After my unexpected night sleeping at the border, my friends/interrogators were actually very kind in the morning, ensuring that I had adequate fresh water from their kitchen, and all was good and friendly upon my departure.

Ghost and I were dreading the ride back to San Pedro, as we knew exactly how bad the road was that lied ahead. Hungry, cold, very cold. About 20km's later, I arrived back at the Chilean police checkpoint which I had ridden through the day before, and was now open. Ten minutes, passport, etc, and I was back on the 'road'.

It was morning, and the sun was shining, and there was a moment when something inside of me clicked. My hunger disappeared, I became extremely relaxed, and I gently rode on with the realization that I was in the most glorious of settings, without another person in sight. I felt goosebumps and tingles, just Ghost and I riding through the most unbelievable mountains. The road felt just as bumpy, but something had changed in my attitude, and I was absorbing all the true beauty that I was surrounded by in every direction. I am sad to say though, that at this point, I had already made my decision and that was to sell Ghost, and travel without the hassles of the paperwork and all the other dramas associated with owning a Chilean vehicle. This being the case, I was making sure to enjoy every moment we had left together.

50km's after the police check point, I stopped by a lake in the most wonderful setting. I stopped and enjoyed it for good while. As I was getting back on Ghost, my heart started thumping when I noticed I'd left a section of my backpack open after getting out my passport for the police. I realised that my sunglasses and earphones were missing, but could not remember what else was in that part of my backpack. In the middle of nowhere, more bad luck, and I felt it very necessary for my health to let out the loudest F.U.C.K. I have ever managed in my life. After some consideration, and realising that I could potentially be riding back 50km's looking for earphones and sunglasses on a dusty rocky road, I decided I had no option but to let them go.

As I was started driving again, I thought to myself, 'no, i have had too much bad luck, I am going on a search for them'. To my amazement, within the 500m of backtracking, all spread out, I came across the following things in this order.

- my spanish study cards
- my toothbrush
- my wallet with my two bank cards half hanging out
- my earphones
- my spare memory stick for my camera
- my sunglasses

At this point, i knew my luck had turned around, and as I rode on, somehow I just knew that life was saying to me that the decision to sell Ghost was correct and that it had showed me by giving me this amazing chance of fate.

Arriving back to san Pedro, I stopped off again at my friends house, where Loreto was very welcoming, and after listening to my story, she said 'of course you can have another night here before heading back to Iquique'. I then rode back to the border entry to Chile, where I would explained my story again of the previous nights adventure. They were also warm and welcoming, and I believe slightly amused by the occurrences described.

I spent the afternoon, my last encounter with the little hippie desert oasis strolling through the dusty streets, and having myself a nice dinner at the restaurant where my friends were working, before sinking deeply into the mattress for a good rest before Ghost and I had our final leg together.