I've included in this blog a couple of the emails i've sent through the 2 month stint that i had in south america.

This would give the reader an insight on the emotions i've felt and the culture/lifestyle i've witnessed.

as i always say to my friends, don't be a tourist...be traveler.

embrace the culture, walk the side streets, talk to the localcs, try not to eat in too extravagant restos coz you miss out the real fun....

as i've read before, someone said, "if only people can travel the world, then maybe the world would be a better place because people would be more tolerant"

Ola!

If you're getting this email, it's because this is my way of ending my South AMerica trip. so it's either I've met you along somewhere on this trip, or you've been with me (through my email blogs) through the entire journey.

(Si usted consigue este correo electrónico, es porque este es mi modo de terminar mi viaje de Sudamérica. entonces es le he encontrado a lo largo en algún sitio en este viaje, o usted ha estado conmigo (por mi correo electrónico blogs) por el viaje entero)

From the city of Lima, classy streets of Miraflores, through the charming stone cobbled streets of Cusco, through to the magical walls of Macchu PIcchu, down to the streets of Arequipa, exploring the Colca Canyons, experiencing the cough and flu... continuing on through to Puno and mystic floating village of Lake Titicaca, crossing through to the quaint town of Copacabana, getting lost in the crazy and buzzy streets of La Paz, chewing coca leaves with a Quechua guy along the streets of Sagarnaga, admiring the lovely colored skirts of the locals in Peru and Bolivia, a mixture of a solid culture , I felt I was truly in South America....through to the fierce & treacherous cold winds of the Uyuni salt flats area , amazed by the mass of salt on such high altitude despite our freezing bums :) , loving the colorful mountains of SAn Pedro de Atacama, through to the busy and industrialized site of Santiago, flying to the lovely Island of Rapa Nui where i felt time stopped, flying back to the mainland of chile.. strolling the lovely Valdivia and Futruno, down to the changing views of Chile, fixating my eyes on snow capped mountains of Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas and silently absorbed the stupenduous views of Torres Del Paine..completely dazed... enjoying the moments in MAmacita Blancas kitchen in Punta Arenas, flying to the steaming Brazil, amazed by the endless beaches and shorelines, people strolling the city streets on their swim attires..... confused & perplexed with the Portuguese language.... lost in another town but still found my way to Buzios...loved riding the public transportation to town and admired the beauty of a few solitary beach coves in the area... flying to the West of Brazil and got soaking wet in Iguazu.... astounded by the magnitude of the falls.........enjoying the hippie market in Gen. Osorio, Ipanema....going up to Christ the Redeemer... cooking and bonding moments with Shine...... i find it hard to describe everything and dont even know where to start...

In this travel, I experienced the mixed emotions of amazement, laughter with people ive been meeting along the way, self kept smiles out of fondness of the culture Ive seen, quiet tears, excitement with the new adventures.... but most of all pure silence as my reaction to the landscapes of Mother Nature (Pachamama)...........we are all but small beings of this great creation.....and Pictures will never ever justify the beauty.

I´ve seen the diversity of classes, understood a little bit of the history and the culture....watched families in parks during Sundays , just to have a better understanding of how their dynamics are.......tried to walk other streets to find cheaper food and had a better picture of the usual livelihood. Amazing. and youll slowly realize you feel the hunger to learn more of the language in order to communicate....converse.....exchange...

