In Santiago.

Hello again. We are still here in sunny Santiago and enjoying a chill-out week, relaxing by the pool at our hostel and sight-seeing, present-buying etc, before we head off in our different directions at the weekend. Santiago is a huge city with plenty to see, etc. We went to Valparaiso on Valentines Day for the day, just under 2 hours from here by bus. Quite pleasant but ruined by some b........ stealing my day-pack almost under my nose as Marilyn and I were enjoying a Valentines sea-food lunch and a glass of wine in a downtown restaurant. I had it under the table by my feet but must have been distracted by 2 singer / guitarists circulating around the tables and then someone must have nicked the pack!!! We then spent 2 hours at a Police Station giving statements, etc before we headed back to Santiago. I lost almost GBPds 1000 of possessions and have alerted my insurance company already so I can complete the claim form when I get back. Fortunately I had my money,cards, and passport around my waist in my body belt so I can fly home okay on Sunday! I was also robbed of my ipod and headphones in Atacama 2 weeks ago, so Chile has not been the most memorable of stays compared with Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico, certainly where disasters are concerned! I even left my Panama hat on a bus in La Serena last week!! That-s the 2nd one as my first Panama hat was left on a bus in Peru!! Plonker Bennett!!! Never mind, these things are sent to try us and worse things happen at sea! Must be getting old and travel weary after 6 months.

Marilyn is obviously looking forward to flying off to Auckland on Saturday night to spent quality family time with her sons, their wives, and her 3 grand-children. I plan to join her at the beginning of July , and also visit my daughter and grand-children, also in Auckland, and then we will fly back together to the UK at the end of August, hopefully via. Hong Kong and Delhi. She still has 2 stopovers available on her round the world airticket after Auckland. I shall miss her as we have been travel buddies now for 6 months, looking after each other, with the inevitable ups and downs, but we are still talking to each other and time with her family is paramount. Kind of catch-up time now that she has retired from work at Southampton University. I still have work to go back to but am eternally grateful that I have been allowed to be overseas for so long without incurring anybody-s wrath, I hope!! No doubt I will soon be back in to the swing of things after a week or two. Getting used to being on bachelor status again will be hard after 12 continuous years with Marilyn, but at least we have good communications nowadays, what with skype, etc.

No more news for now. Will confirm my safe arrival home next week, and thank you all agin for following me on my blog. Hope it has been interesting for you to read as it has for me, living the experiences. Bye for now. Jon.