Merry Christmas!

Today we have the Christmas eve, but my second suitcase hasnt arrived yet, so symbolically I can still consider myself, or at least my belongings travelling.

At least here in Czech Republic we celebrate today, and get the presents today, too. There is some snow outside, but not much, but the temperatures are quite low, and I have an imported cold. Its going to be rather small, just closest family.

Hopefully the suitcase arrives so that I will be able to transport some presents from within it under the Christmas tree.

I wish anyone who reads Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

home again

After long and painful flight I have landed in Prague (not so my suitcase) and am here in my motherland again. I didnt have time to think about it muc h yet but I guess its going to be a bit weird till I get used to it again...

Last entry

So this will be probably my very last entry written from Colombian land!

I will miss this country. Everything ended up ok. Only I dontr understand how did I manage to get cold in this hot weather:) So I will import it to snow covered Czech Republic.

And, Ive met here some Czechs, so we already have a small national enclave. How nice.


BTW here we came with a very new Airbus with lots of fancy stuff like USB ports next to the screen. However, the script was all over running, first I thought theyre gonna show Matrix, then I realized that its Linux trying to boot in vain...

Back in Cartagena - saturday

And so I am in Cartagena again...

The bus from Medellin left me here 10:15 in the morning. Another hour to get downtown. Perhaps the last ride down avenida Pedro Heredia.

Last night the bus dropped me off next to the best mall of Medellin, Mayorca, right in front of Crepes - I had to get my favorite icecream.

Today I even get to stay at the house where Ive always stayed... everything as it used to be... or so it seems. But, the adventure will soon be over.

Last border

Today, 17th of December, Ive crossed the last border I ll have to cross till I cross the border to Czech Republic.

I am in Colombia again, in two thirds of long and wearisome journey back up north. I shall arrive to Cartagena on saturday if everything goes fine...

Cuzco

Today, monday, I spend most of the day in Cuzco.

I have again run into a guy I had first met in Copacabana, on a trip to Isla del Sol, then again at Machu Picchu, and finally today on Plaza de Armas... results we are taking the same bus to Lima tonight. He is a lawyer from Brussels, good contact! Dont mess with me anymore!!:D

Anyways, its weird, one always meets people somehow related to him, like on Isla del Sol, this girl from India, I told her I got interested in Japan, and she replied she studies Japanese - with Michel Thomas! - the program that taught me Spanish. And, more than that, she lived in Colombia for two years, first year on an internship with AIESEC.

Or the guy from Switzerland, whom Ive asked to take me a pocture, and he turned out to be a graduated gardener and working in that field (Ive worked for this gardening company last spring: )

Anyways, we went with this Sebastian from Brussels to the terminal, and bought trip to lima with a company that shipped me to Tacna - CIAL - I was quite happy with them. And, Cuzco - Lima is a reckoned tourist heavy route - so its bound to be heavy in "I rob tourists" persons too.

Its at five so I still had some time to walk around, take pictures. I didnt take many as my screen doesnt work at the moment. But, it made it through Machu Picchu! What more can I ask. Besides, it can revive again, as it did after Valparaiso. Besides, I think I might be able to fix it myself home.

Again, this walk pointed out the sharp difference between touristy and not-touristy places. On one square, people loterally force you to buy garbage and dustcatchers for high prices. You cant have any mercy with these people - Its sad but true - because they are seasoned in exploiting slightest trace of interest, moral weakness and soft hard. Again I have to recall lessons from Cartagena: totally ignore, from, be cold and even rude - otherwise you wont escape.

Which really makes me think again how much I do not like the tourist places. What a false, stupid world... What do you learn about the country? Almost nothing. They just exploit your illusions about the country and offer you overpriced crap with the pretense that it has whatsoever strong link with what the country is really like.

