say am only foreigner here as could be some weekend Chilean visitors but I could well be the only "Westerner" here, maybe I delude myself.

0223 Oh, the sax player persisted and persists in wearing shades indoors. Maybe they're prescription. Song recognise playing now. Devuelve a mi chica. FFS, it's Hombres G. And Zheyla said they weren't cool. This is way older, I think, than the English language tracks I was naming earlier.

0232 Slightly tempted to go over to band and say thanks and obviously try to scrape a chat, but while not pissed am slightly (only slightly) so and am tired and think it would be awkward. Did slightly hope that LatAm friendliness to random loners would have caused someone to speak to me but not desperate tonight and been a genuinely good night (as long as I can get into hotel) and will just finish this beer and go. If can't get into hotel may try coming back and seeing if place still open but on multiple levels hope won't come to that.

Place was never rammed but not empty either, not exactly emptying out but think people are drifting off. Hopefully later (eg next weekendish) elsewhere can go somewhere like this, maybe in Cusco, need to make plans tomorrow.

0247 In room. Place a bit locked up but woman let me in. She said I have to pay more, I think this is cos they didn't allow for the booking.com overhead on third night. Tis OK, depending on exactly what that extra is I did think 212ish was a bit low but naturally didn't argue. Probably irrationally felt totally safe on walk back, Euro Bar had little cluster of people outside and was another pseudo club looking place which seemed totally open but empty, dunno if that was cos is early or late, was tempted to try but on multiple rational grounds didn't. Anyway, teeth clean then bed and fingers crossed for the extra tomorrow morning not being insane. Not too pissed and don't think I had too much trouble with language with that woman letting me in re extra, but didn't understand everything. Meh. Sufficient unto the day. Am feeling a smidge more pissed now back home but tis OK, not too bad, I am genuinely tired and it being a Saturday night makes it well worth any inconvenience tomorrow from exerting myself tonight.

Calama-Tacna

Sat 0721 At terminal. Snoozed on alarm at 640 for 5 mins, dragged myself out of bed, rushed out leaving key by front door about 0700, just got here. Not fun getting up but not too bad.

Just as nearly here a chap ran after another in street (there was a small crowd, prob waiting for bus) and I think took a bag back off him and there were words. Didn't stop to watch/listen but assuming it was an attempted snatch-and-walk.

0734 Chap just came up and in oddly hesitant Spanish started a conversation, we switched to English about a sentence in. He was trying to give me a message about the bible but was super polite and un-pushy.

0741 On bus, final destination Arica as might be expected.

0749 Yay. My Nook(R) decided to wedge itself in 'starting up' state. It now insists on being set up again, which can't be done without wifi access. What a crock of shit.

0911 Yay. The bus heating is on. Cos it's just freezing out. And the usual air vents don't even work.

1323 Nearly at terminal in Iquique. Nice views of town on the way in. Road been running right along coast pretty much since we left Tocopilla (sp) IIRC. Temperature improved some time back, they must have turned heating off. Still, it managed to mangle a chocolate bar I had in my bag. I did wonder about bringing chocolate but I thought it would be OK on an air-conditioned bus.

Half watched (reading subtitles in Spanish since had headphones on listening to music) The Lone Ranger film on bus TV. Monstrously cartoonish action sequences. Really was only half watching so wouldn't care to comment on plot such as it is.

Both arms, especially right, seem prone to slight not quite pins and needles feeling but can't think of better way to describe. Just have to hope is nothing serious.

1708 Some pretty cool views of mountains and valleys from road for last half hour or so, colouration showing all sorts of subtle variations.

1751 I don't know if there's a problem but we've been sat here in the middle of nowhere for a while now. I can still feel the engine vibrating so I might hope we haven't broken down.

1821 Still here.

1822 We just jolted and the power went off and on and we seem to be moving now. Fk knows.

1947 I think we're in suburbs of Arica. Sun still up but low. Had we not been late I would probably have got to do bulk of the crossing in daylight. Oh well. Fingers crossed for no difficulty finding a colectivo or bus to take me over. I believe the crossing itself is open 24h a day but doubt public transport does it so long. Of course it is still relatively early so not too worried about that aspect.

