Travelling or backpacking can have its highs and lows...some days everything goes to plan and others not...some days you meet great people and other times you need some personal space...Travelling solo has its advantages and disadvantages as well...although i need to constantly remind myself that i am not working for 12 months and going places many dream of there are times when the fairytale doesn't go to plan! You crave your sofa; some home cooked meals (note cereal for dinner not consumed yet...not have i cooked in months mind you!) or just some beers with mates (love getting photos from London of mates catching up with now ex-pay chums or Skype calls from parties where we end up both dancing!).
So i am in Chile and initially has been disappointing. Issue being very busy as holiday season so places are full...there are hitchhikers everywhere! The weather is often damp. Plus having the realisation thanks to delays that been wasting a few days that could of been spent elsewhere. Like all decisions about travel its a case of "what if" or FOMO (fear of missing out). You cant see it all so have to be selective based on LP (Lonely Planet aka travellers bible) and traveller stories...as you can sense from my intro i was in a little slump!!
So the past few days have been slow due to Chiloe way of life and distances to travel. Arrived on the island of Chiloe (halfway up/down Chile) for 3 days turning into 6. Rained first few days which means just sitting around with minimal exploring. Went to penguin sanctuary to see 100 or so penguins...again as have been lucky to be exposed to so many wonders of the world sometimes its hard to get wow factor...for local Chileans probably has wow factor but for global jet-setters like myself you need them in bow-ties tap dancing! German beer festival was good and shared beers with some great travellers (Germans settled here ages ago). Then karma slapped me across the face...
Had a 5 hr bus journey to the port for 23:00 ferry departure. Arrived cutting it fine but the ferry (sailing through fjords and stunning scenery...apparently) was delayed by 13hrs. After trawling the streets found no available hotel rooms. After contemplating the beach/park bench the thought of the stray dogs licking my face put me off. Luckily found 2 Chileans in same predicament and we managed to stay in a spare room of a local resident...thus cool to see Chilean way of life. Next morning decided to scrap the boat and head on 7hr bus to main airport in the north (my connecting flight in south would have been missed and then stranded in middle of nowhere as meeting friend Nancy from Oz in South). Managed to get on same flight but from stop earlier thanks to staff at Sky Airline (bought them a Toblerone as made me happy as got on board and have an emergency exit window seat to see the scenery from the air! Which as you will see is awesome!!) so worked out in the end but essentially 2 days wasted with little sleep and food.
As i said some days you pinch yourself of how lucky you are others you just wish transport would work (ok London did have strikes) and wish there is a sofa and English TV at the end!
Luckily over the next few days can share the experience with a friend and the scenery is meant to be stunning! Glaciers, mountain lakes, camping (not massive fan!) - just hope Tierra del Fuego and Chalten live up to their reputation!
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