Teetering on the edge

After 22 hours on a bus - albeit in relative comfort and having had much more sleep than in the previous several days (heating will do that for you) - I was amped to get out and off to my CS friend's house in Santiago. But first to check the internet for news on my flight home.

The volcanic ash in Chile had been making things difficult for me and a whole lot of other people, and I did not want another barrier preventing me from getting home. The whole ordeal with the borders in Bolivia had made me very keen indeed to get back to my family and friends, and feel the security of a 1st world country once again. I never thought I'd say this, but I missed home.

I was already at my wit's end... everything was tipping me over the edge. The poor English fella that was with me on the bus from Calama - Santiago had to deal with this. First stop, the internet cafe. Where I found out my flight was cancelled. 100%. Not flying. That was the first setback. I spent half an hour on hold with the flight company while a nice man tried to find me space on an alternative flight. With no luck. I was to call back later.

Then I called my CS friend, who said she would come to the bus station to pick me up. Finally, a stroke of good fortune! So me and M waited at the ticket area where we had arranged to meet, and grabbed a pretty friggin good burger to fill our famished bellies (there is only so much several 'snack packs' can do during a 22 hour bus ride). So we waited. And kept waiting. After some unsuccessful calls to O's phone, I started getting worried. Then we found out there were 2 bus terminals. Hmm.

Once at the OTHER bus terminal, me thoroughly sick of life, I tried to call from a public phone my CS friend, and eventually she ordered me a cab to her house. This meant I still had no address for her and just had to blindly wait on the street corner for someone to tap me on the shoulder and lead me to their car. Highly safe behaviour. There were already enuf freaky men staring at me. Which is funny because I thought such a civilised part of South America would warrant slightly more subtle behaviour from pervy men.

After waiting an extended period of time, I finally received the tap, and British M bid me farewell - I wonder if he also thought it strange to walk off with a random man to a random car destined for an unknown address? Well, if he did he didn't show it!

The ride to O's house was not entirely smooth sailing. He got us completely lost and when he eventually found the correct house, I was again on the verge of losing it. That's what made the welcome even warmer at O's... her Belgian BF Y took my bag straight away and ushered me into the kitchen, where they were all just finishing off burridos and beer. Oh, the comforts of a family home! I devoured a burrido and downed a beer, and some wine, and managed to only cry once in front of them. I was doing pretty good.

I tried the airline again, but it was constantly busy, so I headed to the shower instead... oh, sweet mercy that shower was good. I must have smelt something savage when I walked in the door, and to be able to wash my body... oh, just those simple things in life can be so rewarding when you are deprived of them... And then I crawled into bed, set my alarm for 5am to call the airline again, and fell promptly to sleep.