So yesterday we didn't really do much other then chill around the hostel, catching up on the blog, emails, sorting out our backpacks for New Zealand, trying to arrange apartment viewings and lining up job interviews.

Last night we had 2 earthquakes, rating low on the Richter Scale. I told (Stevie she would feel the earth move with me)......

This morning we chilled and savoured our last morning in South America before checking out. We did the usual routine of looking for work and apartments up to lunch time. We then headed into the city centre with the Aussies Marnee and David. We want to take them to the Schwarma restaurant because it's so good.

We walked halve the city with them showing them where the best parts of the city are and joking about awkward goodbyes. Then that awkward goodbye comes. The silence where no one knows what to say, do you hug, kiss, shake hands or just a subtle bow and walk backwards. I decide to go in for the plunge and extend a hand and say 'take care' bam the balls rolling and it's all good.

Stevie and I head back to the hostel while they look around other parts of town. We decide to treat ourselves and get a mini tub of helado each for our walk back.

We pick up our bags and try and get a bus to the airport. The hostel informs us that we just need to go to the main road two blocks away and it's the only blue bus.... Easy, so we head off. Suddenly we hit the main street. There are police sirens everywhere. Police in riot gear then our eyes start to burn and we can't stop sneezing, our nose is on fire. There is a huge protest going on. They have blocked the roads with rubbish and god knows what and have set fire to it. It stops the traffic. People around us are holding their mouths, their eyes are watering from the fumes that are coming from the fires. Im panicking that these local locos have gone biological. Our nose worsens. Without thinking we head to the centre of the riot/protest when a local man warns us to turn back and go around the block. We finally make it but there are loads of blue buses and protesters everywhere. We decide to pay the extra money and opt for a taxi to quickly get us out of 'beirut' as the headache kicks in.

Finally we arrive at the airport. Hours ahead of schedule until we can check in we decide to grab a coffee.

Unfortunately the restaurant we head to has an all-you-can-eat buffet!! With Stevie around this was always going to be bad news. We can't resist. We plunge straight in. We eat until we are full, we go to the toilet, we eat some more, we only stop when we feel sick and lethargic..... Bloated bellies we finally check in and wait for our flight......

Lock up your wives and daughters....New Zealand here I come......