A 2861km Bus Journey

In order to get back to Santiago to catch our onward flight we had 4 days to cover a distance of just under 3000 km from Nazca, Peru. Two sleeper night buses (11 and 27 hours) and two day versions did the trick, allowing us to overnight twice on the Chilean coast in mellow beach towns of Arica and La Serena. In total the time spent in transit was almost 50 hours, including the time on the border and checkpoints.

La Serena also provided the first proper metal bar of the trip. Casually wandering the streets in the warm afternoon sun we noticed a sign touting the cheapest beers since ages, just 1$/0.5l draft (!) so in we go and arriving to the courtyard we notice the familiar tempo and moshing long hair! And so we end up spending most of the afternoon / night in Duna Classic Rock Bar, enjoying chilled beers and the company of some awesome local metalheads. Rock!


The next day we're happily back in warm (32C, what! how come it's so hot down here?) Santiago, sitting in a garden of the hotel enjoying the long awaited proper internet connection they provide. Tomorrow morning will bring the end of the South American leg of the trip and take us to the Polynesian islands where the endless deep blue of the Pacific awaits. About time, too!

South America Recap

Mountains, high altitude and some more mountains. Oh and lots and lots of sand dunes, rock piles, geoglyphs and still a few more mountains. Strangest landscapes ever as well as dizzying vistas and canyons. And all this for a price so low it makes me weep to think about what's to come after leaving here. The month here proved to be pretty unforgettable experience wise, but we're more than glad to leave the thin air and cold nights behind and embrace the warm sun once more. Next stop: Polynesia.