THE SIMPLE LIFE

It's funny how traveling makes you appreciate the simple things in life, like a hot shower, clean clothes and a comfortable bed. All things that we take for granted in our everyday lives, but these things are not always that easy to get when your on the road. It really doesn't take much to make me happy these days. If I get to a hostel and they have hot water, that's enough for me. For a girl that lives, works and buys into a materialistic environment, back home in London, it's quite a contrast to have been traveling for over 4 months with my only processions being what I can carry on my back; the essential things; the simple things.

My appearance as completely deteriorated on this trip, my skin is bad, my clothes have holes in them and my hair is wild and unkept. I keep thinking if people could see me back home, they would go "Carly what the hell has happened to you?"
Due to this fact, I have for a while now stopped looking in mirrors, as I can't bare looking at my appearance without feeling completley ugly, but recently I've been feeling very happy with things and within myself and the other day, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Instead of turning away like I normally do, I took along hard look at myself. There I was, just me staring back at me; no make up; no trendy clothes; hair scraped back; nothing to hide behind; just Carly Griffith. I may not be the most beautiful, intelligent or kindest person ever, but I thought to myself; you know what? Your alright, and you have met so many people recently that think your alright too, and who like you for who you are, without all the fanciness. They like the real Carly Griffith and for the first time in a long time, I thought to myself, I quite like her too; she's bloody good fun!

Anyway, all the corny, how I'm feeling stuff, over with, let's get back to the story at hand: Travels! I had once again found myself back in chile, in a place called Valparaiso. Many travellers had told me, how great it was and with the dissapointment of Mendoza, I decided to cut my losses and head of there.

After another memorable bus journey, in which I was the only gringo and English speaker (crossings the border was nightmare of lost in translation) I finally arrived in Valparaiso and checked myself into a hostel. As I was shown into my dorm, the owner informed me it was just me and a German guy in there, but there was no sign of him. After going out for a bite to eat, and getting back to a still empty dorm I decided to retire to bed early. I was woken from my deep sleep, in the early hours of the morning by the most almighty racket, of someone banging around. It was so bad I decided to turn on the light, only to find my fellow room mate standing there completely naked. He was clearly wasted as well. Well I didn't quite no what to say, until "Had a good night?" popped out of my mouth. Funnily, he was the one that looked at me like I was strange, then carried on stumbling about and banging around, until he fell onto his bed and passed out on top spread eagled and fully naked. I kind of just sat there for a bit in shock and then realised there was nothing else left to do but to turn the light off and go back to sleep, well not before I had a good old look at his you know what (you know you would of as well, so don't be all high and mighty now)! I woke up, to still find him naked on the bed, so decided to be very English about things and carry on as if it wasn't happening, by pottering around. Eventually he woke up and after a moment of clearly not knowing what was going on, he sprang under his sheets and everything came flooding back to him. He apologised to be about his behaviour and said how embarrassed he was, without looking me in the eyes. I told him he had nothing to be embarrassed about after what I saw last night. This only made him go redder and he ran off to the bathroom. He checked out an hour later. God, all because I saw his penis. I don't know what his problem is? I'm sure I'm not the first girl who's seen it and I'm sure I won't be the last!

After all that excitement I decided to spend the day getting lost among the narrow streets and old buildings covered in paintings in Valparaiso. Magical, and felt very happy in my own company for the day, taking it all in. I returned back to my room to find two new additions; a girl from Taiwan who's name I could not pronounce, so I ended up just calling her Tai. Her English was so bad, I could hardly understand her and her Spanish? Well let's just say it was good to finally meet someone who was so bad, they made me look fluent. She was sweet though and was a buddist so just meditated most of the time. The other person was a big German girl, who scared the hell out of me, as she looked like she could beat the shit out of me. I didn't ask her name, as I was too scared!