2155 (Chile) At hotel. Walked mostly through street market (doddering crowds) as didn't want to change money at bus terminal or use the ripoff looking ATM there. Turns out is two hours earlier here than Chile so the night is yet young. Good job after the fucking delay on bus. Border crossing pretty easy. Anyway, need to go out and find cash machine and write more later.

2208 If wifi works going to send this before hasty shower & change as I feel sweaty as fuck.

Calama, Friday

1357 At small restaurant having cazuela vacuno, pollo asado and rice with a diet coke. Only got up about 1, bit slack but meh, no huge plans for today, will just wander a bit for afternoon, maybe beer or two tonight but obviously have to be up early. Slightly torn to enquire at some other company and throw away the TurBus ticket but seems a waste of money.

1442 Food not bad, and for 4k (1k of which was drink) with jelly & cream as desert fairly good value. Paid at counter as other people seemed to but left 400 tip on table. Place is Restaurant Mapasu on Vivar.

2053 Just come out after fruit binge - perhaps overdid it a bit, as hoping to compensate for probably not eating any tomorrow - and surfing and shower and photo uploading. Still bit slack. Locked key in room when it was for some reason on bed and I had to dash out urgently to bog, fortunately they had spare. At American Pub for somewhat pricey litre of Heinken at 3.7k, will make it 4.1k with tip left on table, waitress wanted paying when she brought it, think was same when here in 2011. Just me here and one raucous other table.

Walking round today found plaza and then Ramirez (street this place is on) and memories from being here in 2011 came flooding back. This is a couple of mins walk from hotel.

Waitress asked where I was from, I think she said she was Bolivian but bit noisy with music and the raucous group so didn't hear that well. Incidentally, ISTR reading on web when researching something that the infamously brutal passenger train from here to somewhere (Uyuni??) in Bolivia no longer runs. It was never very frequent anyway IIRC.

Bit nervous about beer after that unexpected toilet urgency and tomorrow's early start but take it easy, maybe just have this one, we'll see. This is barring accidents my last night in Chile this trip, about this time tomorrow I should be in Peru. I was going to come out for lomo a lo pobre tonight but as I was shovelling down the last of about 850g of grapes at about 8pm and feeling a bit stuffed I figured it would be foolish on multiple grounds to do so.

I am toying with staying an extra night in Tacna on 'not haring around too much' grounds, especially now I may well arrive too late/tired to do much on Saturday night. However, I am not absolutely sure how much stuff there is to see. I suspect as a completely new town to me (I just passed through in 2010, online hotels there were super pricey/scarce at the time so I crossed straight to Arica, not to mention was in a slight rush to get down to Santiago for my Easter Island flight) it would easy be worth an extra night. I am inclining to seeing how I feel when I get to the hotel tomorrow night and maybe asking them then, rather than booking online, I might get it cheaper that way and if I can't get anything I can just go on anyway.

2254 Back at hostel. Just had not-desperate shit and that was reassuringly ok, the one earlier had put wind up me a bit. Anyway, strongly inclining to booking extra night in Tacna now so let's try and write more after.

2255 Thanks, Gmail app! Thanks to tendency to scroll up to top if no to address entered (where random keypresses intended for the body of the email turn into an address book lookup) plus no confirm on send, I just emailed all the previous part of this blog entry to Hotel Riazor in Rio de Janeiro. Still, they never replied to my e-mails in the past if I remember rightly. But what a fucking usability disaster.

