Cheers, the reprise!

... So if you were wondering, yes I´m still in Santiago... the hostel here has still proved to be a bit of a haven, a bit a get away from the nomadic nature of this traveling lark... but as anything there is always a hitch... we´ve had a nice little crowed here that made me feel all welcome and at home... this was really necessary because, as I´ve said, everything was a little overwhelming here to start with... unfortunatly I can´t use age honoured cliches about neon lights and busteling croweds... but there was just something that made me feel small and like a tiny little boy at first... but I got my confidence, much like a pilot who loses his bottle and subsequently turns to said bottle only for the people around him to give him his confidence back... much in the way when Ringo Starr was doubting his place in The Beatles and the others filled his room with flowers and sent him postcards saying 'you are still the best drummer in the world´ (I am one of that school of thought that he was a cracking drummer with beautiful subtly and a well controlled ego in the drum fill stakes... if any of you have ever compared him to Meg White, please hang your head in shame)... We had a lovely little crowed here of me and two American girls who are taking a break from studying Spanish in Argentin (Courtney and Julie) and three locals, two staff of the hostel (Carolina and Antonio) and one of their friends (Alan... not the most Spanish of names in my mind but still a bloody lovley chap... guess what Carlos Valderamma´s (famous big haired Colombian footballer) cousin is called... Alan Valderamma... exotic (Thanks Football Ramble for that tit-bit)) ... we had a cracking three nights of drinking and gentle partying going to cool little bars and the like... but as always there seems to be a spanner in the works (although I´m not sure what effect said spanner is going to have in the long run)... basically a bit of work place politics has got in the way... they have one lad who work who they all complained about for being lazy... there was a staff meeting and they complained about him... he grassed on their partying ways and now they arn´t allowed to party in the hostel... time will tell if this draws an end to the Cheers like familuarity of my Santiago hostel (where everyone knows your name:)... maybe we can meet outside the hostel but maybe it will be time to move on... which makes me feel a bit sad... it´s a real shame...

... the city of Santiago has proved a nice and refreshing place to be though... I don´t know if it is typical of South America, but the people are nice and friendly... it´s not a bad place to be even if a wonderful party is to be denyed...

... and so for more solomn news... I´d like you all to take a moment of  silence for the passing of a reliable friend into retirement... a pair of purple Calvin Klein pants I´ve had for over 10 years have finally bitten the dust... it´s a sad day for me to say goodbye to these loyal fellows... they have held steady and joined me on adventures all over the world, from Ukraine to Thailand, Nicaragua to Mongolia... but in the end, despite all their endevours (or maybe because of them) the saddle just couldn´t hold on any longer... so this is my salute to you my dear old friends... the bin is the place for you now... but you have served me well... God speed...

... And I´ll end it on that point... keep well people, my dear friends...

Lots of love,

Matt