But, make a turn, and after a street full of tourist restaurants (empty) offering menu for 15 soles (5USD), and You ll find a local "comedor" with menu for 3 soles, besides full of locals, which means that what they ll give you didnt sit there for two weeks. And you see local workers and families eat with you. And they are polite and greet, and you greet, and you wish each other "bon apetit" and noone tryes to make money of noone, and noone hangs in your face how poor or need they are - even if they might be - but hey - people who DO NOT LIVE FROM TOURISM seem to preserve their dignity.

And, off the main area I just bought two GOOD books in Spanish from a second hand store 3 soles (1USD) each. Thats all, going to catch the bus...

The way home...

And now, the only thing awaiting me is the way home.

Yesterday, for being so tired, we stayed in Cuzco overnight. Today I have to find a bus to Lima / Tumbes.

I fell much like the men of Ulysses: the batle was already fought, but there is still the long, long way home...

MACHU PICCHU

Yesterday, sunday the 13th of December we ascended this famous site.

Maybe I didn't mention clearly, that as we took the hitch from Santa Maria, we mingled with this group, who had a guide, who also cut a deal for us. We paid 100 soles (cca USD 35) and got a room, dinner, breakfast, entrance to Machu Picchu site (discounted based on my ancient ISIC, even though first they thought it was false, then they probably realized that if I wanted a false one I wouldn't get something so obscure... btw. Peru is obviously one of the countries where ISIC and the like are really usefull - this was a 50% discount) and a guided walk on the site for 2 hours. Good deal.

So the whole group planned very early morning ascent, to be able to visit the second site there - Wayna Picchu- where to only 400 persons daily are allowed. That required our waking up at 4.

So we started of the hostel at 4:15 roughly, ascending the high mountain of Machu Picchu on foot. It was still dark when we started, and a foggy dawn came during our ascent. It is some 1600 steps to get there. I counted them to keep my morals high, and got to 1574, but I wasn't accurate at the bottom:) Counting allowed me to make a short break after each 50 steps to catch my breath, and a longer one at 800 and 1200.

Finally, we got to the entrance area (with hotel and buses:) at around 6 (looks very modern there). There we joined the cue for entrance and met our guide, who luckily have figured out my student discount in the meantime as mentioned.

Following was the guided tour to the very Machu Picchu site with our guide. I will shortly recall what Ive remembered:

Machu Picchu isn't the true name of the settlement, which is unknown, because the Quechuas used nods instead of written letters to conserve information, a way that wasn't fully decrypted untill today. Machu Picchu means "Old Mountain" and is the name of the mountain where the settlement is located.

INKAs were kings of the Quechua nation, and there were just like 14 of them. (first according to the tradition - Manko Kapak - comes from the Isla del Sol on Titicaca) Now there are still some Quechuas living in nearby town Quillabamba. Quechuas are supposed to live very long, our guide claimes that the world's oldest man with 130 years is Quechua and that some used to live up to 150 years or more. (if they climbed up the steps every now and then, no wonder they were in excellent condition:) Our guide also claims to be of Quechua descvent which might well be true, and he was a nice guy, anyways:) Principal sites of the Quechuas were three - Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Quillabamba. Quechuas fled to the mountaintops after the Spanish conquested Cuzco, destroying all paths and bridges not to be found. Later they again escaped from Machu Picchu to Wayna Picchu in much the same manner.

Machu Picchu was a place for noble people, other Quechuas from other provinces and dialects came here to receive schooling and training. Importand religious and prestigious affairs concentrated on the calendar based on observing solar solstices and progress of the suns path troughout the year. Then the religion had something called "triada andina" where there were three worlds much like in christianity: the world above, whose deity is Condor, the lived world where people are, whose deity was Puma, and the world below, underworld, where the deity was a serpent.

The whole site was able to support cca 500 persons with on-site agriculture.

---
After that we took off to go to Wayna Picchu, which presents other ascent of 1200 steps. It is much worth doing for the view and the location, even higher and even more magnificent. Unfortunatelly I had also some digestion problems, which were messing up my concentration. I had to resolve it in the intentions of the nice czech slogan "seru-v-peru". When we finally got to the top - the route sometimes could be classified as no. 1 difficulty level in rockclimbing scales - the wonderfull view was our compensation.

