Feliz Hanukkah y Navidad

Hello from Arica, Chile. We took a little bit longer than expected to get here as we took a couple of "sick days" in La Paz. Matthias and I both got sick from something we ate in Coroico, and we were afraid to make the 8-hour bus ride to Arica while we were still under the weather. Matthias even had a hard time with the ride up from Coroico - he had a fever and could barely sit up straight. I was okay, and we´re both much better now.We just spent an extra day in La Paz to be sure. And, fortunately, our hotel had cable TV and a comfortable bed, so we recuperated in style, watching movies on HBO and CNN World. Hope those of you in NYC were able to cope with the transit strike (and to think, I was worried about being stuck in La Paz following the Bolivian elections because of strikes or road blockades!) It feels a little strange not to have been in NYC - unlike the blackout of 2003 or blizzard of 1996 (was it?) I won´t get to say "I was there when....."

Back to Chile. The bus ride from La Paz was comfortable and nice. We passed over the Chilean border at about 5,000 Meters above sea level, seeing snow-capped peaks and lakes filled with flamingos. Then down through the dessert. They served breakfast and lunch on the bus and even showed movies (if anyone saw "The Others" with Nicole Kidman, please tell me the point - I fell asleep toward then end. Were they dead the whole time or what?) We arrived in Arica around 2PM and found our friendly hotel (yes, prices have gone up to US$16 per night.) The town is nice, right on the Pacific, with some cute beaches and rocky coastlines. Fortunately for me, there aren´t too many hiking opportunities, but there is a hill (I would call it a mountain) that we´re going to climb today for the views and to visit a Spanish fortress on the top. I´m gearing up for it.

We´re planning to stay here until Sunday. We figure that a bus ride on the 25th will give us something to do that day when everything is closed. Next stop is Iquique, another city on the Pacific coast about four hours away.