I hate bag thieves

Dramatic reproduction of the bag snatch!! (I should have explained to Sam what I was doing).












A funicular railway in Valparaiso. One of 15 in the town, all about a hundred years old or more.


















Sunset from our balcony in Valparaiso.














The joys of a cheapy camera. This is the dramatic pass over the Andes between Argentina and Chile (leaving Mendoza).
















Cacheuta - spa baths - a day trip away from Mendoza.












My photos were much nicer than these tourist brochure rubbish (he said bitterly).




In Valdivia, by the fish market. There are lots of sea lions and comorants sitting on the side, jumping over the dividing fence into the fish market, scrapping with each other.
This picture is of some baby sea lion - it could be anywhere - it`s rubbish - mine were much better (and had a video shot of an enormous sea lion `jumping` off the fence. Grumble).





In Castro - the capital of Chiloe. This comes close ish to my fantastic picture of the same scene. Colourfully painted corrogated iron houses (actually a bit of a slum area).










The first day of the boat trip from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. It was incredibly photogenic and we all took lots of photos (damnit). These were of a narrow passage the ship had to pass through. Calm waters, reflections and dramatic mountains. These pictures (and all below) courtesy of Thomas and Lisa (see below) whom I`m very grateful to as they`re happy to put their photos onto a CD later for us.



On the boat playing cards and drinking. Thomas and Lisa (hat and red top).













At sun rise there were lots of pictures which came out very bluey with a gentle mist. This is Puerto Eden at dawn (a brief stopping place for the boat). We all got up fairly early for sun rise pictures because we all went to bed fairly early.









The Torres in the Torres Del Paine national park.
















Nice reflections - Torres Del Paine. I`d like to say my own photos came out better - but this is such a post card shot (and also we didn`t actually get to this place either). Apparently it`s a rare occasion that this lake is so calm to get these reflections (it`s a very windy place).








A Guanicoe in the park. I too had a lovely shot of a Guanicoe ... zoomed up so that it was the Guanicoe and the view she was looking upon. Amazing it was, it`d have inspired everyone who saw it to write poetry. Such art is a fical flitting thing never meant for the likes of a blog. I think this is why I subconciously had my camera stolen.













From Mendoza we set off on a three day trip out to two National Parks in the north of the province. This involved an overnight stop in San Juan, then a trip to La Rioja for Talampaya n.p. and the Valle de la Luna n.p.


After our overnight stop at San Juan, and while in the bus station waiting for our La Rioja bus, there was an elderly lady asking for money (one of six zillion). Needless to say we mumbled sorry and moved off ... but she came back muttering dark words to us. We think now this was a witches curse. In La Rioja the heat was oppressive, all the hotels were full. When we found one it was hugely expensive and totally rubbish. The tours to the national parks were hugely expensive (so much so that we didn`t go). Then on the return to Mendoza (and, we hope, the final of the old hags curse) my bag was nabbed with all my overnight things in. Damn that evil sorcery - it was clearly her fault and if I were to see her asking for money again I`d surely mumble sorry and move off.

Despite many previous warnings (months ago in the more dodgy places like La Paz or Lima) about people spilling food etc on you then nicking stuff while you`re distracted - these people sprayed our backs with bird lime lookalike - and while we were distracted, nabbed our bag. If we`d only immediately realised then we`d have laughed in all three of their faces and they`d have to have reached for the knife. As it was we were tired and then my bag was gone.

About a week and a bit later I was mostly able to fall asleep again peacefully and without my mind in outraged turmoil from the stupidity and dastardliness of it all. I`ve since bought a new bag, new penknife, new glasses and new camera (to arrive (I hope) in Aus). Also lost my MP3 player, three weeks worth of photos (since the last backup), the large memory card in the camera .. and a load of other stuff. Let`s hope the insurance people are nice people (I actually told the truth on the insurance form - damn my middle class upbringing).

I bought the penknife from a strange second hand guns, knuckle dusters and large knife shop (the sort of place my previous pen knife will no doubt be taken to and sold from). When I tried to explain I`d lost my pen knife the man behind the counter, looking puzzled, asked "automatic or semi-automatic". From that point I felt like a wimp just asking for a Swiss army knife - so compensated by buying one with 29 unnecessary blades.

Having lost the bag in Mendoza I immediately got a haircut - not sure of the significance - and we left for Chile. We arrived in Valparaiso - a so called Venice of South America waiting to be discovered. It`s quite run down but has a certain grandeur (and they both start with a V). Where Venice has canals, Valparaiso has funicular railways, not to forget the, by now standard, colourful corrugated iron houses.

We stayed in Valparaiso for a while, the room was comfortable and had a balcony. We took a day trip to Vina Del Mar - one of Chile`s most fashionable beach resorts - which was nice. After a few days we came back to Santiago where we are now. We fly out to NZ tomorrow. Santiago is OK (as capital cities go) but it is noisy - very very noisy. Also our diet of cheese sandwiches is starting to get a bit dull. Apparently Chileans don`t need their food to be too varied or stimulating!!

So to wrap it up, South America has been nice - except for those thieving scum bags who have no doubt sold all my stuff by now for peanuts.