This site, much smaller, is on a top of even less accessible mountain, all the mountains here are very steep, almost vertical-faced, which makes them tought to ascend. This one - Wayna Picchu - Young Mountain - is even several hundred meters above Machu Picchu with a beautiful, practically 360 degree view from the top.

After reaching the top I found a sofa-like shaped rock at the very top, where I had spent a very happy hour and something. I had to think about an old song by "Buty", one of he first to make me dream of visiting exotic places, which by then I thought was probably just a dream. Now at that very moment I was moved by my dream coming true. Didn't really plan it, it somehow just happened, perhaps because I was attracted to the same thing again and again, even if in different times and contexts.

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After all that, the descent, again on foot (so we did 2800 steps up and 2800 steps down) and buying a trainticket to Cuzco. We were all so tired we couldn't even think

and who has their photos of buses published?:)

http://galerie-autobusu.cz/Omega~Platinum~~1/

Cuzco - Aquas Calientes (foreplay to Machu Pikchu)

So night bus arrived to Cuzco at 5 but the driver left us crashing in till six. One of the girls wanted to get to Machu the same way I wanted to try - so we arranged to travel together.

That way is the cheapest way, as far as I know, to get to Aquas Calientes, from where one can hike up to Machu. Its described in guidebook but not so well, but I had that confirmed a night before when I ate trout for dinner in Copacabana by a Canadian traveller.

Now I am sitting in net cafe in Aquas Calientes, so I can confirm it worked out, for cca 33 soles, which equals to 10 USD compared to at least 31 USD for the train. The downside is the time, but, getting to Aquas Calientes in the evening allowes one to hike to Machu early in the morning, which is ideal - whereas the first train arrives at 11.

The route is the following: get to bus terminal to Santa Maria and take bus to Santa MAria (takes cca 6 hrs), from St, Maria to St. Teresa and then "Hydroelectrica" - normally there are taxis and collectivos, we found a tour bus which took us all the way to the electric plant and we also joined the group for meals and entrance as it is nice and economic - good deal! Last part of the route consists of following railroad tracks to Aquas Calientes for some 10kms. (can take train too - more expensive).

I'd say that it is possible to hike from St. Maria, it all takes like 6 hrs, but the route is very scenic, with deep walleys and impressive steep mountains, waterfalls etc. What we covered with the tourbus was again much like the old videogames - abyss one one curb, rock on the other. Two cars difficult to pass.

The hike down railroad tracks is scenic too, we started after four so we finished by dark, there were five of us, three Brazilians, the Mexican girl and me. We met two trains and crossed twqo tunnels, I couldn't help but to think about czech tramps and Wabi Danek in particular:)

tomorrow we start after FOUR in the morning... So I wonder how this Machu Picchu is going to be, but the landscape is certainly promissing!

Copacabana II

Well well altitude really does stuff to you. Constant slight headache and one becomes really irritable:)

Friday - I had to leave bybus at 10AM, but because of road blockade it was cancelled. So I rescheduled for a cheaper bus at 6:30, and spent the difference on food...

I had an extra day in Copacabana really, thus. Lady in the travel service was very helpful, I spent like an hour there refixing my camera, and she gave me some tips what to see.

I went to cathedral, which is probably one of the most bombastic churches Ive ever seen. I took tons of pictures because the "no picture" sign was by the exit so I didnt see it untilk I was done.

Then I went to see local two hills with cavalries. On first there were some slacking youngsters probably cutting school so I turned it back. The other though was very cool - steep rock some 50 metersa above the lake level, with stations of cross and wonderfull view of both the town and the lake. In the end Ive spent some 4 hours there.

I had to think that carrying cross up this hill in this altitude would be very tough even for Jesus himself. I really think Golgota is much closer to sea level! Me too, I had to stop almost every 20 meters, to catch my breath.