On this journey, ive met such wonderful people as well. and through this email (i hope i got all your addresses right. also ill try to send the pictures i promised! haha), i would like to say thank you ....for adding up to the fun and adventure to this trip. For all of the talks, chats, sharing different perspectives, jokes, the interesting discussions, etc. Maybe someday our paths will cross again in our travels. :)
Here is a toast (hopefully with PIsco Sour) to traveling and beyond! :)

* Sunshine - Mare, thanks for the pisco sour moments haha (mas nalasing ka pa kesa sakin), Barra, Copa, Forte, Corcovado, Ipanema, etc.. dami eh hehe ... all of the Rio moments. *hugz* till next time hehe ;)
* Mash - thanks so much for the tips and suggestions in Brazil. pwede ka nang tour guide hihi. Hope to see you next time ok? wag masyadong seryoso sa work hehe *hugz*
* Florian - for the jokes and the chats we had on Easter Island. for the Escudo, Austral & Crystal moments along Pionono in Santiago. you really made my day. hows PEru and Bolivia ? :)
* Carlos - for receiving me in your farm, lovely lunch, showing me around and for explaining so many things about Chile and its history :). also thanks for the tips...im glad you suggest torres del paine! :)
* Christina, Antje, Philippe - for making the Uyuni and San Pedro moments so much fun. for the jokes and the talks. *hugz*
* Elli - for the Cusco moments, sandwich along the street, for Arequipa and Colca Canyon days too
* Grandpa, Mommy KAthy, Brian, Hannah - for making the Sacred Valley tour so fun. Brian, for the chats and knowledge exhange on the bus. Im glad to have met you guys. Hannah dear, dont stop climbing and conquering the fear. :) *hugz to the family and please say hi for me to Grandpa*
* Melvin - for taking care of my trips in Cusco
* Claudia & Andrea - for making my MAchu PICchu trek so much fun and memorable. for the PIsco sour and Cosquena moments in Aqua calientes and on the train. Andrea - gracias por hacer mi MAchu PICchu viaje dificultoso tanta diversión y memorable. ya que los PIsco se agrian y momentos Cosquena en Aqua calientes y en el tren
* Barry, Ate Cheryl, Kuya Jay - for the fun moments on the van going to Santa Theresa. hoping to see you guys in Auckland!
* Hans - for the chat moments in Arequipa and in Copacabana. I hope you have finished reading the book by now and passed it on to another lone traveler. Also wish the sculpturing is going well in Bolivia / Chile
* Arnold, Elodie, Julie, Ludovic, Alexandre - for the fun moments on the Salar De Uyuni trip. Hows the temperature in Tahiti? :) Arnold, how was Potosi
* Braulio (and please extend this to Roberto) - for being a good tour operator, plus Roberto is a good guide too.
* Lorena & Guido - for the fun moments and sharing your bottle of whiskey at the Lago Gray in Torres Del PAine
* Shannon, Fran, Pilar, Anna, Javi - for the fun trip in Torres del PAine. Im sure you´re back in Spain by now. :) Shannon, enjoying Argentina?
* Bryan and company - for the chats and laughter on the bus while on the way to Uyuni. Hows going back home?
* Maeva & Geirgranli - for the chats during our butt aching horse ride on Easter Island
* An-ni & family - for the Iguacu Macuco Safari moments (ill send the video when i get back home)
thank you also to my family and friends who were all with me in spirit during this journey.
* MArcos - for the chats at Punta Arenas. glad you liked my cooking :). i'll let you know when i get to visit ARgentina someday! *besos*
* Mamacity Blanca (Tres hermanos) - Muchas Gracias por todo!!! *besos*
* Maritza - for the moments in Vallea Nevado, for giving me spanish lessons 101, and showing me the church.
* Alex - for the intellectual and philosophical chats in GIG Airport :) goodluck to all of your endeavors in the project.

with love/con amor,
Jowe
Philippines / New Zealand

I didn't know what to expect when I boarded my plane from Santiago, bound for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The isolation and the haunting but comforting silence of the snow capped mountains of Torres Del Paine, the fierce cold (less than 0) and endless horizons of Punta Arenas, enjoying the cooking moments and chatting day and nights with Mamacita Blanca in Tres Hermanos and my familiarity with Southern Patagonia, Chile...was something I wasn't sure I was ready to let go.

