March 17-18: Arica, Chile

Thursday, March 17
I arrived in Arica at 7:00 a.m. on an overnight bus.  I didn´t really know what to expect except that it was a nice beach town close to the Peruvian and Bolivian border that was a good jumping off point.  The hostel owners in San Pedro de Atacama made me a reservation at their friend´s hostel called Arica Unite.  It is a decent hostel run by 2 French women around my age.  All the guests are ither French or speak French, so I have been challenged to converse since everyone has Spanish as a 2nd language.  I said goodbye with some sadness to my Catalan travelling companion yesterday, so I lost my translator (and partner in crime).  I will have to be less floja (lazy) now.  Thank heavens my Spanish has improved!  I arrived and immediately crashed for 3.5 hours.

View of Arica from El Morro

When I awoke, I went straght for the beach and jumped in the ocean to regain consciousness.  Very nice beaches and only a block away!  Arica is essentially a desert with a beach.  Jenny, my French hostess, introduced me to the surfing instructor.  Wait a minute...I did not know that I was in surfer mecca!  Guess I will stay an extra day here.  I arranged a lesson for Friday morning and quietly wished I hadn´t fallen asleep the minute I walked thru the door because I could have caught the morning swell.

Since I am now travelling on my own, I need to spend time making travel plans for my final weeks in SOuth America.  Jenny also convinced me that it was better to go to Peru first then come back through Bolivia.  After the beach, I walked into downtown to begin doing research on Peru to plan my next steps.  I came to some resolutions that made me feel muh better.  Firstly, I have decided to stay until the 3rd week of May.  This has 2 advantages: one, the obvious, I have more time to explore and 2, I avoid more off the stress before my brother´s wedding.  The next decision was regarding my itinerary.  I will go to Arequipa, Peru then to Huaraz and return via Cuzco (Macchu Picchu).  Afterwards I will go to La Paz and explore Bolivia and return to Argentina via Uyuni (large salt flat) crossing the border to Salta, ARG.  I will visit Jujuy and take a 24 hour bus to Iguazu falls via Asuncion, Paraguay.  And finally, spend a few days in Montevideo, Uruguay before returning to Buenos Aires to catch my flight back to the states.  Now I just need to make reservations and read up on these places.

I hiked to the top of El Morro, the bluff in town, which offered some nice views of the city and the ocean.  But spent most of the day doing internet research and reading the Lonely Planet guide.  I also remembered that I had met a guide from Huarez in the AK Range last May; actually, I helped him get a flight out and beat the incoming weather that would have pinned him down for a few days.  I had sent Christian´s info to friends who were climbing in Huaraz last June, so it was simply a matter of digging thru my sent box to find his info.  Christian is no longer in Peru but sent me a long list of contacts.  It was a great jumping off point!

I concluded the day with a mediocre, yet expensive, steak in a Lonely Planet recommended restaurant.

Friday, March 18
YoYo, the surfer instructor (yes, that´s his name) showed up at 8:30 to pick me and 3 others up.  We donned wetsuits and white face paint (heavy sunblock) and hit the beach.  

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Morning yoga at the beach (I am not a fan of yoga, but went with the flow)

His instructing style was very different than other surfing schools I had been to.  He kept talking about synergy with the ocean.  He stressed that all movements should be soft in the ocean- a challenge for me.  He made me body surf, then body surf on the board to get a feel for the waves.  It was very effective.  I was able to pop up on every wave I tried to catch!  There were even dolphins sharing the surf.  The only downside is that my feet are now sore from stepping on a multitude of crabs.  I didnt get pinched, but they dont make for much orthopedic support.  Super fun ($15 mil) and almost worth staying extra days.