La Serena

Yesterday I got to La Serena, and by some wonderful act of fate, I ran into two people I really enjoyed the company of, who I met in Arica. We were hoping to meet again but hadn't been able to find each on Facebook (oh the perils of our century), but luckily, we somehow managed to check into the same hostal. So I've been enjoying my time with my new friends. Today we went to the beach and loafed around, even fit a bit of yoga in there. The beach here definitely isn't as nice as Iquique's and it's not quite as warm, but it was quiet and I took a dip in the ocean, despite it's frigid temperature.

I was planning on heading to Cachagua tomorrow to meet up with family friends, but because it's the weekend and the end of summer, I had a lot of difficulty finding a bus there. As it is a small town, I can't get a direct bus there, and most of the buses going nearby were full or almost full. So I decided to catch a bus to Valparaiso tomorrow, stay the night there, and try to get to Cachagua the next morning, just a few hours north. Plus, my new friends are heading to Valparaiso tonight, so I will meet up with them tomorrow evening when I arrive. Because the bus companies are so busy this weekend, I had to buy a seat in the first class section, full cama, which I have yet to experience. I'm sure it will be a nice splurge. The woman at the booking desk gave me some headphones, pretty fancy.

There is definitely a part of me that wishes I didn't have to stop traveling, at times this lifestyle can be quite addicting. But, life must continue rolling on, and it is time for me to have some different kinds of experiencing. I am making the most of my last few days, though.