Valparaiso and Vino Del Mar are ajoining towns about 2 hours out of Santiago and its on the coast. When we arrived we took a taxi to our hostel but what a performance that was. The streets here are more like alley ways so he had to drop us off at the top of the street. We headed down some really dodgy looking alley way and could we hell find it. We walked up and down this same alley so many times and in the end had to go into some hotel for directions, still coudnt find it. Argh I was gettin so fed up and my back is so sore from carrying my bag. In the end we finally found it. The thing is here the hostels dont have signs outside so its very difficult to find anything.

So in we went and what a cool hostel. It is basically a house, a living room with sofas, tv, dining table and hifi with a kitchen separated with the breakfast bar. Its owned by a guy named sergio and it was more like it was his own house. We went for a walk down to the port and to find the supermarket but felt like we were in a really bad area so didnt fancy walking around that night. As it was so homely we just chilled on the sofsa chatting to the other travellers.

Day 1

Today we braved the local buses and went to Vino Del Mar not s nice as were we were staying but it had a huge beach. We got off at one beach and then walked right around to the other. We laid on the beach for a couple of hours untill James spotted churros. That was it we were off on the hunt, there just long kind of donut things. It was really nice as along the front was a little market so it was good to get some ideas for gifts to take home. We had our churros and yumyyyyy. Time to head back and off to the supermarket for tea. Again pasta blerghghhh.

Tonight as it was saturday the hostel was full, and all spoke Spanish. Never have we felt so out of place as they had all come for the weekend to go out or to the beach from the city. We had drinks and before long it was Terremotto time. The local drink that means earthquake. Its pisco, like a liquor or whisky, some sort of homemade wine and pinapple icecream. A very very bizzare concoction however when the icecream mealts it tastes so good. Very strong. Doesnt really make sense calling it earthquake untill you have drunk it. As when you do you try get up and your pretty unsteady on your feet, not to mention the headache the next day. It was actually a really good night, everyone was helping my learn spanish and im suprised as I KnoW alot more that I thought. They guys were having abbq outside and made the nicest steak I have ever eaten, not that I have many to compare it to but wow. They were so kind sharing it with everyone. Oh and to mention the just took a little bbq on the street outside the hostel. Was a really cool experience.

We have now realised that were not in a dodgy area, its amazing, we thought all the grafiti was bad but that is what the area is about, the street art, the strange paintings on builings and its actually pretty amazing.

Day 3

Final day here and we slept in really late of course. We had planned on doing the walking tour but missed it so after breakfast we just went for a walk around the streets and it really is such a nice place. All these tiny boutique cafes and restaurants tucked down tiny little streets.

Oh finaly not, breakfast, first free breakfast and it was DEEEElicious. Fresh bread, fresh smoothis, scramled eggs that were out of this world, who knew eggs could be so good.

So thats it for here, backj to Santiago to get our dreaded 24 hour bus to San Pedro De Atacama.