Happy Chanukah from the land of Cristo

Hello All. And Happy Chunukah.

Today I am celebrating by.... comparing airport holiday displays all over South America. Both Santiago and Santa Cruz airports have a very nice tree and baby Jesus scene, but I am astonished that there is no Chanukah merriment to be found. Who would have guessed it?
Anyways. I had one hell of a trip from Easter Island- spending my first airport overnight in Sanitago last night while waiting for my flight to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Just arrived. Still at the airport. I was tempted to pay the hundred dollars for the airport hotel for the 10 hours or whatever that I was there, however I compromised and told myself I would pay for a 50 dollar flight instead tomorrow from Santa Cruz to Sucre, Bolivia, and save myself the 14 hour bus ride. You know that there is something seriously wrong with the roads when the same trip takes 45 minutes on a plane, but 14 by bus. Hell, me thinks. So I slept on the airport couches after buying myself another pisco sour from the 24 hour airport restaurant ( also part of the compromise-- who am I kidding?) and woke up every hour or so fearing that I have overslept and misssed my flight. Because I still canät charge my phone, so I still never know what time it is.

You may wonder why I havenät sorted that out. Well.... I forgot the first time through the Santiago airport to try to buy a charger, after the apple fiasco, and easter island has no such store, but last night, I DID buy another charger that specifically is for iphones ( the last one I bought was for only ipods... ugh), though based on my trial charge in the airport bathroom, I am not sure that one works either. Another 24 dollars down the drain.

So now I am here, although, no one has bothered to let me know who or how to contact my host family in Sucre tomorrow, so I have no idea really where I am headed to. But hopefully that will sort out this afternoon. I am about to book a hostel now, because I wasnät sure whether the plane ticket I bought from here to Sucre would be for today or tomorrow, so I have no reservation. Thanks to Lonely Planet, I should be ok :)

So- I simultaneously have my shit together, and dont at the same time. I did where it counted today, as I miracously had everything I needed for to get my Bolivian visa this morning, which included my passport, a 4x4 photo of me, a letter in spanish from the school inviting me to come, my yellow fever vaccination certificate, a credit card, and 135 american dollars in cash ( it had been such a long time since I had that good old currency in my hand). So all in all- Bolivia is pretty high maitnance. I ran all over hell getting that stuff, particularly the photo, but here I am and I have a visa to show for it.

ok, I am going to go!
Ill probably write next from sucre!


best
xoxox


http://rebeccasworldadventure.blogspot.com