The Arrival
I felt the intense heat the moment we landed. The rays of the sun was shimmering through the windows of the plane, and before landing, I could work out the tiny spots of seemed to be bodies walking along the shoreline of the endless beaches. and so it begins, another adventure....

yup adventure indeed. as soon as I got in the taxi....I was perfectly perplexed by the language...Portuguese!!! wahhhh.... okay. so i talked to them in Spanish which they sometimes would understand. Difficult part was, listening to them. They pronounced the words differently and some words were not the same as Spanish. (My first few hours were more of retaliation....and because of that I shut myself for a few moments by listening to my ipod)

First day, I found my way in the Catete area, which was slightly near the Center of Rio. Buildings looked like they were all attached to each other, the streets were noisy and busy, a lot of what seemed like carinderias were in almost each corner, side street vendors would call out to people strolling the alleys.....and we could all feel the heat.

I haven't had decent sleep coz i was in the airport overnight, havent had lunch, the heat was intense, didnt have enough cash to buy food so was asking around for the nearest atm machine, approached the police in the corner....and they were speaking in portuguese....... have you ever watched Ally McBeal? During those moments I was imagining myself slapping everyone with that accent!! haha. yeah yeah, i know.....mean! but hey... i am but human. i guess i was shocked, and didnt expect this coming.

I found my way in a grocery store, and yup, finally had cash. fixated my eyes to the attractive colors of these food chain.....and the kernel was calling.....so I immediately lined up at the counter of KFC! HA! yup... KFC!.....
I looked at the menu, of course it was in portuguese....and found myself looking at the picture of chicken with papa fritas (french fries), arroz (rice) and black beans....beans... and beans. a common thing in a lot of Brazilian food.

Happy and content, but allergies flaring up, chatted online with Mash and Sunshine, ...... I settled in my bed and tried to re-energize. The following day was my reunion with a highschool and college friend (Shine) of mine who's been working here in Rio de JAneiro, Brazil.

(Through the following days, I learned and found my way through the metro (train) stations of Rio and the public bus as well. And now, i'm getting a hang of it. hehe)

Following day, before meeting up Sunshine, I decided to find my way to Pao de Azucar where Sugarloaf stands. Excerpt from wikipedia: Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese, Pão de Açúcar), is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising 396 metres (1,299 ft) above sea-level, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar. However, it is believed by some that the name actually derives from Pau-nh-acuqua (“high hill”) in the Tupi-Guarani language, as used by the indigenous Tamoios.

Copacabana, Ipanema....beach...beach...bodies...

as I've told a lot of my friends, I've never felt so fat in my life. walking along the streets of Copacabana and Ipanema, you'll find that wearing 2-piece , or even T-backs for that matter....was something Normal.... even though you're not yet in front of the beach. People would walk from the bus or even from the condominiums .... finding their way to the beach. Some would be jogging in their trunks. Some would be strolling in their bikinis. Some in their 2-piece while walking the dog. Yup. Everybody rejoiced during that weekend because Rio got a lot of rain for the past few days before i arrived.

Sunshine and I strolled along the shoreline of Copacabana, immersing ourselves in the crowd. a group playing volleyball in the corner, some drinking cervezas, some just having a tan. It was amazing. From there we continued on to the Fort where the different canyons faced the Atlantic Ocean and the eerie rooms of soldiers were exhibited to the public.

That night we also discovered the local Sunday MArket at General Osorno, in the Ipanema area. souvenirs for a good bargain, and heaps of interesting items in the square. A must see and visit if you're in the area. Shine said the night market at Copa was uncomparable to this one because of the variety. And of course,that night was Sunshine's first time to have a taste of the Chilean Pisco Sour! HA! :)

Buzios (East)

To avoid the crowd, I decided to go to this area East of Rio de JAneiro (tipped by Mash and Shine). Buzios, a 3 hour bus ride from Rio.

