Posting on a Whim

I am currently sitting in Arica, Chile eating a late hostel provided breakfast and slowly memories of posting to this blog started coming back to me.  I just finished 2 weeks in Lima, Peru of general chaos and now I am on my way to see a lady in Vina del Mar, Chile once again.

(ARICA is all the way on the top of the shaded in yellow.)

If you look back to my trip last year it should note that I rode for over 60 hours on a bus; this trip is being broken up.  A 20 hour bus from Lima to Tacna Peru, climbing into a group taxi for 5 dollars and crossing the border with strangers, and now staying overnight in the border town of Arica (I have been here before) before flying out at 3PM today for Santiago Chile to avoid another 40 hours on a bus.

I have photos of Peru I should post as well and should get back to that once I get to my new apartment and "procure" internet.  

(Here are some shots inside the hostel.  I would post pictures of my "gourmet" breakfast of a bologna-like sandwich but being as how I am a bit southern I used the sandwich maker to fry my bologna so it was delicious and long gone.)

Tallinn Estonia

I am just now leaving Tallinn, Estonia after 4 epic nights. While in town I stayed at the GIDIC hostel in a "tube". The dorm I slept in had 16 beds all recessed back from the main hall and equipped with their own lighting, power, and curtain. This was needed because everybody was sleeping in due to the late nights.

I managed to actually get motivated enough to head to one of the local beaches (on a cold day) to look back at the city (pop. 400,000).

The city itself is great and conveniently small. I can't claim I did too much sightseeing but what I did see was quality.


This is me looking shocked that the rain actually held off long enough for me to take this picture. It started raining again 4 seconds afterward.


I would go back if I was given the chance but now I must look forward to Helsinki, Finland tonight.

Hostel Diablo - Milan Italy

OK so first of all.... Don't stay here. I booked online 2 weeks ago only to arrive and find out that they don't even have large dorms any more. I did however get a "deal" that entailed instead of paying 8 Euros I get to pay 20 instead of the 33 they want for the bed. Granted I was exhausted when I made it to Milan otherwise I would not be here now.


I did manage to talk them down to 18 and change my stay to 1 night instead of 4.... looks like I might be in Rome tomorrow....

Lima - Futbol and Abandoning the Guitar

Now back in Lima and 7 months after hitting a tree snowboarding and shattering my leg I finally played a little futbol in South America. It was a game done through the Loki hostel here in Miraflores that I have spent so much time in over the past few months. The play was a little poor on my part, but in the end I walked off without assistance so all is good, just don't tell my doctor.


Also today I gifted my guitar to the hostel. I threw the website address on the bottom and put my email on it incase anyone gets some good bar pics with it. If I get any I will be sure to post them here on the blog.

First Day in Lima

I am staying at Loki Hostel in Miraflores. I got in around 11:40 EST last night and made some friends here in the hostel and fired emails to my family who were panicked I would never make it.

Here is a view of the digs for under $10 a night

Don't I look ecstatic.
Today I walked down to the ocean and found a nice park and a shopping area.
The view was amazing. The shopping center is dug into the wall of the cliff. I only wish the sun was out.

Then I ate my first meal in a restaurant here. I did a veggie sandwich and a local beer.
Now I am scouting out some wifi so I can try and do my online class tonight. Until then I will be chilling in and around the hostel and shooting out emails. Get in touch with me at jonnywalks@gmail.com.

Days at Winter Park

So I was at Winter Park 3 days after the accident and my leg looked like this, not to mention thay I couldn't walk on it at all so I decided to get some x-rays taken. (Pics put online later)

Needless to say I broke my tibula in 2 places. One of which is where your ACL attaches so I was a little out of luck. They said the swelling was really bad so they splinted it. It lloks so pretty.

That didn't stop me from going to the bar though. THese guys convinced me it was 200 yards away. So about a half a mile later on ice we made it there.

I was victorious

First I beat this guy in pool. I thought all people from Chicago were good at pool and bowling. I beat him on one leg.

The bar was pretty vacant, but we still had fun. PBR was on special for $2 a can... not a great special, but I loves me some PBR

I did get a ride back to the hostel from a girl named Indigo that worked there, but I still had to make it up these stairs in the dark.

Two days later I was heading out early in the morning after using some SkyMiles to fly home earlier than anticipated.

Luckily I had help with my bag from this guy.

And of course these two were there as well.

All in all I think I made the right decision by staying in Colorado for the extra time. I kept my leg elevated and met some pretty decent people in the process. The Rocky Mountain Inn and Hostel is where I stayed and if you are in the Winter Park area I reccomend it if you want to stay fairly cheap and clean.