HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY:New Year’s Eve
BUYS OF THE DAY: 2 rings, a skirt, a scarf I didn’t need, stickers, magnet and postcards
WORD OF THE DAY:Dusty
Never settle for less than your dreams.
Somewhere, sometime, someday, somehow
You’ll find them.
Danielle Steele
Happy New Year’s Eve. The last day of 2011.
What a year I have had.
What fascinating experiences I have seen.
What amazing people I have met
What memories I have made that will never be forgotten
All that, jam packed into 9 months of 2011. With my trip only just over half way done, I have a great 2012 coming up I have to say I am in good shape, feeling good, confident and I have a purpose for 2012. Possibly throw in a bit of feeling ‘loved’ as well I know that 2012 is going to be exciting, challenging and rewarding all at the same time. If all things go to plan, I won’t be returning to life as I know it when my trip comes to an end. I will be home for 4 weeks in July before embarking on my new journey of discovery which I will be ready to share really soon. I don’t really get into the ‘making resolutions’. But this year, I have a few thoughts and plans, which aren’t really resolutions, but it’snice to have an idea on what you want to achieve for the year.
It is also a time to reflect on loved ones that we have either lost this year or have lost and are no longer here to celebrate with. My mum of course is always with me and she is always in my heart. I would not be in the position I am in if it wasn’t for her dedication to me and her own working life and morale’s. I love you mum and I hope you are looking down with Grand-dad and having a good laugh and cry with the ups and downs that I can no longer share with you personally. Two of mum’s good friends were also taken from us this year, with the loss of Aunty Gayle and a great mate in Bob Miles. May both families take comfort that they are in a better place and hopefully all looking after each other.
So with that said, what are my personal highlights for 2011? That is so TOUGH. If I had to really pinpoint the major thing or influence, it would have to be making new friends. I have met and made some amazing friendships that will continue for the rest of my life. Some people in this world you just meet and know they are good for you, good people and have kind hearts. I have been blessed with more than one of these people crossing my travel path and I still think about them every day, thank my travel god for placing them there and thank any other god for keeping them there. I like to think I am a true friend and have true friends in my life, I hate to quote a movie, completes me. I think, besides family, they are the most important thing you can have, oh after your health that is. Friends can make a sad day happy, a bad event bearable, a voice of reason, whether you want to hear it or not and know at any time night or day they are there for you. I also have to mention my friends back home. This doesn’t preclude you; this enhances my relationships back home with you guys as well. I am a very lucky lady I have you all in my life – New Year’s Eve is supposed to be philosophical right – I just haven’t started to drink yet – Uh Oh I hear you say……..
But if I was to list some travel highlights they would include and in no particular order:
Walking on the world largest fresh water lake, frozen – Russia
The Hermitage in St Petersburg was probably the most amazing museum I have ever been in
Sunset on the London Eye with a glass of Champagne
Seeing Paris turn on her lights from the top of Eiffel Tower and then walking down the steps rather than using the lift
Viewing the magnificent Cliffs of Mohar on a clear blue day
Surviving Greece – period, the whole trip was a drinkfest-thanks to the ‘family’ for looking after me
Camping overnight in the Sahara Desert in Morocco and seeing 2 falling stars and flashing satellites passing around this wonderful earth of ours – oh and not falling off my camel thanks to Mohammad
Seeing Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theater in London – reminded me of home
Trekking with the Gorilla’s in Rwanda – getting within 1m of these magnificent creatures was incredible
Can never have too many African animal sightings – especially of Dic Dic’s and Giraffes-always a highlight
Our Malawi Full Moon Party – what an amazing night
Cruising the Okavango Delta in a Mokoro (small unstable boat for more than 10 hours over 3 days)
Doing a 20 minute acrobatic flight over the Namibian Desert in Swakopmund-loops and dives at 2-3 G’s
Living, eating and breathing on an overland truck for 8 weeks in Africa and also camping for 8 weeks is also a lifetime experience for me – I’m not a camper…..
Africa as a whole has changed me. Life will not be the same after spending 4 months on this beautiful continent – I have left a piece of my heart in Africa.
I like to move it move it with Lemurs in Madagascar – cute creatures….