I boarded the ferry from the coast of Rio which crossed to the city of Niteroi. From there I was supposed to get on a bus which would take me direct to Buzios. I realized the station was too far away. So I approached one of the public transport guys, tried my luck by speaking spanish to him.....and asked how many minutes it would take me if I walked towards the bus station. During that moment, I didn't find it funny, but looking back now....I found it hilarious. He motioned to me, 30 minutes if by walking. But with all smiles, he said....well.......not just walking......but "rapido"....meaning fast or brisk walking. then he sampled the movement with his famous smile...then signalled...but 2 minutes if you take the bus...then pointed to the one behind him. So I ended up getting on that bus.

Before we took off, the guy talked to the driver and made sure that I would be dropped off at the bus station. What I forgot was, to remind the conductor. Here in Brazil, you'll find a few ways of riding the public transpo. you cannot enter the bus without paying immediately. and you'll need to go through this tight rotating thing just to get to your sit.... and that's where the conductor would collect your payment.

Because of my lack of communication abilities, I found myself paying 9 BRL (Reals)..... but realized, that was too expensive if it was supposed to be close. Well...sorry...I found myself ending up near the garage of the bus company instead! HAHAHA!. so.... i took a bus going back...retracing my steps....whammy#1....blooper!

and so finally, i was in the bus station where i was supposed to be 30 minutes earlier. but this is not where the blooper ends.

At counter#1 , I Talked to the teller and asked whens the next bus to Buzios. He said something in POrtuguese, he couldn't understand spanish.....and he ended up writing down something on a piece of paper.......blah blah blah.....and all i could understand was the part which said...CABO FRIO. I thought he meant..."With aircon?"........ because of the Frio word which meant cold.......so I gleefuly said Yes and paid the fee.

.... double whammy...blooper#2.....I ended up in another town.......not by the name of Buzios....but...CABO FRIO. and that's when it all dawned on me what the teller guy was telling me....... WAHAHAHHHA! The bus that he booked me in was headed for a town named CABO FRIO, and that I had to take another bus to Buzios.

It was 7 pm at night, couldn't figure out where I was. I approached a guy by the taxi stand and asked...good thing he understood me.....and so i boarded the public bus headed for Buzios. the crazy driver seemed tired coz we were all swaying through the trip.

.... triple whammy...blooper#3......I ended up at the tip of Buzios......away from the hostel ......so I boarded another bus retracing my steps....wahahhaha.....

..... walked the streets and tried to look for Rua Marisol where the Youth Hostelling was. The challenge was to ask for directions because there was barely anyone in sight, and if there was..they were speaking POrtuguese. But at least i could work out the word "izquierda" which meant left.

I found the hostel (around 9:30pm), worked out the map of the town, found my bearing and realized i was far away from the center and had to ride the public van. without any nearby place to eat late lunch/dinner....I found myself on the van, headed for the town.....and munching on Mcdonalds. hehehe

The following days were more of exploring the different beaches. I found a few which were quiet and boats were restricted, so that the area, corals and tranquility would be maintained. You can have your own corner most especially if you get there around 10am on a weekday. Some beaches were for surfing, or surfing classes...some were for relaxing....and some were for drinking. hehehe

I found myself a spot along the Geriba Beach, put on some sunscreen lotion and read a book. hehehe. of course i went for a swim. just realized though the waves for the surfer dudes! hahaha....

Foz de Iguacu

It always boils down to budget. I computer the expenses, and thought....I might as well miss out on Iguazu falls...but then realized, here I Go again. I might regret that decision. I'm here...now.....so just do it!

Rio Iguazu, and the falls is shared between 3 countries. PAraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Because of visa requirements, I couldn't enter Paraguay and Argentina. but the view from Brazil side was stunning enough for me. I decided not to book with a tour company, and just do it myself...besides , it was cheaper.

Walked all the way to the bus terminal, paid a small fee and settled in at the back, enjoying the breeze.