Later, on the night bus to Cuzco Ive met some friendly travelñlers so the time passed fine.

Bolivia

They say you always forget the bad stuff. So this is to remembre.

Country us nice. People almost only indians. Altitude is tough. La Paz is kind of cool.

But Ive come to Titicaca, and its a paradise of tourist hassle!
Yes, the place is nice. But having always to watch so that you aren't ripped off doesn't make it any better.

Example: all the internet cafes at the main street have a fuckung cartel - so they all charge invariably 4 - 5 times more then in downtown La Paz. And - there is a cyber cafe "only for playing games online" which nevertheless charges the usual price! But off course, they won't let you go online.

Aha. So westerners are racists, homophobic people? Let me tell you, that in these tourist centres you learn something about prejudice! I bet you some people here prercieve foreigners like some kind of outer space aliens with fat purses, and not like human beings.

Monday: Vale a Valpo

Well, all things come to an end... and so did my stay in Valparaiso.

Quizas mejor así... I still have things to explore there. But, I've got my souvenirs, so the connection shall not perish.

I am now in Santiago again... I've just had a "delicious" lunch - a hot dog - the most typical street snack here and one of the few affordables. They put avocado on it whioch is not appreciated, but I've asked it without.

And I've bought a ticket to Arica. 27000 - that is like 54USD, compared to 35000 directly from Valpo, even with connection for 2500 I've still saved 10USD - can be two nights in hostel in Bolivia. I've bought it with a small company and the deal includes all meals... I'm curious:) - I packed some apples and cookies, just in case. Small companies are not a problem in Chile, as both roads and buses have a very good standard.

And since my bus leaves in 40 minutes, I have time that can't be spent better then by crashing in an internet café and posting some reflections... better passtime than nosepicking.


--- some reflections about Chile ---

from all the countries I've visited, Chile is strikingly different. It has much more of a conection to Europe. It always seems to be connected to presidents, they had some with french and german names - and there you go, the country feels like some european country (on contrary Peru, with it's Fujimori, has a clear Asian influence - virtually all the busetas in Lima are Japanese or Corean! and the city's atmosphere evokes busy Asian metropoles as I imagine them most of what I've seen...).
One of the first things that strikes is the soundscape. From Colombia till Chile you are constantly exposed to blasting local music... champeta, salsa, cumbia, reggaeton, name it, got it... for unsuspecting foreigner that can bring about a small cultural shock. But cross the border to Chile and boom: you are in Euro-soundscape: I have heard few songs in spanish: radios play european and american music. And have good taste! Radio Activa in Santiago plays 90's dancemusic, even some good forgotten gigs and by no means just commerce. Radio Equis, which was on in our hostel, could double as good standard independent european radio... something like Prague's Radio 1 in its beginnings. Indie rock from the eighties on prevails, including uncommercial thiongs like The Clash, "there she goes" by the LAS - a big '91 hit plays at least two times a day... Also there is affinity for groups like The Cure or The Police and many others. To illustrate that... a 14 years old kid asked me if I could translate a song from English... I expected some rap that I would hardly understand or some local artist trying to rhyme in English. But, surprisingly, after few first reefs I recognized it as "Roxanne" by The Police - the same stuff I digged at 16... that surprised me..
Other thing you notice is the "white" racial mix here. So far I had seen like 3 or 4 black people, and I suspect at least half of that were tourists! Its an opposite of the Carribean. Even when we visited the school of music and its concert - we saw them performing some heavily tribal music... 20 drummers and a singer ... african style, you know. AND NOT ONE SINGLE MUSICIAN OF AFRICAN DESCENT! and I swear it would sound much better if they had some, cause we've seen a concert like this in Cartagena and blacks just know how to do it and have absolutely no restraints in neither singing no rhythmic... where as this assembly couldn't help but sound like a slightly unsure and backheld white intellectual kids, you know...