2303 OK, booked that. Partly due to feelings tonight that I'm haring around too much I decided it was more important to lock in an extra night than to save maybe a couple of quid booking it in person not over web. Towards end of litre one of the legs on my plastic chair was buckling (!) - I'm not that fucking fat, nor do I think I was leaning back in it. Some slightly 'rocker' looking maybe 30ish chap came over and suggested I double the chairs up as they were weak. We shook hands but he didn't overly push any friendship on me, but this made me think about wanting to hang out more and rush less. I dithered about another drink but earlier toilet doubts plus early bus made me dubious, I came back, perhaps fortunately as for first time noticed the sign saying when check in/out was also says 'close 11:30pm', I had assumed it would be midnight at earliest so good job I did come straight back. I think the Tacna hotel is 24h reception. Moreover modulo knackeredness from travel would be nice if I can go out for a few beers tomorrow night, it being Saturday, and even nicer if can get into a chat, which I can't do if I'm worried about getting up or dashing off. OK, I was definitely going to be in Tacna Sun night anyway but before I booked to stay there Mon, I would have to be booking onward travel on Sun and I might also be leaving early Mon so Sun would be my only chance to see the place during the day so it would all be super rushed and that's what I need to fight against. This way I'd still *like* to get onward travel sorted on Sun, but if I am knackered after bus+night out I don't *have* to, and even if I do sort out onward travel Sun (possibly pmish) I have Monday to do general tourist wandering.

Incidentally did see there is a train Arica-Tacna which would be cool but it only goes at 9am so even if I had been prepared to risk it not being sold out it wouldn't have worked this time anyway.

0030 In bed, dunno how soon will get to sleep but I will feel shit in morning anyway and of course I can hopefully drowse on bus. In a way will be quite nice to be on bus listening to music and reading a looking out of the window and not feeling I need to try to get to sleep. But not looking forward to getting up. Anyway.

Calama, Thursday

1332 Place is Comida Rapida Churras.com (!). Bill 3800, made it 4200.

1412 At terminal. Shoulders ache now, pins and needles esque sensation in legs on walk over.

Guide book in fact says some companies have offices away from terminal, though it is not v clear. Anyway, this is the same guidebook which says Calama-Arica is 6 hours but Arica-Calama is 9 hours. Anyway, that's a crock of shit. Pullman Bus only did night service, eg 2245ish departure arrive 0700ish. So, eight hours. TurBus do a morning departure at 0745 which gets in at 1820, so 10.5 fucking hours. Guess which one I just bought. What a fucking crock of shit. I could have gone and walked over to one of the other companies but who fucking knows what they might have. It was only 15k for cama (14900 for semi cama!) and it is just about tolerable, though I will be crossing the border after dark, woo. I should maybe have ditched my accommodation here for Friday night and gone overnight Friday, but frankly I've had it with overnight buses just now with the pains I had last night and today. (Possibly these pains are a result of 'too many overnight buses in too short a period of time', last night was the second overnight bus in three days.) I do wonder if I should have shopped round for an alternate daytime bus but it's a good ten minutes walk, probably more like twenty, to the alternate offices and then what if TurBus sold out in the meantime, or I had to spend the 10.5 hours in semi cama instead, I'd be kicking myself? I can't really blame myself for picking that option, but like yay, that's going to be a fantastic day. I'll have to be up at something like 645 and if I'm lucky I will be at the hotel in Tacna by about 2100.

I obviously couldn't know the mine tour was completely off (and I suppose there is a microscopic chance of it reopening tomorrow and me getting a waiting list place) but in hindsight it would probably have been savvier to have maybe flown up to Arica from Santiago regardless of expense or perhaps just bitten the bullet on a direct Santiago-Lima bus. But anyway, I was trying for the mine and so that's pointless hindsight, plus it was sort of cool to see Vallenar and especially to have the bizarre Piano Man experience at 9am that first morning. I suppose all I've lost by not shopping around is possibly a small cash saving (though 15k doesn't seem too bad) and the fact that I'm spending an extra four hours on a bus and getting to Tacna correspondingly later. This is a bit shit but not the end of the world. I don't lose a whole day or anything like that.

Perhaps I could have decided not to do Calama at all when it turned out I couldn't get a guaranteed tour spot while I was still in Santiago, at which point considering flight or international bus from Santiago might have crossed my mind. But even that is pushing the hindsight a bit.

Anyway, it's 1428. I'm going to go back to hotel and buy some fruit on the way.