I entered the Nacional Parque of Iguazu falls, nominated as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. IN an instant, i smelled the abundance of clean air, refreshed by seeing rich likens sticking to the trees which meant oxygen was rich in the area, heard the chirping of birds...it was so relaxing......so pure.....

It was amazing how the structure was formed. How the falls came to be. The name Iguazu came from a Guarani word, which meant Big Water. A legend has been known to be told behind the formation of this magnificent waterfall.

I owe you guys some updates, but ill make it short since im almost done with this journey...

I finally decided to stay for another extra week in Chile, so in total, I've been in the country for 3 weeks. It made me see more of the nature's varying slopes through that thin stretch of diverse landscape. From the dry deserts of San Pedro de Atacama down to the snow capped sierras of Torres Del Paine.

After literally tossing a coin with Mr. Jorge, the owner of the Weissenhaus in Puerto Varas, the heads won... which found me booking my flight to Punta Arenas , the capital of the Magallanes y la Antartica Chilena Regio, Chile. Because of its location, they also categorize this as the southernmost city in the world. This is also the common landing point if you want to reach Puerto Natales, the gate to Torres del Paine, or Southern Patagonia.

I boarded the plane and found myself sitted beside a Chilean lady, who I couldn't understand a word she was saying coz it was too fast for my comprehension. But she was lovely, so I just let her chat away. Through her spanish and my limited vocabulary, all I could work out were the sentences pertaining to the precious beauty of Torres del Paine, but because of winter theres a possibilty of the clouds covering the view. That it's been cold the past few days and she's worried. But I knew she'd be fine coz her layers of winter clothing seemed just fine.

We landed and I found my way taking the immediate shuttle transfer to the bus terminal. It was a race for me to reach Puerto Natales, not wanting for the sun to kiss the tip of the horizon before I could find a hostel for the next few days. The first bus company was filled up for the next trip...and so i had to walk a couple of blocks to the next one.

I got on the 6:30pm trip.

The winds in Puerto NAtales were a little bit dump because of rainfall the past few days. I walked the streets around 9:30 pm and tried to find the hostel on my notebook. Instead, found another one close by. Settled in for the night and dozed off.

The trip to Torres Del Paine is something I think would find difficult to describe. I was sitted on the second row, and had a perfect front view of the wilderness in front of us. I always thought this part of Chile looked like the landscape of the South Island (New Zealand)...but this was something far more than what I expected.

There , right in front of me was the stupenduous view of these huge mountains , capped with snow....lakes glistening green, dry trees skinned by winter, barren land, llamas and deers running into the wild......even now as I write this.....I still feel it......and even I myself could not explain such beauty. The isolation of this majestic scenery, howling winds, haunting silence....I vowed to come back again someday.

We moved on to another part of the parque and found ourselves trekking through to Lago Gray. THere we were dumbfounded by the presence of humunguous icebergs floating. From afar they glistened blue, but if taken apart, it looked like plain ice...(as we all would know). I touched the water, felt the cold, stared at the big mass in front of me, and inhaled..........WOW!

with the cold freezing the tips of our fingers, Guido took out something from his pockets....a bottle...... WHISKEY!!!
I was laughing my heart out coz earlier in the van I thought they were joking. well, now i knew, they were dead serious!
so there we were , Lorena & Guido (from San Antonio, Chile) and Me , making toasts, in front of the icebergs.....hehe. so much for the silence. :) Shanon (from Aus) and the rest of the guys from Spain joined in the pictorial ...

The following day before heading back to Punta Arenas, I had lunch along the pier of Puerto Natales. I watched the ships docking with the snow capped mountains in the background. splendid.

I found myself back in Punta Arenas after 3 hours. Walking my way through to the hostel in mind, I found myself right in front of the well known cemetery....okay...so where to now? Found out the place I was looking for was more than 20 blocks away. So decided to take the cab and had a chat with the driver. I was really happy to know that he was familiar with the Philippines and he knew about Manny Pacquiao. Almost hugged him in admiration......i rarely meet someone in this part of the world who would know about the Philippines and mention someone besides Imelda Marcos.