---
Now a reflection about Valparaiso... Why is it such a great city for me?
Well obviously when we speak about Prague, we would say that it's magic dwell's near the river, in the old, picturesque, narrow streets of Old Town and Lesser Town, perhaps Kampa, Lesser Town and New World areas with their geographical specifics being the most romantic part for most people.

Clearly, the flat, modern, broad avenue crossed areas may be good to live in, but they "don't have it" and aren't by far so exciting.

Now how much time may we spend covering these areas?
In Valparaiso, I have spent roaming like 12 hours in very appealing places, with romantic houses, surprising views, dramatic architecture etc., and I haven't been able to cover all, maybe a third part! That's because "most" of the city is spread over those 40+ hills or ridges, that run from the mountain range to the Pacific, being again divided by valleys and canyons. The biggest building activity belongs to the era of 19th century and then the big reconstruction of the city after the 1906 earthquake. That means that great most of this area is covered by architecture in between 100 and 70 years old, and largely conserved in original state - obviously if we judge lifespan of these buildings, quite a few are arriving to the end of it just about now, but there wasn't any massive reconstruction or assanation yet. And won't be, at least for the most central parts, as they were proclaimed the UNESCO patrimonial site.

Then, we have a contrast in "the plan", the narrow strip between the coastline and the foot of the hills... This is a cramped business area with up to 5 storeys high old impressive buildings, mostly banks and the like, quite bombastic often, and then near to the port, in the worn streets there are these small slightly dingy taverns with old mariners... a whole dark and dingy area - but one can always raise above it to the full sunlight and fresh air of the cerros by an ascensor...

so much for it, gotta go.

Sunday - Valparaisos flea market and bay cruise

Todey we've started our day by a visit to flea market that culminates (to our luck) much later than in either EU or Australia. Iwas able to purchase one of the door knobs as a souvenir, to my great satisfaction.

Then we had small lunch in one of the more local restaurants near the port called Milan. It evokes 3rd category Czech restaurant but the service is much better, there is different plate for each meal etc. ... the prices higher, too.

After that we took a cruise around the bay, to see sea lions and take some pictures.

BTW I got lucky in my hostel, which Ive grown to love (http://www.casaventura.cl/). There was no availibility, so Iwas supposed to move, but around lunch when I was there to pick up my stuff, someone called to cancel, so I could stay:) It has spacey rooms with only 4 beds max, and high ceilings, great breakfasts and is run by a german - chilean couple, the guy followed his girlfriend here from Germany... there are even some old-school german table games available:)

just for fun... sample of perurail contract

following is extract from perurail users agreement...

"18. When operational or technical reasons obligate PERURAIL to relocate the clients onto a different service or train frequency, PERURAIL will try its best to contact the client and make the necessary arrangements wherever and whenever possible. If it is an Act of God, PERURAIL will not be liable but shall try within its limits to make the necessary arrangements.

23. Departure times are subject to change because of weather conditions, technical reasons, route conditions or acts of god. " (bold mine)

I really like that:) It's an act of god! I hope god will be OK with my evt. visit to Machu Pikchu!

U Pavla Nerudovic

Tak jsem byl vcera u Pavla Nerudu doma.. no hezky to tam ma, jen co je pravda.

On totiz Pavel mel moc rad vypraveni sveho duchovniho dedecka Jana Nerudy, z Male Strany (wikipedia rika: Neruda's pen name was derived from Czech writer and poet Jan Neruda - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Neruda).

Takze proste hledal neco podobneho, nejake kopce, aby tam byla voda, malebne ulicky... a proto se nastehoval do Valparaisa:)) No dotahl to daleko, Pavel, az na Nobelovu cenu. Ale zase nepatril mezi Majovce. Ani nesklatil Karolinu Svetlou. I kdyz se zda, ze zen mel take dost.

Podle mne to byl takovy trochu Chilsky Nezval - svym zivotnim stylem. Asi by si rozumel i s poetisty, ten jeho dum by se jim urcite libil, hesla otevrit okna svetu dokoran se drzi dostatecne...

