Trouble with a Securidad in La Serena Bus Stop

Hopped off the bus at 5am in the morning from Valparaiso to La Serena and I was contemplating if I should just stay here or move on to Pisco Elqui as suggested by fellow travellers.

Hanging around waiting for sunrise I was undecided with both options keep playing around my mind. My urge to smoke while thinking finally kicked in when day break and I walk outside to roll a cigarette.

Pisco Elqui 

A piece of rolling paper, some tobacco and a filter …. While twirling the tobacco around two security guards for the bus station walked up to me, their backs label Securidad in Spanish. 

One pointed to the cigarette I was rolling and rumble off in Spanish while I just shrug and gave him by dumbest look.
Ma ri ju a na ? The security guard asked pointing to my half rolled cigarette?

Apparently rolling a cigarette is not common in Chile and I was going to be in trouble for a misunderstanding. I said NO … cigarraggio, cigarette, cigarros ….. trying to get him to understand. 

Ma ri ju a na ? The security guard said again with a big grin on his face with full confident that I was guilty

I said no and push the pack of tobacco to his hand and gestured the sign for smell for yourself. The tobacco was mint flavoured so it had a minty smell which was even rarer and confused the shit out of the guard. 

Roll one I said offering him paper and filter. He seem to understand and slowly rolled one pondering if this was a cigarette or a joint. “Fumar?” I offered my lighter. 

First puff and his had a deep appreciation on his face of the cigarette that he just rolled but all doubts of it being marijuana has vanish.

“Equisito” he said … Huh ???? after a few round of repeating the words again and again I understood … exquisite …. The cigarette was exquisite for it was not common. But then I bought it in Chile, Santiago for way too cheap.

We became friends after that I think with him providing me his personal protection while trying to communicate such as where I was from where I am going, what's my name, what the fuck am I doing in Chile …. 

He even went to as far to act out an action with another guy just to show me how a greeting is done in Spanish. He ended up helping me find the bus to Pisco Elqui which was the first bus at 830 am and send me off with a big grin …. 

Dumb Malaysian who can’t speak Spanish rolling an exquisite cigarette

To Pisco Elqui on a microbus for 3500 peso

Making Friends & Meeting up On the Road

Sending Danny and Mary off at night as they head back to Santiago from their Valparaiso day trip I was a bit sad knowing I would be alone again and company in a country where I was a dumb mute was hard to come by. 

Going back to the hostel it was an early night and the first rest since nearly 2 weeks. Morning breakfast and I bump into the two friendly German Couple from Santiago walking tour. PeeWee and Bro. 

From across the living room while checking in they yelled HEY …. And I just had the dumbest Grin on my face. I thought that the Santiago Walking Tour people was haunting me …..

Still I left them after breakfast since they went for the Valparaiso walking tour that I had already done. The little Lithuanian girl which was below my bunk was laughing her ass off seeing me wake up in the morning. 

I did not wake up till 1130 am and still was moody as well. It was my first good rest in weeks anyway and everyone was already out of the dorm. 

What are you doing today?

Now if you have been a traveler long enough, this question shall not be asked simply especially to someone that genuinely look like he had no plans. 

This is because the question is also a kind of invitation to join in another’s persons plan. I had no plans and that’s what I told her … first try to wake up then breakfast then …. Sniff the wind

Well I am planning to …… bla bla bla

If the first question and answer may get one away from an uninvited invitation the second phrase I see it as open invitation. I jumped at it of course and thus made a new friend with a little Lithuanian girl name Vio.

That Monday was a holiday so although we walked to many places everything was close. The view point at #Funicular Accessor Palanco was amazing. Tucked at the far left corner high up in Valparaiso it gave the best view we ever saw from anywhere. 

Nothing much there other than the view and loads and loads of graffiti in every nook and corner. I bought the cheapest lunch I had in Chile for 600 peso a huge hotdog stuffed with things I do not dwell on. 

