Day 62: 31/8/12 So today I had my day trip to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. We were a while on the bus in the morning as they were waiting for someone who never showed. Valparaiso was 120km away so a decent bus journey! The guide was telling us that the most important industries are copper, timber, fish, fruit and veg and wine. The metropolitan region where Santiago is and the coastal region together have all these 5 industries between them. We saw copper mines ...

Day 61: 30/8:12 So today I was supposed to go to Valparaiso on a day trip. I got an email early in the morning to say it was cancelled. So I turned off the alarm and slept for ages! I thought I would do then what I had originally planned for tomorrow. So when I eventually got up and left the hostel I went to a tourist agency nearby and booked a day trip to Valparaiso for tomorrow, so hopefully that won't be cancelled! The plan then was to go to the top of Cerr...

Day 60: 29/8/12 I was told I would be collected at 5am and then told it would be 5:15. I woke around 4 and saw an email on my phone telling me the flight was delayed two hours. Then there was someone knocking on my door and it was the guy from the hotel telling me my transfer was at five. I thought he might be coming to tell me the transfer would be delayed too, but no!! So I was up and ready for 5, but of course noone came for me until twenty past!! The airpor...

Day 59: 28/8/12 The rooster was raring to go again this morning! It didn't seem as early though. I was very excited at breakfast this morning as they had porridge! I haven't seen that since I left either and I usually have it most mornings. So today's day trip was most of the same people as yesterday. Most don't speak English but they are nice all the same. First we went to Vinapu. There are two ahus there. The bigger and more powerful the families the more ah...

Day 58: 27/8/12 Happy birthday Dad!!!! Woke at 4 this morning and didn't sleep too much after that as there was a rooster crowing! I gave up trying to sleep at 7 and went on the Internet! At breakfast I saw one of the offending roosters strutting around the garden like he owned the place!! While I was waiting for my tour guide o arrive I was sitting facing the patio door leading into the breakfast area. At one stage it was open and a guy came out trying to ans...