I am currently writing to you from Bolivia, La Paz, drinking cocoa tea partially to keep me warm and I like how it makes me feel. Its been a long day.

I always have a tendency to almost miss my flight/bus/boat/donkey whatever. Its 11.45am in Mendoza and I am shopping for some thick socks. I haven’t realised that time and my bus leaves at noon. Sadly, the time is apparent and I chose the wrong day to wear a long dress, noticing its inconvenience  as I run to my hostel where Simon and Barry pick their bags and get to the bus terminal. We have missed the bus at 12 (which was apparently the last bus) but we’ve managed to secure one that was running late at 12.30. Just as were about to buy our tickets Barry has remembered that he has forgotten his laundry and has to go back. There is no way he is making it to Santiago today.

We say our goodbyes and Simon and I continue on our travels.

The view.

The Andes is incredible. I am so glad that my bus journey is during the day the views were amazing. I have never been so close to such beautiful mountains before. I remember learning about the Andes in my geography class when I was younger and never once did I think I would actually see it. Around were lakes, lagoons, mountains with snow and a rocky slim road (where on several occasions I had to close my eyes – just in case). Drivers are pretty much fearless here.

The Boarder Crossing.

This was probably the worst border crossing I have been too. Sniffer dogs came onto our bus several times, we had to offload and on load our luggage countless limes, you pass one immigration officer (think they look at your documents) then go to another immigration officer to stamp your passport, then you go into another room where you have to lay all your belongings on a table whiles your main bag goes through a scanner. and dogs sniffing your bags constantly. I really did feel like I was being prosecuted for something and that I had to be completely searched down to the core like a criminal.

At one point of waiting after all the shenanigans,   I felt someone hug me from the back! Its Barry!! He rushed back to the hostel picked his stuff rushed back and got onto a bus (I still don’t know how) and made it to the Chilean border! I am really glad to see him!

   Santiago as a City.

I wasn’t highly impressed with Santiago during the day, but the night seemed so much cooler. Its a big city like every other city and I spent the days walking around.

We reunited with Francisco the only evening I was there and he brought along Rita and David his Portuguese friends who had moved to Santiago a couple weeks after getting married. They took us to this small bar where David hangs out with his Rugby friends. ¨You have to try this¨ Rita says to me as she passes a drink that had 3 different layers (wine rum and a dollop of pineapple ice cream) its called Terremoto which means Earthquake. (I am going to try and imitate this drink back home)

You can’t taste the alcohol in it and it was delicious. I drank it super fast and so did everyone else and I know that wasn’t a good idea until I got to my room. Overall I slept like a baby.

Since I wasn’t highly impressed with Santiago I decided to leave a little early. As I was looking at bus tickets on the net Francisco messages me ¨Rita, David, Molly (their dog) and I taking a road trip to Valparaiso in half an hour, can you make it?¨ A road trip with Francisco is never boring.

Picked my bags and I am out of Santiago and on my way to Valparaiso.