I ended up in another hostel...by the name of Tres Hermanos (as listed in the Lonely Planet). The creaky wooden floor was homey, and there was Mamacita Blanca. I had the room to myself though it was for 4 persons. Since it was low season, that was the typical setting here. I settled in then decided to buy something to cook for dinner. Promised Mamacita Blanca to cook dinner for them before I left Punta Arenas.

For the rest of my stay, I called her plain "Mamacita" and her husband "Papa" (who would just laugh whenever i would call him out). I found myself getting at home in her kitchen...while she would continue to do her baking or sew dresses she's been designing. Also, met a very nice guy from Argentina by the name of Marcos, who was sent for a conference.

The following day was more of touring around the town, going to the mirador, getting a top view of the city......and for the last time, looking at the southern plains.

Before I left, I cooked a recipe of my own and both Marcos and Mamacita loved it. While waiting for the van to the airport, Mamacita and I watched the latest buzz on tv...and I was glad I was understanding more of their language. And so there we were sharing point of views on the "chismis". hahaha. loved it.

I hugged Mamacita and Marcos goodbye....and flew back to Santiago.......another chapter.

I realized I was learning to love this place. IT takes a while before you really settle in and find a comfortable area to be in. The simplicity besides nature's beauty.

and so....next adventure....Brazil......

I always thought that South America was very latin america. apparently, here in the southern part of suda america, its not.

hehe.
and that goes for my ignorance.

i find that the mestizo and mestizas of Chile are gorgeous. okay no reactions please. i think its because of the mixed blood of Germans and the locals.

im very impressed with the subway system here. similar to singapore and london. though of course there{s the famous smog , Santiago is very industrialized, organized, secured.

a few years back, as part of their history, there was a big German migration here after world war II. so there are a lot of cities in chile, argentina and brazil that are more "Germanized".

also, ive learned that the government of Chile is working towards being the first country in latin america to be a first world . which i think is , getting close to materializing.

ive spent a night in their library/cafe in the middle of the parque, and also one time watched families on weekends....observed their culture and their ways. they are very family oriented.

oh one of the things too, i forgot to tell you guys. they are very expressive in public...meaning, PDA....i.e. public display of affection between lovers. but i was shocked when i arrived here in santiago, coz its really....public!

anyway, another gesture here is to kiss/peck each other on the cheek, when you are introduced.. it was really funny when i first experienced that. Men kiss each other too on the cheek sometimes. well not sure if they are gay though.

hmm, wha telse. Chile's landscape is a little bit similar with New Zeland.

Last Sunday, I boarded the plane bound for Easter Island, a.k.a. Rapa Nui, a.k.a. Isla de Pascua.
The view of Santiago was beautiful from my window seat. Though a part of it was smog, I could still see the mountain tops with snow and as always, sunsets never fail to amaze me.

The guy seated beside me was a local Rapa Nui, though born in Chile. I tried to converse with him in Spanish, though as usual my grammar wasnt that good at all.

We landed with a big bump on the airport grounds. I guess its really difficult to be landing in the middle of nowhere (Pacific Ocean) and with no horizon as your guide. It was 8 pm, Rapa Nui time.

I didnt get a lay of flowers when I arrived. Well, thats for not booking a place to stay ahead of time. I went directly to the table where it said Camping Mihinoa. One tip guys, if you want to save money from this trip, youd better do camping or else, its expensive. hehe. everything here on the island is sooo expensive.

jessica, the caretaker, took me to the campsite. I rented a tent that seemed to face the sea, cause i can hear waves. but of course, it was dark. but i looked up, and whew...what a beautiful sky. yeap.