Update friday night

Just an short report on friday evening.

We visited informal concert in nearby escuela de bellas artes - music academy. Then we met a pianist there (Pedro) who played a short recital just for us. Nice.

Then I went to the hostel, planning a little bit, figuring things out.

After I met up with my roommates in Irish Pub downtown (at 11). The pub owner (Nigel) is an Irish IT guy who fell in love here while travelling so he started the bar to make living. (Irlandes bar) The bar is very nice and has lots of types of beers and is quite busy. We sat there with my roommates of whom one is Irish and other guy lived in Ireland for a year, and Nigel, for some two hours, my first regular "pub" experience after a long long time, as in carribean it is almost unknown.

A walk - saturday

Yesterday Ive spent first half day working out my next plans and financial situation.

Then I got lucky, because the sun appeared, and I went a long walk from our cerro to cerro Belavista, by avenida Alemania, making lots of pictures.

Which brings me to other comparisons: Adolf Born could come paint here. Thats exactly his kind of houses.

Early 20th century, eclectic historism, slightly overdecorated at times, but with the wear very romantic and having lots of fantastic, nicely preserved detailes (esp. Cerros Concepcion and Alegre), especially around doorways and windows.

Ive visited former prison, that has become an art center - its basically ruins of a prison (it worked till 200, though) covered with graffiti and street-art deco. Interesting atmosphere.

Then Ive visited Pablo Nerudas (www.fundacionneruda.org) house... first I thought its not going to be worth iyt but it was. The house is interesting, Neruda designed it himself with lots of invention, aiming on stimulating space where you can overlook the whole harbour from almost all rooms. And, he was a passionate curriosities collector, reusing these detailes for decoration, like virtrages, door handles, artistic woodcarvings etc., which makes us a kind of kindered spirits. And there is exposition and info about Valpo itself, too, in the visitor center (www.senderobicentenario.cl).

And in the night, we collectively went to eat out in a nice seafood restaurant. Good day.

And another on Valparaiso - friday

Why is it such a slow day again?

Well, its also not a very nice weather today. Kind of foggy. I also have to resolve my finance for next couple of weeks today - they have holiday till monday. And therefor I might need to leave sunday afternoon as later many people will be drunk etc.

So I am slowly copying all my pictures... and reading newspaper... and maybe Ill just take the trolley busride. Its not so good for taking pictures at the cerros anyways, too grey, It would not look good. Too much Zizkov-like.

I can then make it tomorow since the early morning... unfortunatelly South America is not the place for walks with the camera in the evenings.

And, when speaking about Zizkov-like, so our room in the hostel feels just like Vinohrady! High ceilings, high windows, early 20th century architecture, yellow sodium street lights coming through the window and cars roaming down stone paved street, thus emitting that characteristic sound of Slezska / Kolinska streets...

And by the way, as for architects interest, the houses here are built on walled substructures, but the rest is quite often half-timbered or framed structure, covered by wood or corrugated iron. Even so, the houses are strikingly alike with Vinohrady and Zizkov architecture in their forms! The materials are only revealed to the closer look...

---

and, on reading this: http://www.novinky.cz/domaci/186173-opencard-praze-nic-nevydela-prijmy-jdou-podle-auditu-soukrome-firme.html; about Prague OPENCARD, I feel once again ASHAMED by my city and country! I have just used similar Chilean card recently in Santiago... I tried to google if there was a similar scandal - I could not find anything. BANANA REPUBLIC in the heart of Europe. SOCIAL CLEANING ON THOSE M************!

a slow day... which makes me reflect about technology

So this day seems to be just bound to be slow.

I decided to backup my photos, right away in the morning on first attempt I've found the size is already too much for my 2 empty CDs. Besides, just to copy them to the computers harddrive takes more then an hour. Then, burning just two CDs would be almost an hour again (I don't burn on highspeeds unless I really trust both the burner and the media - and that's not the case of internet cafés and cheap CDs. Its quite upsetting to have to throw the disk away after 15 minutes of burning!).

