We have now crossed the ANDES for the first time and we are in CHILE. After having waited 1 hour at each border they allowed us in! Believe it or not, they x rayed the all bus. Today we went to see the Pacific Ocean that was waiting for Olivia and I with a cool breeze (f@*¡?¨cold indeed). We are in Valdivia, a town south of Santiago, 10hrs by bus, in the middle on the valdivian rainforest, of what is left of it. WWF is working here to protect it. We met the nice staff of the office yesterday and they invited us for a BBQ tonight. In Valdivia there is the famous NOCHE VALDIVIANA festival - we had never heard of it. So we were verry happy to be passing by here at this specific point in time, until we reached the Hostel were we had booked. The lady had not kept our booking and had given our room away. We then realised that the festival meant that no rooms were available anywere. We walked around this small, hot (30 degrees) town, with no local currency to get a taxy, stopping at any hostel/hotel we could spot until we finally went back to the bus station. There for the first time, we actually wanted to find one of these dodgy blokes that always stop you offering the worst accomodation of your life. It didn't take long, I am heary and dark skinned but I look still look like a tourist. Local Gabriel took us to a small house with 4 rooms and a kitchen for 8 people. Resanable 20 chf for the room. Got it. Tonight is indeed the Festival night and we really hope it will be good.
In Valdivia you have 2 big rivers meeting and forming an island, the town is on both shores, joined by a bridge. The seaside is about 30m. by bus, 3 spanish fortress are still there. The curious thing about this place are the sealions. They live on the river next to the fish market (know why) and so they are pretty fat bastards. hope to share the pics with you guys once we find an USB port unknown in their Mundo Internet place.
Valdivia
Fish market in Valdivia, where the sealions were