Best part to the view was there was a bench so we sat there had lunch a couple smokes and started heading back walking slowly through the non-touristy neighborhood of Valparaiso.

View from Acessor Palanco 

Violet was a craving seafood so we hunted for a seafood restaurant near the port. Things really close early in Chile but we saw a huge fish sign and a pirate hanging outside one shop. 

Going in I think we got cursed but we had no idea. Apparently the shop was close and we just walked in while the owners and friends was having a drinking session. 

They offered so many things for us to try while we were having dinner I was wondering if we should join their drinking session. 2 shots of Pisco sour, a shot of minty alcohol and another that I think tasted like plum whisky. The seafood was a bit pricy but fantastic.

Graffiti Art around Valparaiso 

Getting back to the hostel walking into the dorm, A girl jumped Vio grabbed her and asked :

Do you remember me?

Girls with their squeals jumping and laughing and screaming.

That’s when I met Dio. Dio and Viol travelled together or at lease party together somewhere in South America but never manage to exchange contact so the chance coincidence of meeting someone you had fun with before by pure chance in the same hostel and the same dorm in fact was amazing as if the stars aligned themselves.

BBQ that night and it was like a nice cocktail party with churrasco which is tiny hot dogs. Vino was poured freely with the hostel staff keeping tabs. We drank and smoke mingling with everyone in the hostel and talk of all the useless stuff everyone had experience before such as …

“I bought a AK-47 in Lithuania” – Dio

“I got to know my wife, fucked her, had a baby, got married and now I am saving up for a ring – in that order” - Santiago

“Anything can happen in South America” – Wink

Next day Dio left for the walking tour in the morning without Vio. Never make plans and arrangement when you are drinking …. Someone will probably get a wrong message or forgotten about it and that was what exactly happen. 

I was the grumpy boy again in the morning trying my best to wake up. Checked out and now what …. I had a whole day in Valparaiso before the bus leave at 1130pm

Vio had some plans to visit some museum or something and I was dragged into it eventually since I manage to woken up. Halfway walking there I decided to detour and bring Violet to the slide I first saw on the first day. 

Along the way we saw a group which was the walking tour. Pausing I saw Dio and waved ….. and between me and Vio stole her away from the walking tour.

You falling asleep yet ??(From the walking tour)?? Just ditch and come with us …. We are going to a slide ….

Slide ???

Yea it was an awesome slide and we were kids again for a moment.

The Slide 

Following Good Advice Valparaiso

Valparaiso was a place not on my radar due to lack of research of South America. I guess I am just winging it and would probably be so close to an awesome place and miss it because I had no idea. 

The hostel staff at Maoi Vejero Santiago was so friendly and always chatted with me in perfect English.

Where are you going next ?
I dunnu, where do you think I should go ?

Mosaic Graffiti in Valparaiso 

That’s how I found out about Valparaiso and thinking I would read up the city from the old lonely planet book I borrowed from the hostel, I was shocks when there was no entry for Valparaiso. 

Must be an old book but the newer version had like only half a page long about it. Seems like a passing by town so I decided always follow local knowledge and just give it a go.

Funicular at Valparaiso 

New friends from the last night partying in Santiago contacted me and ended up going to Valparaiso together. Danny and Mary. First stop we hit there and we decided to track my hostel down to relive me of the heavy load. 

Walking around looking for the bus we bump into another guy (Tall German Guy) who was also on the Santiago walking tour. Hi and Bye and on our way to the hostel.

Valparaiso has a flavor to its city. Even without the graffiti to add spice to it the city has a charm of its own that few others can trump it. Winding path snaking up hills and cutting at ridicules corners. 

Roads that do not makes sense, café or shops where you don’t expect them to be. Architecture of the poor using metal sheet and camouflage it to looks like a renascence style porch building. 

Funiculars that squeaks and cranks like it’s about to fall apart and tuck in between building give the city a pulsing heart. It was a wonder of wonders that this city was granted UNESCO Heritage so late.

