Chile! Arica to Santiago

Crossing the border into Chile was a happy moment for me and the difference between the two countries was noticeable immediately: drivers used turn signals, obeyed lane markings and stop signs, stopped at intersections, for pedestrians in crosswalks and didn't beep their horns. Finally...civilization!

Arica was the first stop for 12 hours until my next 12-hour bus ride to San Pedro de Atacama. A decent town on the coast I enjoyed walking around the fisherman's wharf, watching the fishing boats, pelicans and sea lions and purchasing fresh ceviche for the equivalent of $2.50.

San Pedro is a green oasis in the driest place on earth- the Atacama desert. I accidentally left my Lonely Planet South America book in Arica and was lost without it but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I spied one in the backpack of a lady from my bus and followed her for a bit until I got the nerve to catch up to her and explain my situation. Florence turned out to be a lovely french lady who speaks fluent English and Spanish. We walked together to the fringe of town to a hostel with a rude owner that wanted to overcharge us for a bed in her dump. A dispute over price sent us back toward the center of town to try and find affordable accommodations for a few nights. We succeeded at the French-run La Rose de Atacama and were put in a room with a very outgoing French lady.

The three of us spent the next three days together, although sometimes others joined us. The tours are very expensive so we tried to rent a car as had been suggested to me but it turned out to be impossible. We rented bikes instead and began riding uphill at 4:00 a.m. one morning to Piedra del Coyote to watch the sunrise over the vast canyon then rode downhill to Valle de Luna for some hiking and sightseeing. I never thought the desert could be so fascinating and varied. We walked through white Quartz canyons and rode to a vista with a huge chocolate-brown sand dune sitting in a beautiful striated canyon setting that looked like Mars set against a bright blue sky. So unique! We walked to Pukara de Quitor to see some ancient Atacama ruins and a couple faces carved into the rock and I went on a tour of the salt flats in the south where flamingos have their nesting grounds. The salt flats go on for miles and aren't actually flat but jut up at least 4-8" and are very sharp. Unfortunately, with the exception of one or two, the flamingos were too far away to enjoy and although the sunset over the lagoon and flats was nice, there was too much haze around the surrounding mountains and volcanoes to see them change colors as the guide books suggest. The tour also included a short hike through an oasis canyon with a few petroglyph sightings. Unfortunately one needs a high-tech camera to get some decent photos of them so sorry about that.

From SP I rushed and took a 24-hour bus ride to Santiago in order to make it to a party with the family of my high school fried, Oscar. His parents have a lovely flat on the 10th floor of a building with beautiful views of the nice part of downtown Santiago. Their warm hospitality made me feel welcomed and it was really cool to meet up with a friend from the States during international travel. The party at his cousins home was awesome. The food was good, the wine flowed and I was very impressed how every person that entered the home greeted each person at the party-and there were about 25 of us-with a little kiss and hug. Even the teenagers did it unprompted. And they made me feel included, like part of the family. Such great people!

Around 2:30 the next day-our standard lunch time as I quickly learned- we met the same cousin and his lovely family for a delicious lunch outside at a restaurant at the foothill of the mountain with the Virgin Mary atop. Afterward we drove (although the cousin and I would have preferred the one hour walk) up to the top to see her. There was a beautiful view of the city from the summit. The schedule here is a bit different as everyone goes to bed around 2 or 3 in the morning and everyone, except me, sleeps until about noon. Dinner isn't eaten before 10, parties are frequent, the people are unbelievably hospitable and great food and wine and dancing are par for the course with them. I did try-and liked-a lot of traditional Chilean food as well as some specialties like conger eel and abalone.

I had the good fortune to join them for a day at their beach house in the town of El Tabor before I continued on to Valparaiso to meet up again with Florence. I found an awesome hostel In the trendy Cerro Allegre neighborhood with a great rooftop views of the city and a fun group of guests and employees. Flo and I spent most of our time walking around and taking photos of the colorful, artsy city.

Valparaiso is a really beautiful place. Built on a hill at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, with cobblestone streets and alleys, the whole town is a burst of color! All hues of blue, pink, yellow, and white with sprinkles of purple, red and orange make the city look like rolling mosaics. And artwork is everywhere-at every turn of the head. Not just on the walls of most every building but steps, lamp posts, doors and even roof tops! Inside and out! It's amazing what a splash of color can do for a city. After two days in this wonderful place I had to leave as there was another excellent party to get to in Santiago. Plus there is still a lot to do and see before Carnival begins on February 13!