The place that when you go there they have to let you in.

Back in Perth. Oh the joy. Very broke. Already planning the next two trips (and you think I'm kidding!)

In Short:

217 days

20 flights

17 countries

14 currencies

4 continents

a handful of train trips

too many bus journeys

zillons of footsteps

lots and lots of photos

much interesting and new foods

umpteen new friends

a plethora of experience.

Chivarly.

Chivarly is not dead. Come to South America.

For the past five months I've had to get used to people offering to carry my bags, open doors for me, help me in and out of vehicles, over logs and other such generous acts because I happen to have two X chromosomes. As in I've seen men not get offered any of these fine services.

It was International Women's Day yesterday. Which makes me wonder about a International Men's Day. Or a International Transgendered Day. And given I only actively celibrate New Years Eve and World Vegan Day as important days of choice, it's a day I usually forget about.

Anyhow, usually it's a day for ranty feminazi's to go "ooer we're oppressed" or to protest against skimpy barmaids or some other tripe at home (which apparently they did in Broome).

But not here, no they gave all the ladies at the market I was at yesterday roses. And whilst usually I find the idea of giving someone plant reproductive organs rather pointless and bordering on insulting, it wasn't from someone trying to make up for cheating on me, nor trying to get into a relationship. Which made it a really lovely gesture.

Chivarly is nice. I may even let someone carry my bag for me at some point. I know how much it weighs too ;) (Well I did say I went to a market!)

Who loves the sun?

The 22 hour bus journey from Arica to La Serena wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be, though the landscape was. Well it was desert. And desert. And even more desert. Though the night sky was brilliant.

La Serena is a costal town just north of Santiago, kinda small but still pretty. After spending my first day walking around, I spent the second in Valle de Elqui, which involved driving almost the width of the country. Chile, not being very wide and all ment this could be done as a day trip.

The Valley is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Hymalayas so there is a fair bit of mystic about the place. But then that could have something to do with the pisco.

Pisco is the national drink of Peru and Chile and is a liquor made from grapes and some of the more well known factories and vineyards are in Valle de Elqui. It's all irrigated farmland, being a desert and all, and heaps of gum trees as wind breaks. Visited three pisco factories with many taste tests. Pisco is not all that bad.

Had lunch at the solar restaraunt. Being an area with 300+ days of sun a year, solar is the way to go. The restarunt cooks everything using solar ovens, and the fresh bread smells absolutely wonderful as you arrive. I have decided that if I live in the desert I want a solar oven too.

Went out to one of the three observatories in the area that night. The stars and planets are so pretty, I'd never seen saturns rings before.

Bus the next day to Santiago, got taken out by lovely people I am sharing a room with last night. Vodka is evil :P At the last international stop, home soon.

One last crossing.

Well I'm in Chile now, the last country before I fly back to the merry old land of Oz. In the town of Arica, which is surrounded by the desert on one side and the Pacific on the other. It's such a lively beach town. I head south on a 22 hour bus trip tommorrow (yay for busey goodness!) for a few days stop then on to Santiago for my flight to Sydney.

So what else have I been doing? Well after Lake Titicaca I bussed to Arequipa then spent two days out in the Colca Cayon amoungst fields of corn and quinoa. I am addicted to quinoa and fresh cocoa tea. Saw three of the four Andean camalids, very pretty though desert-like scenery, some eagles, other birds and condors.

The condors are amazing to behold. When someone tells you a bird has the wingspand of 2.5-3m you never quite belive it until they are swooping 5 or 6 metres above your head! Spent over an hour watching the birds fly around the canyon and be, well, bird like.

Also made it to the highest point yet, 4800m asl. There were rocks, and some snow covered volcanic mountains in the distance but not alot else.

More details later when I don't have to go eat.