Greetings all! Sooo, we have spent another couple of days in Santiago and visited the surrounding towns of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. Rodney and Matilda have been joined by a new friend of theirs: Manuel, the Chilean packback (thanks to Carlos). At this point, I feel it necessary to share with you that it is now day 6 of us wearing the SAME (ugly ) clothes! I nolonger know how it feels to be without a fleece! The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the C...

So we thought we'd treat ourselves to a huge, colourful double room with a high ceiling for our first two nights of hostelling (www.lacasaroja.cl) with its three-course breakfasts for just under 3 pounds, expecting life to get considerably less comfortable from Monday onwards when we would leave Santiago for Valparaiso, a beautiful seaside town which covers six hills in a patchwork fabric of brightly coloured houses. Needless to say Carlos had other plans, and bo...

Well we've arrived in Santiago and only about an hour late which we hear is miraculous for Latin time, and it's raining so we feel at home. Clara's mum's colleague's brother ('s goldfish's flying saucer etc) picked us up and will look after us for the week as a local guide. He's absolutely lovely and will probably come with us as far as San Pedro de Atacama before we cross the border into Bolivia. Our backpacks Rodney and Matilda are behaving impeccably. For now ...