I went to check my emails and saw I had an interesting message in my inbox. It was from an English guy called Andy, saying that he had checked in on Facebook in Valparaiso and had seen that I had too, and that we were from the same part of England and if I wanted to meet up for a drink with him that night. He added at the end of the message, that he understood if I didn't want to as I might think getting this message from a complete stranger, a bit strange. Dam right! Could be a serial killer or something. Weirdo! I went back to the dorm. After 5 minutes of realising that my night now consisted of still being scared of German girl and having to listen to meditating and bad English with Tai, I decided to opt for the serial killer instead. I sent him message and told him to meet at eight in the square. Besides, everyone I meet traveling and end up hanging out with, I've only known 5 minutes and don't know from Adam, anyway! I was also on a good run with my impulsive's, after the Aussies and Martin. If push came to shove, I could kick him in the nuts (I've got a good kick) and run fast, as I was no longer at high altitude. Before I left I thought, for extra safety I'd tell some one where I was going so interrupted Tai from her meditating and said in really loud, slow English " So his name is Andy and if I don't come back alive, tell the police you can find him on my Face Book inbox, OK"? She just nodded a lot. I left thinking she hadn't bloody understood one word I'd said!

I went to the square to find, not a serial killer, or a weirdo, but an ordinary northern guy. Relief! We headed straight for a bar and ended up in some tacky hell of an African theme bar (the Chileans love their theme bars)! Andy is a computer programmer who now lives in Toronto, but has no trace of an accent. He was nice company too and we talked, and drank the whole night. He was the perfect gentleman, who never tried anything on with me. He just wanted good company and so did I. Two northerners together makes for a big session of drinking and by the time we left the bar, we were very drunk. As we got some late night empadanas we got talking to some Chilean screaming queens who wanted us to go to a gay nightclub with them. Andy looked horrified while my impulse told me this could be fun, but then my impulse became blurred and then it told me I had to much to drink, and it was probably best to be sensible for once and let Andy walk me to my door.

The next morning I woke to find Tai looming over me and saying
"I'm glad you are back and alive Carly". She then went back to meditating. "Only just alive", I said feeling my banging head. Well a least on the bright side she understood what I said last night, I thought as I rolled over back to sleep.

The next day I took a bus to the capital, Santiago. My main aim in this place was not to go sight seeing, but to buy a new pair of jeans. The ones I was wearing, where full of holes and falling to pieces. Also there was a big hole in the crotch and if you sat at the wrong angle it could be classed as indecent exposure. They had to go. Now I love shopping usually; it's my job for God sake. The problem is I'm a 5'10, skinny girl with not much ass, which doesn't really fit the shape of the average south American woman. I knew it was going to be a nightmare, and it was! After going to the biggest department store I could find in Santiago, I tried on a ton of jeans, which came half way up my legs and sagged inwards where my J-Lo ass was meant to be. This seem to amuse the locals a lot, when I came out of the changing room everytime wearing them asking to try another pair. Yeah! Let's all laugh at the skinny, tall, Gringa with no ass! Funny ha ha! Not! I was starting to become a bit distressed with the situation and was about to give up, when lovely Carmen who worked in the store, decided to take pity on the weird body shaped Gringa, and made it her mission to get me a pair of jeans. After a lot of effort, she found me a pair and I have to say, they probably fit me better than most of my jeans in England. Thanks Carmen; you have saved the rest of South America from indecent exposure!

Now when you have a 24 hour bus ride a head of you, the sensible thing would be to get an early night, which I did have the good intension of doing. All I did was go for one beer at the hostel bar! At 4am and God knows how many beers later, I crawled into bed after meeting a ton of travelers at the bar, playing drinking games, truth or dare and dancing around to stupid music. So not exactly the sensible night I was thinking of. Bloody funny though! I had to keep telling myself, the "Funny!" thing when I was sat on the bus dying of a hangover, then when it broke down and we had to sit at the side of the road in the middle of the Andes for an hour; then when they squashed us all onto another really shit bus; then when the old Chilean lady kept talking to me in Spanish LOTS, even though I told her I couldn't understand her; then when the only food I got to eat on the ENTIRE journey was sandwiches!!!!; then when I didn't sleep for the whole night as the big Argentinean guy sat next me, snored all night and encroached on my space. By the time I got my first glimpse through hazy eyes, of Buenos Aires I was totally exhausted, but then when I found myself alone at the bus station, in this bussling city of 17 million, of what I'd heard so much about, that I had dreamt of for so long, I found a new lease of life. I was excited. I was about to start my Buenos Aires adventure, but that's a story still waiting to be told, so you will have to wait to hear that one another day.