Greetings, true believers!

Antofagasta is a beautiful place with lots of colour and people. There are buskers in the street that give the place a really homely South American feeling. The view of the surrounding mountains is amazing.

Last night the hotel we stayed in was right next to a busy pub. It was karaoke night and the music didn´t turn off until about 3am, and our room shared walls with the pub (we could hear chairs scraping and glasses clinking). We managed to sleep in to 11am just before check out, though.

Javiera and I are sitting in an internet cafe at the moment, and we have to hang around until 10pm tonight to catch our bus to Arica (the border). We´re going to wait at the bus station as soon as it gets dark (around 9) and our bags are safely in the hotel that we stayed at (which is next door to the bus terminal). The bus will get to Arica (the border) at 9:30 tomorrow morning (Wed 6th).

We´re budgeting very well, and we aren´t arguing as much as we expected (yet!).

I´m starting to speak Spanish more, and I now have a dictionary to help me when Javiera is not there/busy doing something else and I need to talk to someone.

We´re now off to see the beach in Antofagasta, and also to take more photos of the city.  After that we´re going to look at the topless coffee shops around Antofagasta, where the waitresses are almost nude and they serve you coffee. I am nervous, but Javiera wants me to go.

We´ll post a new blog when we´re in Arica (in the next couple of days).

Chau!