Family visit to Concepcion

Talcahuano Port, Conception
Originally uploaded by louise_parmenter

For the birthday of one of Esteban´s aunts the whole family from Santiago travelled 500km south to Conception. We had a very fun weekend with lots of dancing and singing - karaoke is not usually my idea of fun, but they both got me up doing it and actually enjoying myself! We also got to visit the neighbouring port town of Talcahuano, sample the freshly caught seafood and visit the historic monitor ship, the Huascar, which the Chileans captured from the Peruvians during the War of the Pacific 1879-1883. Unsurprisingly it was a British built ship!

Here are the photos.


DISTANCE TRAVELED SINCE USHUAIA: 16,100KM

Wintry Santiago

Playing in the snow
Originally uploaded by louise_parmenter

Yes, it´s freezing here in Santiago! But this is actually a photo up in the Santiago mountains.

Although Santiago is cold and wintry (a shock after warm sunshine in Cusco) it´s been lovely spending time with Esteban, and also his family. We´ve been very busy, what with Esteban´s birthday, visiting relatives in Conception (see next blog), going to an amusement park, a football match in the National Stadium, to the beautiful snowy Santiago mountains, etc. Of course all of this with the incredible warmth and generosity I´ve come to associate with Chileans.

Again, it will be very difficult when I come to leave this weekend for Bolivia. I´ll miss Esteban and his mum, Ivonne, very much.

Here are more photos.

My 3,000km haul from Cusco to Santiago

Arequipa Main Square
Originally uploaded by louise_parmenter

Before leaving Arica for Cusco Esteban and I agreed to meet up again one last time in Arica (just 900km from Cusco) for his birthday. Unfortunately, due to a family crisis it was not possible for him to leave Santiago, so I decided to make the long haul trip south to support him.

The journey was complicated, due to strikes in the south of Peru that meant that roads were closed. The only way to leave Cusco for the south was via a dirt road through the Andes on a bus without heating. The 8hr overnight trip ended up taking 15hrs, reaching the freezing temperature of minus 5. As you can imagine we were all dressed up like Michelin men with the condensation frozen on the windows!

I arrived in Arequipa with 8hrs to spare before my onward travel, so spent a lovely afternoon in this pretty town (see photos). I arrived at midnight in familiar Tacna, the Peruvian frontier town with Chile, and the following morning made my way over the border to my fantastic friends in Arica (1hr).

Arriving in Arica I was welcomed enthusiastically by Cristóbal, Ferni and Nico, all running up to hug me. What a lovely welcome! I was so happy to be able to spend 5 more lovely days with Ale and the kids, playing, chatting, shopping and walking along the beaches!

Then came the dreaded 26hr (2,000km) bus journey through the almost entirely desert landscape of northern Chile. It reminded me of travelling through the Argentine Pampas, with its very subtle changes that only an enthusiastic backpacker like me would notice!

Knowing that Esteban and Ivonne would be there at the other end to meet me was all the encouragement I needed. Here are the photos.


DISTANCE TRAVELED SINCE USHUAIA: 14,993KM
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED IN SOUTH AMERICA SO FAR: 27,000KM
INCLUDING FLIGHTS: 84,000KM