i met a few people on the campsite.....but was too dizzy to have a long chat. i settled in my tent, prepared the sleeping bag, and for the first time, used the silkliner. :)

ok. so i guess, part of me was scared. something was moving at the entrance of my tent. but because i wasnt in the mood for anything at this time of the night, and tired from the trip, i decided to zip it open....and voila...there he was. a shivering dog ....... looking for shelter. and you know what he did? the moment i looked at him....he poked his head in the tent, and yup......zoomed in..... and despite my asthma and allergies...i felt sorry for him...so there we were until the morning....sleeping beside each other... awww..how sweet! hahaha

second day.
i woke up to such a breath taking view. the pacific ocean in front of the campsite....waves crashing against the rocks...a cliff to my right side and a cemented maoi in front of my tent. whew! beautiful. :)

I found my pack of asparagus soup in my backpack and went directly to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. the German guy was up early and was preparing to heat up water. asked me what i was planning to do for the day. well i said, i havent really thought about it.

i sat in silence in front of the view...with the sun rising. everyone was silently eating their breakfast.....loving the landscape and the ocean....

i walked all the way to town, and well, saw a mini mercado which said it was selling empanadas. i went in and well, found none. so i asked the guy standing beside me. i think my spanish was really twisted coz he started talking to me in english instead. haha. His name was Sergio Rapu. he offered me a ride to the other end of the downtown where they sell empanadas. So i hopped on his van and had a chat. i was really glad to meet him. A local by birth but living in Hawaii, hes been working as an archaelogist. :) before saying goodbye, he made sure the shop we went to was selling heated empanadas.. then he bid me farewell and went his way.

After buying me empanadas, i walked back and found me a bike hire. met Alfredo, the business owner...whos actually a mestizo Rapa nui for his looks :)

I ended up on horse. and now my bum is still hurting. We were horse back riding for 4 hours around the base and half way to the tip of Tera Vaka. My first time to see maois were in Ahu Akivi. 7 moaiwere the only ones facing the sea unlike the rest which faced the island.

On the tour I met a local girl by the name of Maeva who explained the statues to me. She was born in Rapa Nui but has been studying in Norway. We were also with her friend Geirgranli, who was Norwegian. He wasnt used to horseback riding either. so that made two of us, coz the rest, another family from Chile, and Maeva, were so good with the horses. amazing.

the view was spectacular. the rock formations and the peak of the volcano, plus a few stones that had fish drawings on them were sited along the way.

we ended up in Anakena, a lovely white sand with moais and palm trees. a few Chilean families wre there enjoying the sun, with BBQ. :)

we all went back to the town and I walked back with Geirgranli, to my campsite, and him to Maevas place. I found Luis, and decided to rent the bike for an hour. Whew, its been a while since ive actually used a bike. I bought me 2 canned fish and tomato and onion to cook. as ive said, its expensive to even eat out here. and of course, bought me beer. hwehhehe.... whats the best way to finish the day.

i went back to the campsite and cooked me some dinner...while enjoying the view again. beautiful. I met a guy from Brazil by the name of Matthew of Matiu, not really sure. We walked towards the crashing waves and just watched the sunset..until Woody joined in...the campsite dog. hehe :) The Brazilian group were leaving the following day.

Third day.
I met a father and daughter from the U.S., also had to ask for salt. hehe i didnt want to buy a grande bag of salt on the island..which would cost me plus, i wouldnt want to bring it with me back to the mainland.

cooked me again my left over asparagus, and ate breakfast. walked to town and bought me empanada again. hehehe. that was for lunch :) i was testing the scooter with Alfredo when,... well....i found myself on a car instead....know why? i almost hit a car and fell off the scooter. ok. as far as i remember, i was good with it when i was testing it in Waiheke Island (NZ)...but for some reason, i didnt feel good when i tested it here. so okay.......

