With the ground still shaking me out of my bed in Santiago, i decided it was time to move on. An American girl, Nicole, and I went to the bus station and jumped on the first one heading North. (South is too earthquake affected).
We arrived in La Serena, a smallish costal town and managed to find the hostel just before it got dark. The next day was very overcast and the town was in work mode as it Monday morning.
By 2pm we were ready to leave this town, which would probably be beautiful in the summer. Then by chance we met up with a local that a fellow aussie travel (Kiri) had met. I stalked him on face book, then he gave me his number. Dont we just love face book. I now have friends with profiles i can not even read!
Pablo was on an evening bus back to Santiago to check his apartment after the quake. We all went for a swim as the late afternoon sun came out and Nicole and I grabbed a bus ticket to Pisco Elqui, as recommended by some Dutch travelers.
After a terrifying bus trip through the mountains, were the bus driver turned all the lights of to turn a corner, we arrived in the one street town at 11pm. The hostel owner, Gabriella, was waiting at the bottom of the street for us. SHe was divine, so was her hostel which was also her home.
The town was a hidden gem, surrounded by the rugged Andes, this lush valley was filled with pisco vineyards, streams and pastures with grazing horses. We hiked a mountain on the second day. The heat was intense and there is barely a rock to shade you.
Most of the time i simply lazed around reading and writing, simply perfect. Yesterday we went horse riding. Pincy, my horse, had a beautiful gate, and we galloped along the dirt tracks at quite a pace. I havn't felt so free and happy for a long time. It felt wonderful to get back on a horse, the first time since I'd hurt my back. In saying that, there was a section of the path, up a ravine, that took trail riding to an extreme level. One slip of a hoof and it would have been all over. I had faith in my fat little white horse!
Took an overnight bus back to Santiago, where the ground is still shaking every so often. My body aches from the climbing, riding and bus trip. Aside from that i am very well. Tonight i will stay with Pablo in his Santiago apartment. Lets hope he can help me improve my Spanish.
We arrived in La Serena, a smallish costal town and managed to find the hostel just before it got dark. The next day was very overcast and the town was in work mode as it Monday morning.
By 2pm we were ready to leave this town, which would probably be beautiful in the summer. Then by chance we met up with a local that a fellow aussie travel (Kiri) had met. I stalked him on face book, then he gave me his number. Dont we just love face book. I now have friends with profiles i can not even read!
Pablo was on an evening bus back to Santiago to check his apartment after the quake. We all went for a swim as the late afternoon sun came out and Nicole and I grabbed a bus ticket to Pisco Elqui, as recommended by some Dutch travelers.
After a terrifying bus trip through the mountains, were the bus driver turned all the lights of to turn a corner, we arrived in the one street town at 11pm. The hostel owner, Gabriella, was waiting at the bottom of the street for us. SHe was divine, so was her hostel which was also her home.
The town was a hidden gem, surrounded by the rugged Andes, this lush valley was filled with pisco vineyards, streams and pastures with grazing horses. We hiked a mountain on the second day. The heat was intense and there is barely a rock to shade you.
Most of the time i simply lazed around reading and writing, simply perfect. Yesterday we went horse riding. Pincy, my horse, had a beautiful gate, and we galloped along the dirt tracks at quite a pace. I havn't felt so free and happy for a long time. It felt wonderful to get back on a horse, the first time since I'd hurt my back. In saying that, there was a section of the path, up a ravine, that took trail riding to an extreme level. One slip of a hoof and it would have been all over. I had faith in my fat little white horse!
Took an overnight bus back to Santiago, where the ground is still shaking every so often. My body aches from the climbing, riding and bus trip. Aside from that i am very well. Tonight i will stay with Pablo in his Santiago apartment. Lets hope he can help me improve my Spanish.
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