Ok, it hit me today. I only have about 2 more weeks here in Chile. I have already devised a plan for my next series of long vacations. I will fly to Asia and Australia, stay for a month then somehow live in Seville, Spain for 2 months. But I need money and I need it fast. My goal is to leave for Asia by late August or early September and end up in Spain in October. Not much time to generate an income back in the States. Hmm, I may have to work 2 or 3 jobs! That is the great thing about the U.S., there are plenty of ways to make money.

Before I leave Santiago, Chile I will check out some of the English language schools here to see what the possibilities are to teach. That way I can have a more extended stay when I return, hopefully in November.

I have been considering making Santiago, Chile my permanent base. There are many things I enjoy here. The social life is infinetely better here than in the United States. I have no problem meeting people. If I wanted to hang out every single day of the week with someone new I think it is entirely possible here. Chileans seem to be far more social than than the folks back home. Human interaction seems to be of more value here. Consumerism seems to be the focus in the U.S. I find it odd that it is so difficult to meet people in United States. After college it is quite a challenge. Many people seem to live in their own isolated microcosims.

Hmm, I woke up early this morning and rode my bike. I didn't feel like pushing myself too hard today because yesterday I rode up San Cristabal 4 times. After I returned home from my bike ride I met a friend for a few, studied Spanish and now I will do absolutely nothing. That's right, nothing. :) The joy of not having to go to work on Monday.

Ok, I got my 3rd flat in 2 days! How exciting! Once you attempt to ride a bike in Santiago you really appreciate the roads and traffic (or lack of) in the U.S. Sometimes I think the frame of my Klein is going to burst or my wheels will explode. I swear the other day I hit a pot hole so deep going so fast I was sure it caused some serious damage to my bike, but I guess Klein road bikes are built tuff.

Finding quality bike parts here in Santiago is a challenge. I bought an air pump and it disintegrated in my hands. The inner tubes seem like they weigh a pound and are a quarter inch thick but still get flats easier than the lighter stuff from the U.S. I put some lubrication on my chain and the next day my derailleur , chain, crank and cassette were full of gunk and the dirt it attracted. I was so pissed. I have never seen anything like it. Maybe they also use that stuff for their cars. There is a place to get good service and buy quality parts but you must take a long bus ride to Los Condes at the Mall Sport.

The challenging thing about riding in Santiago is there are so many things to pay attention to at once. There are jaywalkers everywhere, buses speeding past, huge pot holes that sometimes are in the path between a huge bus and the curb. I actually did a search on Google for masks because of all the pollution. It is the worst in the winter (our summer). But one of those rare rains cleaned the sky out and put all that waste in the river and soil where it belongs! The cool thing was I could, for the first time, see some of the deeper mountain ranges of the Andes. So beautiful.

Despite all my complaints, cycling in Santiago is fun. I mean, my adrenaline gets pumped every time. I admit sometimes after a ride I feel lucky to be alive. I have been here a month and so far so good. I decided to return to Chile with my bike after enjoying the experience the last time I was here.

Hello all. I thought I should begin writing about my travels. I have had so many people suggest that I should. I never really thought about it until recently. To give you a little background. I have flown to Europe over 20 times, South America over 20 times, Asia 3 times and Australia twice. I have about 1 million frequent flyer miles with American Airlines and it was all accumulated with leisure travel. I am currently on a 4 month vacation and am typing from my apartment I am staying at here in Santiago, Chile.

I began traveling out of curiosity, the love of architecture and photography. Now that I have friends I stay in touch with all over the world I travel mostly to visit them. I guess traveling is one of the focuses in my life. OK, hope you find some of my writing entertaining.