Valparaiso was also the first danger I came across in Chile. A friendly kind of danger that one would have thought everything was safe. Apparently there was this neighborhood just beside the touristic area that the people were very protective and would not even allow other neighborhood people to enter let alone tourist. 

Danny, Mary and me took the funicular into that district and was immediately warned by the attendant in full vigor but since we could not understand her Spanish we understood it as to beware of pickpockets.

Half way up the hill two girls whistle at us and waved their hand and tried to tell us something. We had no idea what it was but when the hand signal of cutting one's throat came out and pointing towards the direction we were heading we finally understood that it was dangerous not in the sense of pickpocket but you could get into serious trouble. 

In a way the whole experience was so friendly that although we almost walk into a pit, it did not feel like it. It’s as if the internal scuffle does not include dumb tourist unless the tourist decide to ignore all the warnings and proceed anyway.
Still the city of Valparaiso has lot to offer with hidden Gems that no books can capture entirely.

Valparaiso - Chile 

Walking Tour Santiago and ending up Drunk

It was day two in Santiago and also day two in Latin America. I still haven’t learn much Spanish but that was not about to stop me from exploring. 

Hostel can be too comfortable sometimes, when everyone does not speak English in the country, in the hostel there are bound to be English speaking travelers. 

So I was out the door as early as 12pm. It’s been two months traveling and I am starting to finally slow down. Armed with a borrowed lonely planet guide from the hostel I started walking heading towards the city center aiming for tourist information to get better maps and recommendation.

Traffic Light Red. So do I walk and ignore the signs like in Malaysia or do I wait. I decided to take out the guide book and check my bearings while silently observing the road crossing culture of Chile. 

A pretty girl was looking at me with wide eyed ….. ‘smile’ ……. Couldn’t be more than 24 I reckon and I smiled back with a polite nod. 

Back to my book and stole a glance …. She was still staring like I was a delicious candy mouth slightly open drooling …..Ok maybe that was my imagination but she was definitely curious and finally mustered up the courage to speak to me.

I haven’t even started asking the locals for direction help yet and here is a Chile Girl trying to talk to me. I could not understand a word though.

Smile, raise shoulder, look blur, look more blur, swing eyeball left and right …. I had no idea if I was going to be scammed on the second day in Chile. 

Pretty girls can be dangerous.

First wavering words of English after many pause came from her ….. “Tourist?”

Art Sculpture at Plaza Del Arms - Santiago Chile 

Yes I said and I now know she was a kind and curious soul that always help blur travelers like me showing them her lovely city. 

That was my first teacher and as she walked me to the city center I got a crash course of the Spanish Language. With every try the conversation or meme got better and she was slowly remembering more and more words in English.

I would love to tell stories that the first Spanish word I learned in Latin America is : -

“Uno Cerveza Por Favor” …… One Beer Please

But that was not really the case. With so many words being thought while I walked with Stephanie (Yep we manage to exchange name by pointing and pointing) the very first Spanish word that stuck in my head after a drunk night was

“Disculpe” ……. Excuse me

She showed me a quick glimpse of Santiago and soon her mother phoned and we parted ways. I was left at the Plaza del Arms, Tourist information centre watching her go, finding Chile a very friendly country.

Push Cart Street Food in Santiago 

Santiago Free  Walking Tour 

Just in time after Stephanie left I joined the free walking tour at 3pm just outside the Plaza. Introduce Felipe our Free tour guide for the day which earns his living through tips. 

He gave such a nice flare and speech it was like a presentation in a theatre throughout the walking tour. People, travelers like me were very friendly and soon I was chatting in and out of the whole group within the walking tour. 

Mostly Germans, a few Swiss, Finish and Swedish. Felipe brought us to all the main building in Santiago and gave us a history with a flare trying his best to keep the tourist interested in Chilean History. 

In between even all the small push cart food along the streets was given its brief history of how the dishes came about and we got to try the nuts, sweet drinks, and finally took a break in a café. 

