Tuesday, October 27, 1998

Some travel days are not cheery days. Some travel weeks aren't cheery weeks. Today, I'm afraid, I realized that I was somewhat depressed. In fact, I realized that through most of the two months thus far in South America that I was not up to my normally jolly self. Sure, there were times of great fun and great people. But for some reason yet unidentified South America just isn't inspiring me.

Still, there are no easy ways out. To go home early would seem a copout, especially when I know that I'd just feel like leaving again almost immediately. Chile is still to be explored. So, I'll make the best out of the situation and deal. I know, all you people out there in etherland who are sitting at your desk at the Oracle building, Sun, Cisco, etc are just shaking your head... I'm in Chile and you're at work. I'm not expecting sympathy. I just felt like venting a little and letting people in cyberspace know that solo travel can really be lonely, frustrating, and tiring at times.

So, today I awoke and wandered around San Pedro for a few hours with Dave and Ian. We then decided to rent bikes and go for an hour ride out into the country. There were few highlights, but getting chased across a field by a pack of dogs turned out to be pretty exciting...

Then, we headed off for a nice little 5 hour tour of the Valley of the Moon. It's called that because of the fantastic lunar-like landscapes -- especially around sunset. I used the time to meditate and try to get myself out of my somewhat foul mood. Luckily, a guy on the tour named Alex helped. He just spent 6 months in Australia and talking to him about travelling there (my most likely next destination around the first of the year) got me excited. If only it were January...

We went out to a nice little restaurant in San Pedro and had a few beers before I headed off alone and early. At 3AM I was treated to my roommates, Dave and Ian, crawling into bed and making a last ditch effort to score the two cute chimney-like Australian chicks in the room next door. Unfortunately, as they say in cricket, they need a few more days in the test match...
The next morning, it was off for a very long bus ride of almost 18 hours through Antofagasta to La Serena, home to the rich and famous and Chilean beachside playground.

Scenes from the Valley of the Moon