I had a mission. Go to Rano Kau (crater) , Orongo (the village), Ahu Tongariki (the 15 moais standing) and Rano Raraku (the nursery and jigsaws of moais). So, yup, i think day would be enough on car and a little bit of hiking. it was fun. though i was getting lost.

on my way to rano Raraku, i was going in circles, though the view was lovely... hehehe. I met Margarita, a local......with her son, who just finished fishiing for the day. i gave them a lift to their house and they showed me the way to Rano Raraku. She kissed me goodbye and wished me good travel. they were surprised i was traveling alone. ive been getting a lot of that reaction here.

and so , on a mission, i went through those places ive mentioned above. at some point, ate my empanada in front of Ahu Tongariki .... while enjoying the sunshine, the breeze and internalizing why the islanders would build such grande statues...

In Orongo, youll appreciate the village that theyve built on the tip of the crater of Rano Kau. there all of the houses faced the 3 islets...with Motu Nui being the biggest. they go there once a year during spring and hold a contest...whoever brings back the egg from the bird that flies there during that season, is called the birdman.

after doing that hike up...i went back to town, trying to figure out how to go to the caves near Ahu Akivi..... so i ended up in the same empanada shop, and asked the lady. she was scared for me that i would go there alone..but i insisted i was okay...but nope...she wasnt convinced. and so i ended up with a local by the name of Ata Tepano...and went with me to the caves. good thign he had light. he explained the caves to me, and accompanied me throughout the tunnels. and yup, i got dirty going up a small hole up through the caves. but it was beautiful. The german guy I met back in the campsite joined us too.

As a favor, I dropped off Ata Tepano at his house. He showed me his plantation of mango trees, pina and the place where he carved moais from wood. He was telling me to visit again in February because of the fiesta they were having on the island. :) I said, depende. hehe. :) he bid me farewell and I headed back to town.

Alfredo dropped me off at the camp site, thank God.....coz i was too exhausted to walk back.

At the campsite I met the German guy....and thats when i got his name..Florean. such a funny guy. he{s been on the island for 5 days now.....
ended up sharing Pisco sour for dinner, while he ate his steak with papa fritas. hehe. a guy with such a sense of humour. we looked at the night sky on our way back to the campsite, wishing for a shooting star. well, while he suggested that my wish should be, him not snoring for the night or else everybody would evacuate the campsite. yikes. wahahha. yup, i had a lot of good laugh for the night.

so yeah...now im on my last day.....and will be flying out tomorrow morning back to the cold Santiago city.

now, after a 24 hour overnight bus ride from the dry deserts of San Pedro, i{ve arrived in Santiago. the view is amazing. and i{ve been reading about the history of this country.

the salar de uyuni tour .......... what can i say.....
uhmm..........i havent seen anything like it at all. spending 3 days and 2 nights in a 4WD with a bunch of 6 more people was totallyfun. and freezing our ass off in hostels in the middle of the desert was another adventure. i was adopted by the group of tahitians during that tour. had a friend Arnold, 82 years old, traveling by himself. and then i was adopted by a group of fun and very wonderful people from Germany (Philip and Antje) and austria (Kristina). they{ve been studying here in Chile.

our guide Roberto was amazing. talking about the political state of Bolivia, over a glass of wine on our last night in the desert (to keep us warm), hitting -10 C ......
the sky was amazing during those 2 nights......if it wasnt freezing, i would have stared at the milky way and waited for a falling star.

taught Elodie (12 year old frm TAhiti) how to play the do re mi scale on the harmonica, while shivering in the cold rooms made out of salt. :)

on our last day, we woke up at 5 am, and it was less than 0 Celsius, and without even a highway to drive on, Roberto our driver-guide, was just using the southern cross as his reference. there in the middle of the desert you can see lights of 4WDs driving down south, following that cross. wow!

he put on an 80s CD and we were all dancing ot the tune of Footloose. hahah. and then, also hummed to the tunes of My Way...

i spent my 2 days in San PEdro de Atacama with the guys from Germany and Austria. It was so much fun! and they{ve been really wonderful people too. Will be meeting up Antje in Valparaiso maybe next week.