A walking tour with a break in between. I got the first taste of empanada and the first beer in South America.

Coffee With Legs

Of all the stories Felipe told of course the weirdest one would stuck in my head. It was the “Coffee with Legs” type of establishment which somehow became a tradition. 

According to Felipe, back then all the office workers along the office blocks would come downstairs during breaks to buy coffee and there was this café that only sells coffee with nothing else but legs.

Girls would dress up nice and formal like suits or uniform but always, always with miniskirts to show off those damn legs. Hence the term coffee with legs outlet. 

They would not sell beer, nor food or anything else but back in the days says Felipe, every day at a time unknown to the customer the owner will come out and ring a bell. 

The shop would close shut with all its customer in it and the girls would start to strip and dance. And after an hour when everyone was dress again the shop would open and NOTHING ever happened inside the café.

End of the tour, 4 hours and all I could say is that the Free walking tour was worth it and as the suggested tip amount, I gave Felipe his CLP5000. Then Came the After Party

The Beginning of the end. A 1 Liter Beer in Santiago 

Some went their separate ways while others suggested going for a beer. I joined in caught in the flow of things and did not think too much of it since it was a nice group. 

Beers in pub must be bought in 1 liter volume. You can’t buy a 375ml nor can you buy a pint. Big group of 10 ish we drank quite a bit till the sun set at 9pm and Felipe suggested going for a couch surfing event. 

I was tipsy even then and had no idea how to get back to the hostel. Follow on … to the next venue .. The Couch surfing Event Party.

So next up was a couch surfing event which I just followed blindly or rather all of us followed blindly with many wrong turns and finally ended up in an apartment neighborhood. I was totally lost. 

Met more people and had lots of deep conversation about culture and people and politics comparing all the countries and just exchanging stories while drinking Pisco & cola a national Chilean drink. Everyone was getting drunker and drunker.

Then when 1 am came naturally we could not party all night at the host place so someone suggested going to a dancing club.
Dancing Club Party. I was half hearted at this point for I have no idea how I would be able to get back to the hostel which was across the city. 

Felipe pointed out where we are at the map and I was guessing nearly an hour plus walk so it was basically ignore the problem for now and continue on to the club. 

Dancing club …was interesting. It was not a salsa dancing club but more retro dancing with many many English songs played. More Pisco Please.

Observing was fun for I do not dance but the club had a huge amount of girls that comes there single and I felt for a moment glazed passing over the men. 

I was not sure who was being hunted at this stage, they sure know how to party in Chile. Somewhere between drinking and observing the girls shake that ass I needed a smoke and started rolling a cigarette. 

People suddenly started walking up and was observing what I was doing. When they determined it was not a joint of weed but just pure tobacco they left as fast as they came. One guy lingered longer and asked if he could try one.

Separated with the group …. I was alone with the locals …
The guy needed a light and so did I and was too lazy get it out from my jacket which was rolled up in my bag so (I didn’t tell him that) so we went outside looking for a light. 

Two girls sitting alone just being quiet and the guy asked them if they have a light. The girl had and entertained us with her humongous flame lighter. 

It was nearly 4 inch tall when lighted up. Naturally all general chatter was in Spanish and soon my skin color attracted questions. Spanish talking question address to me. I put on my biggest smile, shake my head and wave my hand around ….. No Espanyol I said.

One of the girl Antonia could speak English and hola I had a conversation. The other two girls barely speak with me but entertained the Spanish guy instead. 

Standard questions was fired away to me such as where I was from, what I was doing in Chile and with each answer Anto eyes got bigger and bigger. 

I guess she could not believe an idiot is visiting Chile from so far away with no plans and speaks not a word of Spanish. I slowly got to know about her, just turned 18 yesterday …. OMG …. First legal outing in a club and she wants to be a doctor.

The group found me back eventually outside just smoking and we left for food. No lunch, no dinner and it was 2 am … everyone was starving for who knew a walking tour can last so long. 