2217 Been bumming round in hotel room ever since. Had some peanuts which was bit lardy but still. Feeling tired but generally better, will probably try to go to bed by midnight. Not really done anything productive but it's OK. Bit hacked off about crappy journey to Tacna looming and also feeling bit short on remaining holiday time but this is probably 75% tiredness related so not intending to debate the matter with myself just now.

Quick check of guidebook lists no tourist attractions beyond the mine, so while I hope to be up earlyish tomorrow I intend it to be a tranquilish day of wandering around and probably bumming around in room. Anyway, that is a matter for tomorrow.

0123 Been surfing in bed, got bit of headache but not too bad, anyway, let's try to get to sleep.

Vallenar to Calama

2211 Switching to new email, will leave prev one in outbox waiting for a connection before it slips out into the world.

2301 Yay. No sign of bus. Can't wear headphones any more out of paranoia. Several buses with non-functional LED signs, one was announced as 2240 (my bus's time) but to Santiago and had handwritten sign saying 'Santiago' in front. Was a bus to Calama but I asked out of desperation and it wasn't the 2240 and it left about 2235 anyway. I've never missed a bus yet but there presumably will be a first time.

There is a nice little dog here which seems to be good at playing up the 'lost dog' card. Looks soulfully at people, puts its paw out, etc. I hope someone takes it home eventually.

There appears to be a small tear in the fabric of my bag. Seems a bit shit, esp as not aware of having exposed it to any unfair strain. It is only small and it will last out this trip easily I expect (touch wood) but will have to look into the 'lifetime warranty' on the thing when I get home. I wonder if I could find the paperwork for buying it if I needed to. Anyway, sufficient unto the day. Wish this fing bus would get here. It's worse when I can't listen to music for fear of missing something. AFAICT (though I'm not finding the rare announcement super comprehensible) has been no announcement about it. And it's not as if I'm potentially a bit pushed for time on arrival in Calama anyway.

Half an hour ago there was a bus every ten minutes, it's gone dead as fuck since. Traffic congestion?? Fuck knows. Why tell me anything?

2309 Woo, a bus just turned up. It's the 2315 to Santiago. Could there be congestion northbound? I have no fricking idea what the scheduled time of that earlier Calama bus was.

Fuck it, I am putting headphones back on. I tend to hear announcements anyway, plus I am sat out on the small platform area and can see every bus pull in.

2319 On bus, it just got here. A chap checked my ticket as got on so at least certain is right. Seems a bit shit for cama, no overhead rack yet struggled to get my bag under seat, if not for fact have the leg rest 'covering' where the bag protrudes would probably be shittily uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood but super-unimpressed. Oh well, it's not *that* bad even if it really is pretty poor.

1150 Just got to hotel. I have just received an email, sent one minute ago, saying all visits to the mine are suspended until further notice. Life, eh? Still, at least I got it before trogging the two or three kilometres to the bus terminal on foot to be there for 1pm.

Hotel is OK, basic but cheap and clean, as expected, and CLP26k for two nights is not to be sneezed at.

I think I will go get food then trundle back over to bus terminal to buy a ticket to Arica; didn't want to waste time when arrived there as it was about 1115.

1239 At small restaurant round corner from hotel waiting (they said 20 mins; btw I had to negotiate to not get it with sauce or mayonnaise, wtf?) for quarter roast chicken and chips. I have booked a hotel in Tacna for Sat & Sun with free cancellation up to midnight tonight; after this I will go to bus terminal but think plenty of time and also probably best to be in better frame of mind post eating. Guide book says 9h bus from here to Arica, I had been thinking 6. But I still think it's best to do it during day Saturday and cross border same day. If I get a 9am bus would be there 6pm which is about sunset but not end of world. There are buses (cheaper) every half hour or collectivos across border, I have personal experience of latter in reverse direction and have little fear of being stranded at the border at 6pm. I might get an 8am bus if possible, that would be a bit sucky but I can obviously rest on bus and not planning a big night out here on Fri.

Not v comfortable on bus last nights, arms and especially hands and feet sort of numb, fuck knows, no doubt I have some horrific disease. Did sleep but not brilliantly. Didn't get given anything to eat or drink at all.

Anyway, will terminate this entry and start fresh one for today in Calama.