A day spent on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world – La Digue – Seychelles- exquisite
Ethiopia was a MASSIVE highlight with the tribes of the South – the forgotten people
The impressive white continent of Antarctica – completing all 7 continent visits for me
Swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos – they were 1m away from us – unforgettable
Completing my longtime dream to visit Machu Picchu – Peru
Riding ‘Death Road’ in La Paz, Bolivia and surviving the 65km downhill decent
Visiting an orphanage in Uyuni, Bolivia - Christmas Eve and delivering presents from ‘Santa’ and seeing their little faces light up – priceless
WOW – a quick Bernie’s World Odyssey review! It is still hard to believe what I have done and I don’t think it will sink in till I get some serious down time to reflect, but I will look forward to that moment in time, in the meanwhile I have a whole lot more travelling to do, people to meet, cities to see, countries to experience and I am still excited even after being on the road for 9 months and 2 days and with approximately 7 months of my ‘official’ World Odyssey to complete I also need to thank all my blog readers that keep coming back to read about my journey. As of a few days ago I had 23,241 people hit the site, so for this I am grateful, as not only does it keep me enthused to keep writing, it is a little surprising and flattering thatit has been so successful. So thank-you from the bottom of my heart.
So a little about San Pedro. San Pedro de Atacama is a Chilean town and commune in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region. It is located east of Antofagasta, some 106 km (60 mi) southeast of Calama and the Chuquicamata copper mine, overlooking the Licancabur volcano. Native ruins nearby now attract increasing numbers of tourists interested in learning about pre-Columbian cultures. Tourists also visit for other popular activities including sandboarding and stargazing, with the views of the stars from the Atacama unrivalled across the continent.
San Pedro de Atacama grew, over centuries, around an oasis in the Puna de Atacama, an arid high plateau. Its first inhabitants were the Atacameños, who developed basketworks and ceramic pottery crafts that can be now be appreciated by tourists in the several souvenir shops as typical products of San Pedro de Atacama. According to the 2002 census San Pedro de Atacama had 4,969 inhabitants (2,928 men and 2,041 women). Of these, 1,938 (39%) lived in urban areas and 3,031 (61%) in rural areas.
The town lies at an average of 2,407 meters and visitors often experience mild altitude sickness such as dizziness, lethargy and headaches. But not us as we have been above this altitude for nearly 4 weeks. This was a walk in the park for us. The local climate is extremely dry and mild, with daytime temperatures between 25-30C in the summer (December to February) and 18-25C in the winter (June to August). Nighttime temperatures routinely drop below zero and can reach as low as -10°C in the winter, I’m not sure just how cold it got during the night here, but I would have to say single figures. It was freezing last night and thank goodness I had that blanket, I would have frozen without that.
So how does San Pedro celebrate New Year’s? Well the first thing I notice when we left camp at 10am after breakfast is the town doesn’t look so bad in the daylight. It must have just been tired eyes looking out of the truck window last night. It is a small dusty town in the middle of the driest desert in the world, so one can’t expect dancing unicorns, shady trees and waterfalls. But what the town does have is an atmosphere, and walking around it reminded Kate and I of Ballarat or Bendigo. A town stuck in a time warp, but with all the mod cons, plenty of internet cafes’, a few ATMS’s (reliability questionable) restaurants, travel agents and of course souvenir shops. Our first stop was an ATM as we hadn’t any Chilean Pesos on us. So the rate of exchange is 527 pesos to the dollar. Yes people we need our 500 times tables here!!! Well how about 5 times tables and then add zeros. Sounds good to me. So I withdrew 150,000 pesos (300AUD) and felt like a millionaire. But when a drink costs 1500 peso’s it takes the millionaire out of your sails!!! But it still sounds good. There are plenty of gringo’s around town, which surprises us as we really are in the middle of nowhere – but I guess we are here, so add us to the gringo population. We got some productive shopping done. Kate was more successful on the jewelry department shopping than me today. Something to be said about lady hands (Kate) and man hands (a bit harsh, but me) for the size of rings. The positive spin on that is that I saved some money today, well I did till after lunch and I found 2 that fir me, ahhhhhh that’s better, can’t have Kate having all the fun!!!!
We pretty much had lapped the small town before lunch, and in true Chilean/Spanish style the lunch took forever, which was okay as we were pacified by free Wi-Fi which was unexpected. They also had a freeWi-Fi zone in the Plaza but it wasn’t working due to the weather the day before. We had heard this weather excuse before in Aguas Calientes, but at least there were rain clouds there, not a cloud in the sky here. Anyway it didn’t matter, we got the restaurants one, so was able to pump out some messages before my iPod went flat, like switch off flat. That’s the downside to camping, recharging the gadgets, but Gray is pretty good switching on the truck for an hour or so to get us all charged up again, so it is now just a matter of being more organized. After buying some postcards we located the little post office just off the square to buy stamps. I won’t write on my cards now till I have stamps as the ones in Ecuador were massive and covered up half of written card and lucky I have applied that rule as the Chile ones are also on the big side. I wonder why they make them so big.