And I don't want to carry the camera around without the pictures backed up.

So, after opulent breakfast - a great advantage of my hostel and a reason why I am staying more nights - I went downtown to shop for an USB. I've actually found quite a nice one in discount, but still just the copying will take more than an hour. I've bought SONY in the end... for in my experience, their products are very durable. The discman I've bought in 2003 in the US still runs strong, and although it has some clear engineering mistakes, it did never break down. And not to speak about its brother - one of the very first discmans ever - which I've bought in 2005 from a thriftstore in Bozeman, Montana, for 75 cents (!) - and it worked, and still works, and it even plays home-burned CDs even though that technology, as I suspect, wasn't diffused by the time of its release to the market.

So I put my trust into the brand, and I hope, that the pendrive will be here for a few years, and not break down like most others did (only the very first I had, 256MB one, still works, as the producers as I suspect make only the first editions properly to position them on the market, whereas later its all about cutting costs - and lifespan...). And each and every time it was a mechanical failure at the connector - a lot of strain occurs there, but engineeres could easily forsee that, couldn't they?

But thats not the priority for affordable products to avoid these setbacks these days.

My camera - the same story - as for the LCD display the problem that occured clearly stems from faulty engineering. And could be fixed easily. In the end, I've semi-fixed it with no proper technology! Because, what happened is that the two-line flat cable that provides power for the light emitting background of the LCD - which makes it readable - was bent over to make it make a right-angle turn - and offcourse, being it such a tiny cable, it eventually broke there!

And even though the problem would be fixed by fixing that cable, or changing it, where the cable can't cost more than a dollar, the "authorized service" generously offered change of the whole LCD for price surpassing the one of a whole new camera (probably here for input of the skilled work, which consists of taking the camera apart with a screwdriver and releasing the cables from their connectors - which I admit I would not know how to do, but it can't be too complicated).

And that is properly annoying, let me tell you! Especially here in South America, where so many people will probably never be able to have any camera at all, and here a good camera almost goes to waste, where it technically could be fixed for some 5 $ - properly! Where as, as I've said, I've semi-fixed it using a razorblade, a lighter and a scotch tape and some 1,5 hours of time. The difference between 5 and 150 $ isn't a decisive barrier for me perhaps, but it IS for millions of people in the world!

And that once again proves what Marx said, that "market value" and "utility value" are two entirely distinct things! (and that can be used to your advantage or disadvantage:)

If all the stuff that is in the back of your drawers, along perhaps with description of what happened, was collected and then sent to less developped countries, then fixed or sorted out for recycling... I think you could provide the community with some cheap stuff with good utility value, and guys fixing it - why not kids who are being trained for electricla engineering carreers? - could learn some valuable lessons like that! Not only about fixing stuff, but about building it as well, as these failures usually reveal some typical weak spots.

Oh, and the camera

I forgot to write that, but I think there must be some kind of magic, because sometimes it quite sucks, and the display wouldn't work, but so far ALWAYS when
there really was something interesting for me the camera PUT ITSELF TOGETHER
and worked nonstop! That apply for the train museum in Tacna and now for the
first day in Valparaiso. As if things had soul...

And I mean there is a conection. Ive done surgery to my camera to resuscitate it!:)

Reflexion on Valpo I

Actually, I have forgotten to write it in my last entry, so...

How does Valparaiso appear to me?
Well I have heard it being compared with Venice. And perhaps, there is something to it. A glorious port with glory already bit faded.

But I'd like to make a different comparison. Its called "cultural capital of Chile"; the sea is preeminent; the houses are incredibly placed over steep hills, and the culture really sprouts everywhere, in the afternoon upon returning to the hostel I've heard a band rehearsal, the graffitti often mentions leftism, drugs, sometimes love. So I would compare it to San Francisco.

I'd even probably prefere it to San Francisco, as a place, because its easy to navigate on foot and the lack of finance conserved houses in original state and romantic disrepair...

