Burner Billy Adventures: Santiago and La Serena - Meeting new peeps

After spending a few nights at a great airbnb in Santiago with Bob and Jess, I decided to venture on my own to La Serana before meeting them again in Cuzco, Peru. As always, you are a little nervous traveling on your own, but once you get off the bus and find your hostel, you realize it was all for nothing. It always seems to work out.

I stayed at Hostel El Punto the first night in La Serana and found myself wandering the streets of the downtown. It is a gorgeous downtown with lots of shopping and a TON of churches. Allegedly, La Serana has the most churches for city in Chile and Dad you would be proud, I stepped into a few of them, to pray obviously, and check out the architecture :). But the most rewarding experience I had at El Punto was meeting chilean Andres. We both wanted to talk to each other, but one problem, he spoke terrible english and my spanish...well, non-exist. However, at breakfast, we were able to communicate with each other through pictures and the few words we knew of spanish and english, or better known as spanglish. Encantado de conocerle, Andres!

La Serena was the first town where I went a couple of tours. I went to the observatory one night to learn about the stars. Did you know the Chileans never see the big dipper? Yup, only people in the northern hemisphere see it. Just like the Southern cross, we can not see it in the northern hemisphere. Cool stuff to be learned from astronomy in other parts of the world. I also trekked the Isla de Damas to see penguins, dolphins, and even a manatee! I also went to the beach, cruised around on bikes to Coquimbo with two England travelers (best fish sandwish in Coquimbo), and of course hangout with Charlotte and Marjanneke. We shared a lovely evening together checking out the chileans version of Beerfest and all the activities happening in La Serena. But, hanging out a hostel del arbol was probably the best. From there, I met Gunstein, Camilla, Jonas, and of course, Kris all at this hostel. Little did I know we would all be hanging out again a few days later in San Pedro de Atacama. The beauty of traveling...you meet some really awesome people along the way that they sort of become family. La Serena, you had me at Hola!