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Here in the dusty outpost touristy town of San Pedro de Atacama, there are still a lot of street dogs, still alot of somewhat overpriced but high quality woven alpaca scarves and their cheaper and dubiously-alpaca glove brothers at the market next to where the famous mummy used to be until they moved her because it’s wrong to display human remains of a living civilization where people can snap their gum and take pictures and stuff like that.

As far as I can tell, all that’s changed since the last time I was here earlier this year or even a few years ago is that the kids at the internet café are now playing a videogame called rollercoaster creator where they build tracks and a little flume-looking vehicle moves along the tracks and the occupants crash their videoheads on the videoground if the physics aren’t quite right. I feel like they might be learning something, but I’m not quite sure what. Go check out www.minijuegos.com if you’re curious. Also there seems to be a new coat of wite-out on this keyboard indicating which key is what letter.

I have secured a place in a tour which is not monolingual (passengers) with Cordillera something or another, and tomorrow at 8 AM begins the bus/4X4 odyssey into the Bolivian desert. I feel extraordinarily proud of myself for already having a visa, and also for having conquered my desert headache I always get on the first day. Judicious applications of agua con gas, diet coke, and coca tea seem to have done the trick. Oh, and a nap.

Happy Holidays to all and if you’re the hoping type, hope for no tranportation troubles en route. I’m looking forward to one of the coldest nights of my life tomorrow night, and hoping that my -7C sleeping bag is up to the task.