Friday, December 21st
Punta Arenas, Chile
Stayed at Sol de Invierno

Dear Obiwan,

My lamb! Your mom flew to one of the southern most cities in Child today, Punta Arenas! On the flight over the sun was up way earlier than usual and the clouds looked like the ocean! The mountains were stretching through the clouds and it looked so close to the plane, it was beautiful! One mountain looked as if steam was coming out, as if it were a volcano, but I’m pretty sure it was just a cloud floating perfectly around it creating an optical illusion.

Look!:

Once out of the airport I saw signs for cabs for 20,000 Chilean Pesos (about $29 USD) and then saw a woman holding a sign for 10,000 (about $15 USD) so I obviously took the cheaper cab, only to find out later the 20,000 was a ‘colectivo’ which is a van for multiple people and way cheaper! But, it was very confusing Obi.
My cab driver to my hostel was incredibly nice and told me that he grew up in Punta Arenas his whole life, “es muy rico y tranquila!’ which means it’s very rich and chill.

Finally, after 20 hours of flights and waiting at airports, I was at my hostel in Punta Arenas! The hostel was called ‘Sol De Invierno’ and you walk in and immediately feel that you are home, or somewhere close to it. It has a large living room with beautiful paintings on the walls of Patagonia. The couches looked comfy and were covered in pillows with a coffee table in the middle surrounded by large pillows. Pillows and comfort are so important when at a hostel!

At this point Obiwan I was beyond tired and just needed to sleep. I headed over to reception and I don’t know if it was my lack of sleep or just- true fact- but, the hostel worker was a spitting image of KHAL DROGO, from Game of Thrones Obi! I mean…Obi you know how 5 years ago I was partner costumed as Khalessi and Khal for Halloween! Khal is just, SLIGHTLY, a big deal to me.

Well Khal, with his long thick black hair (and lacking an army) welcomed me and answered my BURNING question- WHERE ARE THE PENGUINS?! He (real name Rodrigo) told me all about the penguins!!! There’s a penguin tour to Magellan island EVERY DAY, where there are Magellenic Penguins everywhere and you walk on the island with them!!! I got directions to the penguin tour company and to the cell phone store. I wanted to check-in right away and take a nap but sadly needed to wait till 12, over 3 hours away, for check-in.

Since I couldn’t check-in, I headed to breakfast and the cell phone store.

After this I got a cab to breakfast and it was about 3,000 CLP (Chileano Pesos) or about 4 USD, but I only had 20,000 CLP bills or bigger from the ATM…and the cab driver didn’t have change! He ends up just kindly telling me not to worry about it and didn’t charge me! Wow! He was so nice!

I then had breakfast at “Wake Up” and it was a super cool looking place with really nice people, and delicious food and cappuccino!

After this I tried to find the cell phone place and I couldn’t find it and…I don’t know why anyone would want to help me at that moment since I probably looked deranged in my clashing comfy outfit for planes and my panicked downtrodden face but…I think it must of been an expression of pure desperation?…this man came up to me and offers to help me and not only tells me where the place is, but WALKS ME THERE. It was a 15 minute walk, and he initially was walking in the other direction! Also, when we got to the store they all spoke extremely fast Spanish and he just spoke to them for me and helped me find where I needed to be in the massive store. I am so grateful for him!

Finally, I was back at the hostel, and they were able to switch my bed to a bottom bunk!!! Then I showered and slept for a good 6 hours!

Around dinner time I woke up, and was famished. If this day couldn’t get any more helpful and giving, someone made dinner FOR EVERYONE at the hostel! I had asked Khal Drogo for a dinner restaurant recommendation but instead he told me to head into the kitchen, and in the kitchen a nice man from New Orleans had made Jambalaya for the whole hostel. He was incredibly nice and welcoming to everyone. It was my first Jambalaya and he said that it due to the random ingredients he couldn’t buy it wasn’t up to his normal New Orleans standard- but it was STILL SO delicious. It was hot and homey and the kind of food you want to eat when cold and tired. There was a large group of us eating and it was lovely.

After this I was tired Obi, but there was a small group of people heading to a free concert and…how do you say no to that?

The concert was a famous Chilean band, Serifico, and it was Punta Arenas 171st ANNIVERSARY today, so the band came down from Santiago to play a free concert!

The group was me, two Aussies John and Dylan who were hilarious and wild, another American girl from California- Gianna who was funny and chill and all good vibes, and Khal Drogo (Rodrigo)! On the way there the Aussies taught us a new way to chug beer…IN YOUR SHOE. They called it a ‘SHOE-Y” and you’re supposed to pour a beer in your shoe then drink it…they really tried to get us to do it, but no way would I ever drink from my shoe! – First- IT’S DISGUSTING IN SHOES, sweaty and stinky! Second- WE HAVE TO KEEP WALKING IN THEM! So your foot would just freeze! But, here it is!:

We also met up with a large group of Rodrigo’s friends when we got there, they were all so nice and friendly and welcoming (seems like everyone in Chile is!). We walked to the coast to where the concert was and since we are so SOUTH in the world, the sun was still up at 10:00pm! The place was packed with people waving flags, singing, drinking, and celebrating. The band was also HUGE and they were actually awesome! Everyone seemed to know every single word to every song, it was so fun to be a part of, even if you didn’t know the words.

Our timing wasn’t perfect because the concert ended about 30 minutes after we arrived.

Rodrigo’s group of friends all left because they were going camping tomorrow but our hostel crew still wanted to go out, so our leader Khal Drogo lead us to a bar. The bar/restaurant/club only had outdoor seating which seemed wildly dangerous but they had these huge gas fire things keeping you warm so, we stayed. We ate, had some drinks, chatted a bunch, and had many laughs.

One of my favorite moments was while Dylan was telling a story about a cat being in his room at a hostel and a girl had asked him to help REMOVE the cat, but he hates cats…so to get the cat out of the room, he moved the cat along the floor like a MOP Obi!… BUT as he was telling us this story- he stretched his arm back and unknowingly touched a REAL CAT and FLIPPED OUT, he yelled so loudly and jumped so high, while the cat did nothing. Obviously the cat universe was getting back at him for mopping a cat!!!

After our drinks and food, the bar invited us to go dancing upstairs, but when we got there it was a lonely DJ and two guys sitting in a dark corner on their phones…so we left. And then finally once back at the hostel we all went to bed!

What a great and long day Obi!
Miss you tons, love you,
Tu Madre,
Carly