Anyway it was a great lazy afternoon, and I stopped in to an internet café on the way back to the hotel for an hour. I had to book my flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires, book accommodation, try and top up my Vodafone account with Malar's credit card and email Beth on some flights. Well I was unsuccessful booking the flight as I can’t remember my ‘verify visa’ password on any of my 3 cards. I tried booking my Eurostar ticket in London months ago and had the same problem; I was hoping that it had just gone away. Alas no, so I am going to have to email Shelly and get her to reset it for me, it keeps telling me to contact my bank – yeah not from back of beyond I won’t be. So I tried Kate’s card for the flight to no avail, so I have just emailed my personal travel agent and will just get Beth to issue the ticket for me. It is such a pain but I know it is there for security, but it’s a damn pain in the arse. I got the accommodation in BA booked and I was unsuccessful on the Vodafone top-up as I also didn’t know Malar’s ‘verify visa’ password. I am lucky to know my own let alone someone else’s and of course Malar can’t remember hers either. This is also a MASSIVE PAIN in the arse that I can only top up my mobile phone account using a UK domiciled credit card. A PAIN. I am using Seamus and Malar while I can as they leave the tour next week and then I will hit Paul and Lizzie up as they are coming all the way to Rio with us and then I will just pay them back in local currency. I really need to get onto the Chile network, but with Bolivia people were getting my texts but not receiving. I think I’ll take the time in Santiago and get that done as we are here for 2 weeks and save my UK credit, well what I have left and try and top up, for when I really need it.
So we headed back to camp at 4pm. There really wasn’t that much going on, and it was so hot, I decided to make the most of the internet access and I doubled back into town, with 4 blogs saved onto my USB drive to upload them while I could. I also got some things printed out and emailedBeth again (I am sure she loves hearing from me) and I was back to site just after 5pm. Okay New Years was 7 hours away; it was time to get the party started. I had a bottle of vodka that I had bought in Arequipa that had yet to be cracked, so this was going to do for Kate and I and we sat at the picnic bench under the shade of a big tree and had our first NewYear’s drink. It really is 10C cooler under the shade of a tree, with some tunes pumping from the IPod Paul and Lizzie joined us and we started to celebrate.
Chile con carne was served for dinner at 7pm, which is probably a good thing to line the stomach and then the party started in earnest. We did have to make a music change as Gray was playing Disney tunes, which really isn’t in the true spirit of New Years, so after a few harsh words and the big speakers set up we had some decent music blaring from Rosita. Debbie, Julia and Sharon had been busy bee’s in the morning and had made over 120 vodka jelly shots that we drank/sucked/ate over the course of the next 5 hours with the orange ones being the most lethal in alcohol content. Man they were good. You wouldn’t think that they would be a big contributor to the alcoholic consumption of the evening but Malar said that she only ate them all night and didn’t need to drink and she was drunk. I guess when you have a large quantity, I rekon we all probably had 10 each, that’s still a lot of alcohol getting into you!! I had some D&M’s with O and also with Mark, which things come back to me now and then of the conversations we had that night, you know things that are said stay that way frozen in time, which is okay, a lot was talked about and had to be said, so it was great to start a new year talking to people, clearing the air, getting advice and basically talking drunk, which is another prerequisite for New Year’s Eve right!
It was a low key night, but I enjoyed it. It was a nice change to not have a massive hype, new dress, new shoes, paying 150 for all you can drink, having issues getting cabs home etc….. Don’t get me wrong THAT is New Year’s Eve but I just made a nice change to see in the New Year and walk the 30 steps to the tent and pass out. I remember seeing in midnight, I played a special version of Auld Lang Syne, hugging key people, watching the ‘burning man’ effigy, which is literally a dummy dressed in clothes, sitting on a chair and it lit on fire at midnight to burn away all the bad luck of 2011 and bring on the good vibes for 2012. Well whatever works I say, we’ll give anything a go to get good vibes for the New Year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY NEW FRIENDS MADE, LONG LASTING FRIENDSHIPS, FRIENDS BACK HOME AND TO AN EXCITING AND CHALLENGING YEAR AHEAD.
MAY EVERYONES YEAR BE FILLED WITH FUN, LAUGHTER AND LOVE AND LIVE EACH DAY AS IFS IT’SYOUR LAST. OPEN YOUR MIND, ARMS AND HEART TO NEW THINGS AND START DOING THE THINGS YOU LOVE. LIFE IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU MET AND THE THINGS YOU CREATE WITH THEM.
GO OUT AND START CREATING……… Happy New Year from the small dusty town of San Pedro de Atacama in Chile xx
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