From that point of view, it could be compared to Zizkov as well, few spots, few run down houses do evoke that feeling. But, Zizkov, unlike San Francisco, doesn't have Pacific ocean, does it?:)

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And, I said first half an hour ever I spent trying to befriend a cat. So cats are another eminent thing here. I see cats here more often then in other Southamerican places I've been to. They sleep in the doors. In the widows. On the sidewalk. And in the bus terminal. You'll meet them casually strolling down the street on their own business, much like yourself. Yes, the cats.

Valparaiso - first walkaround - thursday

So Ive just come back from my first walk.

I have to say I was enchanted. And I have seen like an estimated fourth part of the area, that is supposed to be interesting! Afterall, I've visited just one of the cerros, and the downtown below in one direction from my hostel. Ultimatelly, it was the durability of my camera's batery that gave the no-go.

Valparaiso keeps its promise to be one of the most fotogenic places I've ever seen!
On the cerros, there are worthy views on almost every step. The interesting things are: architecture and details, urban landscape and views, rich street art culture (!!) ...

I went through the old city center, the main square etc. to the Cerro artileria, where, after ascend on foot, I've visited the Naval museum, and killed my battery there.

Even though I can hardly claim to be that much of a sailor, these things call my attention, for one thing the museum is very well done (the way the exhibition is presented and arranged), for second - one instantly realizes the navy's importance for the state of Chile (shouldn't be surprising taking into account length of the coastline:) - even it seems that their first ever president was previously an admiral.

So lots of pride are behind the navy and its museum, too. Besides many artefact like old decorated weapons etc., there were lots of scale models of old sailboats of different kinds, paintings, maps, and last but not least a very interesting exhibition about Cape Horn (Vojta would enjoy it) (I took photos).

So, now I am home, letting my camera recharge, and probably will go out to eat something... I still have a lots of things to do here: tour downtown in one of the old trolleys, visit most other cerros, visit neighbouring Viña del Mar... So I'll keep myself busy for some time:)

finally - Valparaiso!

So I had seen the center of Santiago - it's pretty pretty - and bit bombastic... the governmental buildings I can easily imagine Pinochet marching there:) But nice, safe, huge, modern, lots of facilities, great shopping malls - in the old center, with small private shops, bit like Barcelona... one aisle full of shops with zippo's and smoker's apparel, for instance. Too bad they don't have those cute Camel add zippo's anymore.. I¿d buy it as a souvenir.

And then, already quite tire, I have to confess, I went on the bus to Valparaiso. It was around 4PM.

I have to say I was even quite nervous, so close to my dreamed goal, my destination. Will it be worth it?

The last one hour on the bus, again, highway, gas stations with Mc Donald, industry parks, cute little houses... parks... could have been Austria. Modern cars. And one LIAZ truck! The truck drivers were right, they are there!


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Then Valpo. I spend half an hour at the terminal finding about other connections, getting myself together. Trying to befriend a very suspicious little kitten, who'd runaway even after being givewn part of my Chinese roll.

Then stroll over whole downtown Valparaiso to reach the cerro - hill - where my housing is. The downtown did npot seem as magic... besides having this Hrabalian Liben like charm of a run down port town. And Trolley buses from 40's.

But, the cerros are amazing. Its like a giant Vrbice spread over many and many steep hills, the way the houses are located and accessed is amazing, and the run-down 19th century charms go on and on. Every step worth taking pictures. One feels like Mirek Dusin and the gang in Stinadla, except for the magnificent view of the Pacific port, with large and small crafts, and the views of the rest of the city every now and then.

Just exploring all of that will require like two days I think. So, its around noon, I have slept well, the breakfast is more than generous, and it will be the time to explore! More news later...

Santiago - wednesday

So I got here according to the plan and I will continue to Valparaiso in the afternoon.

Chile has quite an european vibe indeed. Euroamerican music everywhere. And Santiago does look like Austria... or Spain. Nice. I am now going to see downtown and the cannon make boom.