Friday 12th March 2010

We arrived in Arica at around 6pm after a four and a half hour bus journey from Iquique. Once we had collected our luggage we went to book our tickets for Sunday to get to La Paz in Bolivia which after working out which counter we needed to be at turned out to be reasonably easy. After we had got our tickets we got taxi to the hostel which was called surfside backpackers which we presumed therefore it would be on the beach but no it was about a 30 minute walk away. Even so it was a really nice hostel and we treated ourselves to a twin room instead of a dorm room for a change (Last few weeks and all).

Once we had checked in we were both starving as we hadn't really eaten all day due to being a bit hung over from the night before. So we walked 3 blocks to the main street of the city 21 de Mayo and had a wonder around before going to a place called Scopdog for dinner it was great and the beer was flat so we decided we wouldn't be going back there again. After we had eaten we got chatting to some of the guys who were in the hostel as us 1 Australian and two Brazilians so we all walked back to the hostel together. Once at the hostel we played cards and drinking games with the guys and two Australian couples and an English one.

At around midnight we all decided to go out as it was one of the Brazilian guys birthday. WE went to a bar first called chill out for one drink and then we got a taxi to a club called Soho. It cost us 10 pounds to get in to this club (We don't even pay that at home and Chile is suppose to be cheap!!!) We did get a huge vodka with the entry which would probably cost 10 pounds at home so that made up for it but that meant we also got very drunk imagine a glass of vodka with a touch of coke we knew it was a bad idea when we were given it but typical Hewitt´s it would be rude not to drink it, so we drank it and suffered the consequences we did!!! (It was meant to be a quiet night we were going to bed after dinner …… but that never happened as usual!!).

Saturday 13th March 2010

One very hung over Caroline again this morning but I think when we first got up we were still drunk so I didn´t feel so bad it just got worse and worse throughout the day!!! Suzie felt fine once she´d eaten (God I wish she could have one of my hangovers for a day then she might feel just a little bit sorry for me!!)

We eventually got up this morning at around 11.50am but that was only because we had arranged to ring Dad and Mel on Skype. Once we had finished speaking on Skype we got dressed and ready and left the hostel around 1.30pm. We went into the centre to exchange some Pesos to Bolivianios for tomorrow (The currency they use in Bolivia) and Suzie wanted some lunch so we went to a café called café de Mar I decided it was best I didn´t eat the way I felt so I just had a milkshake instead but even that is now crossed of my list for not to drink with a hangover!!!

After lunch we nipped back to the hostel to get our beach stuff and then walked to the beach it took about 30 minutes but felt a lot longer!! We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach until about 7pm when we decided it was time to go back as the sun was nearly setting. On the way back we had to call at McDonalds as I decided I felt better now and could eat and was craving some chicken nuggets. Once back at the hostel we got changed quickly before going out for dinner at a lovely restaurant called El Arrieto on 21 de Mayo Street. We both had steak which was really good, after dinner we went back to pack and watched Meet the Fockers in bed before getting an early night ready for our trip to La Paz tomorrow.

Sunday 14th March 2010

Early start this morning up around 07.30 the taxi was suppose to pick us up at 08.45am but never turned up so the lovely owner of the hostel took us and another girl to the bus station instead. Once we had checked in at the bus station we had about 30 minutes to kill before the bus left so we got some snacks etc for the journey. The bus left on time at 10am destination La Paz Bolivia!!! The journey went very smoothly but we started to feel sicker and sicker as the journey went on due to the altitude and more and more breathless it was not good we are not built for high places it should be a fun 3 weeks!!!