Charly Dog we settle on for supper and boy does Chile knows how to make a hotdog. Layer upon layer of dressing and top of with tiny fried French fries.

After that it was back to hostel and I was convince at 3 am with all the drunkards around smashing bottles and being rowdy that I will take a taxi back to the hostel. 

Cost me CLP5000 but it was an honest taxi although I could not speak a word of Spanish I manage to work out the place for him to drop me off. He drove straight …. Never once tried to detour a longer route.

Just the 2nd Day in South America ….. oh Boy …

Touchdown Santiago, Chile …. With not a word of Spanish

Cool Sculpture in the Hostel at Santiago 

Felt like myself .. an idiot Gringo

When I first planned to go to South America as part of the larger portion of RTW travel I did realized that most people do not speak English in this country. 

I started thinking back on all my travels and realized that if you could survived Greece with no Greek travelling the suburbs then Spanish speaking country was not going to be much harder.

At lease the language is in alphabets that could still be read although it makes no sense yet. Flying into Santiago, Chile was my first stop in Latin America. 

Almost immediately everything was in Spanish even at the airport and I could slowly see the English language vanishing away as I step outside the departure gate.

“Where do you want to go?” asked the taxi man

Frowning I felt that these Great Taxi man that could speak marvelous English and was so friendly was bound to rip me off if not bring me to somewhere I would need to surrender everything I had. 

I spend the most time at the airport getting my nerve adjusted, getting money out of ATM, going to toilet to reshuffle everything, bombarding the information counter with question which responded with bare minimum English.

I forgotten how long ago since I visited Greece but was slowly gaining back the survivor instinct. Looking at signs, I found the bus stop, and with just one word ‘Santiago’ I boarded the bus paying the same fare everyone did. 

I was standing aside for a while to observe what local people do and how much they pay. I could hear the word Santiago and I carefully observed how much they paid.

Getting off the bus at the large bus stop which I guess was the last stop since everyone departed. I slowly scanned the area. Signpost of ‘Metro’ caught my eye and true enough it was the subway. 

Hostel world guide to the hostel was working well now since I got the metro.

Republica ….. Re pla bli ca …. Ri pub bli ca ….. the ticket counter scratched her head ….

I was gathering a crowd now with more station warden trying to help make sense what I was saying. Loads of questions in Spanish which I just put on my dumbest look and shrug. 

I copy down the station name onto a paper and showed her on the window and suddenly they understood and said together with a huge grin …..

Ri Bu Li Ca …. Oh ….so that’s how it is pronounce … fuck me …

Immediately out came the calculator knowing I have no idea how much it is in Spanish and I paid what was shown. Off the platform and looking at the local map inside the metro I located the Hostel location and started walking. 

With every street name passed accordingly to what I expect it to be I knew it was just around the corner.

As I neared the hostel a guy carrying rubbish called out to me.
“ Son? Son? “ he said ….

I said no shaking my head at the same time

“Hostel? Hostel?” he asked

Yes, I said

“Maio Vijero” he said and pointed onwards ….

I was so focus on getting to the hostel I did not bothered to remember the hostel name but only the directions.

I said no to the guy and shake my head, smile, shrug and started walking. Two minutes later I was standing in front of the hostel …. Street Toesca, Number 2335 and I saw the Hostel sign painted on the wall …. “Maoi Vijero” …. The door opened and immediately the new guy said “Son ? Son?” ….

I finally got it …. They were trying to call my name … Soon. .... as in Soon Heng.

They get so few Asian travelers here that I was like an exquisite cuisine, and made me feel welcome that they were looking out for me, expecting me …. Awaiting the new spice ….

“Espanol” the new guy who opened the door asked. 

No …. English ??? I asked back

“Welcome”, he said.

The guy whom I met earlier throwing away rubbish entered the door soon after and seeing me, gave me his biggest grin and said “son?”

I laughed so hard …… No …. Soon ….call me Edwin please …..