Cold nights and surfing in Pichilemu

Thursday, 30.01.2020

The guys left for Argentina this morning and I decided to travel south as I want to be in Punta Arenas in about a month. The first stop will be Pichilemu, so I went to the bus station, bought a ticket, and got on board. The journey took about 5 hours and I used the time to update my blog.

When I arrived in Pichilemu, I withdrew some money, which is quite expensive here, and charged my phone. Fortunately, the lady at the kiosk helped me, as it is not that simple. Pichilemu is a cute, colorful surfer town with some small surf shops, cafes, and boutiques, but not fancy. However, I chose a hostel a bit outside, about 15km to the south. I didn't want to take the Collectivo or taxi, but rather get used to hitchhiking. After a 15-minute walk to the right road, I was picked up after just a few minutes, but only halfway to the well-known surf spot Punta de Lobos. However, it didn't take half a minute from there until the next car opened its doors for me. And even though the driver didn't speak a word of English, he drove me the last 1.5km on the gravel road right to the 'front door', which I would have had to walk otherwise.

The hostel is cozy, but rather basic. There are a few rooms with bunk beds in two small wooden huts, and a kitchen and a living room in another wooden hut. Everything is a bit dirty and run-down, but functional. And the view of the sea is wonderful. I arrived just in time for the sunset.

Most of the roommates are German high school graduates, and their topics of conversation don't really reflect what's going on inside me right now. But they are all nice. As evening approached, it got colder and I was shivering the whole time. Although my bed has a very thick blanket, it took me at least half an hour to warm up again and be able to sleep. Takes some getting used to.

Friday, 31.01.2020

The hostel volunteers prepared a very simple breakfast, but at least it's enough to not be hungry. After that, I spent a while just hanging out outside on the premises and didn't really know what to do with myself. I was cold the whole time. I knew that only movement would help, but where to go and what to do? So in the morning, I went to the supermarket with someone else, as there is no store within walking distance. For lunch, I made hummus, as there was tahini available, which I had been unsuccessfully looking for in the Caribbean. That significantly improved my mood, and when I swung on the balance board in the sun afterwards, I finally started to feel warm.

A few more guests arrived at the hostel, and in the late afternoon, I finally got myself to go for a surf session. I could borrow a wetsuit and board from the hostel, and the beach is just a few minutes' walk away. We almost had the whole bay to ourselves, but we had to walk a bit further until there were no more rocks in the water. Surfing again for the first time in a few years went surprisingly well, although only in the whitewater and with a giant softboard. But it was a lot of fun and I didn't get cold anymore.

For dinner, we cooked together and then lit the fire pit. In foresight, I quickly put on my long underwear and a thick fleece over it, and actually made it through the evening without freezing. Interesting conversations with the new guests also arose, providing lots of inspiration to think about. I was almost too warm when I went to bed wearing the long underwear.

Saturday, 01.02.2020

Today was an absolute lazy day. It was cloudy and cool until the afternoon, and all I wanted to do was eat. I spent the whole day researching for Patagonia and contacting options for volunteer work. So most of the time, I was on my phone, and it didn't feel good. Mainly because it stayed without any results for a long time (and of course because it's super unhealthy and stuff). But at the end of the day, I can say that I know where I'll be going tomorrow (to Molina, to an eco-tourism farm) and I already have a rough plan for Patagonia. At least in my head. I think tomorrow I can make things happen, book a rental car, and roughly outline the travel route for when my friend Ben comes to Chile.

We're cooking very simple meals with whatever's available. Today, I had rice for the third time, but it doesn't bother me. In the evening, we sat together outside again, enjoyed the sunset with some wine, and made a fire to keep warm. However, it didn't get as cold as the day before. I'm looking forward to my first Workaway experience starting tomorrow and to getting in touch with locals again instead of just travelers.