Well...Chile was saved by Atacama for me! A reasonably expensive and serious country. In two words....Dogs & Danger! There are packs of stray dogs everywhere, from cities to parks. And Paul & I got sick of hearing "Danger" We asked all that said this what they meant and why, but we didn´t get an answer. All in all, Atacama was fantastic, a must for all whom visit. The rest was bland really. I hope to get the opportunity to visit Patagon...

Back to Santiago, then an uneventful 24hr bus journey to Calama. We met up with a local on the bus called Sergio, whom showed us to a local Hostel as we got into calama at midnight. A quick breakie then a 1 1/2hr bus to San Pedro Atacama. Wow...Finally a piece of Chile worth seeing. This beautiful Oasis in the centre of the atacama desert is lush.This place is sooo cool. A quiet yet touristy haven, quiet enough to completely chill, and busy enough to mingle. Laz...

Hi all, aren't you blessed with all these overdue updates...lol Valparaiso....Lonely Planet describes this s***hole as... meander the hills of Neruda's pet city, the bohemian heart of Chile.A let down to be fair! Naturally we made the best of it....you know....booze, skanky dogs etc. Let me fill you in...This dump has nothing more to offer than bars, so naturally Paul and I visited the local. Some hours and sherbets later, our kind host reminded us that it was 4...

We arrived in Central Talca late evening. We needed to head to the outskirts to a lovely complex called Casa Chueca. Our room was great. And the showers hot...not always a given. Franz runs the hostel and also has a trekking business. He has over 15 years experience of South America so if there's anything you need, he can sort it out for you! So much so, that after our long chats we decided to change our route and head back north. The next day we headed into...

Pichilemu...what a little paradise. We couldn´t have arrived at a better time...Chillian week, Fondos, street parties, and loadsa alcohol.... We arrived around 6 in the evening. By the time we arrived at our accommodation were ready for a few beers. So we had a quick walk around the town until we happened upon a nice looking bar. We had a few beers, then a few more, the owner gave us a few local shots aswell to say thank you for our custom.After a good la...