Southern Peru and a LONG northern half of Chile from 19 December 2008
When we arrived in Tacna, we realized that we were cutting it extremely close because, due to a 2-hour time difference, the Chilean border would be closing in 30 minutes. So we hopped in a taxi with 5 other people (a guy with crutches, a young couple, a baby and a driver) and rushed for the border. Jay felt nervous and uncomfortable because it reeked of the border scams he'd read about between Peru and Ecuador - a "nearly full" taxi, a rush for the border allowing no time to think or consider your options... but since I had made the crossing twice before with Carrie by taxi, I wasn't as worried (plus, I figured we could take the baby and the guy with crutches if it came to a fight).
We scribbled out our border paperwork on the way and arrived at the border 2 minutes before they closed off access. The official passport stuff was a breeze and, once on the other side, the ride to Arica was less rushed. I spoke with the taxi driver, a Chilean, about travel, and (upon reavealing that I'm from the US) the recent elections. That part of the conversation went something like this:
"Who did you vote for?"
"Obama!"
"...But...you're white!"
Oy vey. Chile, Chile, Chile.... To his credit, he was pleasantly surprised, not appalled at my apparent betrayal of my vaguely florescent pigmentation.
Safely in Arica, we set off in search for ATMs, bus tickets and a hostel. Seeing as we started from bus station, which had 2 ATMs in it and a block full of hostels across the street, it should have been an exceptionally easy task. Unfortunately, both ATMs in the bus station were out of service, so we walked down the block to a gas station ATM (also out of service). We asked the attendant whether there was a bank (yes, a block on the other side of the bus station, but no confidence that it would be any better). We tried it, but again, no dice. What was going on?
Apparently the financial genius that stocked the ATMs only put enough money in for the first part of the day and we, arriving after midnight, were just out of luck. We managed to find a hostel that would let us pay in USD (Peruvian soles were not acceptable) and then exchange back to pesos once the ATMs were refilled. She suggested that we might also try the ATM in the mall near the bus station, so we dropped off our stuff and headed out for one last attempt at getting Chilean money. Miracle of miracles, the machine worked!... But it only took Cirrus and Mastercard and between the two of us we had three Visa cards... so we left, forked over $20 to the hostel owner, brushed our teeth with tap water (yay Chile!) and called the parentals before going to sleep.
The next morning I showered and went to the bus station while Jay, deprived by a combination of bus travel and some ingrained sense of consideration, played a much-missed guitar. I successfully got money out at the bus station (albeit in CH 5,000 bills, about $USD 8 each... I guess someone cleared out the higher denomenations earlier). I bought our tickets to Valparaíso on the next bus, which left in a couple hours. We packed, exchanged our USD payment for pesos at the hostel, and headed to the bus station.
The bus ride was looooong- about 32 hours from the far north of the country to central Valparaìso. We passed desert, the beach city of Iquique, more desert and coastland, La Serena, Ovalle, and finally Viña del Mar before arriving in Valpo.
During the trip, a little kid behind me threw a pillow that hit my leg. I turned around and asked him not to do that, as he thought it was hilarious and his father (who looked like he might have been his brother) wasn't doing anything. After a few minutes, the dad came by, picked up the pillow, and shook his finger at me, saying "You can't say anything - he didn't do anything to you and I'm the father."
I decided not to respond, but fumed over possible bitter retorts for about 30 minutes (1)"Yes, and I'm a teacher and it's my job to keep kids well behaved in a full class all day, so I actually have qualifications in the matter..." (2)"Well, with all due to your respect as a Chilean father, which I understand is a VERY hard position to attain and involves SO much responsibility..." (Chilean fathers don't really do much of the direct parenting, as a rule), or my favorite, (3) "Se supone." ....But why bother? Children here (especially boys) are often very spoiled and rarely reprimanded because their parents just don't give them boundaries, even when they bother other people in close quarters.... Kind of like Korea, except without the added confucian roots that make them at least respect their elders (even the foreign ones).
Aside from that, the bus ride was uneventful and interrupded only by the occasional, identical sugary snack (raisins, peach nectar, orange sponge cake, and candy). Ugh. Even with a sweet-tooth like mine, there are limits.
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