Goodbye, Farewell and Adiós

[Platypus]

Tomorrow I leave for Sydney; Tuesday I head off to Santiago.

I might pop on a few times whilst i'm over there, and post some pics of my exploits, but I certainly won't continue to be a regular, *the* regular of half the world, really. I'll still be in the same hemisphere of course, I won't be escaping winter.

So, see yaz later. This forum has, rather sadly, been one of the most important things in my life for the last two years. Maybe not top 5, but probably top 10. I'll miss it a lot.

I'll be back in early September. To help you pass the time:



I fully expect this thread to be stickied, and suggest the day of mourning is held on tuesday rather then tomorrow; I only leave for Sydney tomorrow. Santiago on Tuesday.

Bye :S

I'll go to cities that never close down, from Syney to Santiago, to the old Tango town, but no matter how far, or how why I roam, I'll still pop onto Atlas occasionally...

[MasterJedi]

Sorry to see you go Hugh but have fun and we'll all be waiting here when you come back.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

See you

[Alcon]

See you.  You (and your many delicious brownies) will be missed.

[afleitch]

Hugh, have a great time abroad. It's a once in a lifetime chance and you'll love it

[Platypus]

See you.  You (and your many delicious brownies) will be missed.

Is that all I mean to you? a purveyor of brownies, a baker to the masses, provider of pastries to the population?

Bah. You're not getting a personalised email from Chile

*fake mad*

I know it kinda spoils the emotive abilities of the first post to post again, but i have nothing better to do then be online at the moment, it's not like i'll be able to get to sleep till 3

[Bono]

Bye.
Don't forget your anti-malarials.

[Democratic Hawk]

Have a nice time Hugh . It's not like you will be gone forever after all

Dave

[J. J.]

Hugh, I'm sorry to see you go and I hope you can pop in with increased frequency.

[Rin-chan]

Bye!!  We'll miss you!

Rin-chan

[minionofmidas]

Santiago is "the old Tango town"? Don't let the Argies catch you is my advise.

[ilikeverin]

¡Hasta luego!

[Platypus]

Santiago is "the old Tango town"? Don't let the Argies catch you is my advise.

No, Buenos Aires is. From Sydney to Santiago, to the old tango twon, not from Sydney to Santiago, the old tango town

btw, it's a barstardisation of "I still call Australia home".

[minionofmidas]

Santiago is "the old Tango town"? Don't let the Argies catch you is my advise.

No, Buenos Aires is. From Sydney to Santiago, to the old tango twon, not from Sydney to Santiago, the old tango town

btw, it's a barstardisation of "I still call Australia home".

(breath of relief). Have fun man.

[MODU]

Be good . . . Be safe!

[MaC]

enjoy America!

[Kevin]

Stop by in our country sometime if you get the chance.

[AkSaber]

Bye bye Hugh.

Be careful, and have a great trip!!

[Ebowed]

Have fun Hugh

[Yates]

I am saddened.  I wish you luck in the future.

[Cubby]

I hope I'm not too late!

Bye Hugh, we'll miss you. Be sure to keep us informed about the awesome time you're having

[WMS]

You'll be back... They always come back...

Oh wait that has already been established.

Have a fun trip man.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Platypus]

I'm posting this from Sydney airport

I board my flight in about 20 minutes for Santiago. I've got some USD and Chilean Pesos, so i'm all set, just waiting to board; thought i'd use the free 'net.

Will talk to you all properly when I arrive; there's a line behind me, so I had better go.

Adios

[ilikeverin]

Good luck! (Buena suerte ) *hughughughughug*

[Platypus]

!hola!

Live from Santiago, esta !Hugh! It´s dirty, polluted and Spanish-speaking. When I first arrived, my airsickness, the altitude and the pollution made me really ill, I couldn´t breathe very well and I started to panic a little bit, which just made it worse

Better now, and I´ve done some exploring in the area near my hotel, which is just south of the pointy bit of the pizza slice that is Centro, or Santiago´s downtown. It´s not unpleasant, but there are a few things that I can´t get used to, like driving on the right. I always still check to see cars that ¨Australian¨ way. The keyboards are odd too; but mainly wrt punctuation-it took me forevere to find the hyphen key-it´s my mejor amigo now.`I still have no idea how to use square brackets.

The Chilean national cerveza esta Becker, and it´s...well. But it´s everywhere, as are US-style diners. We have a couple in Melbourne´s CBD, but they are *everywhere* here; the number of hamburger joints is high, and pizza places astronomical. There are also fast food places; especially KFC and, of course, all the major Pizza chains of the world, but i´m yet to see a McDonalds. The only thing about the food I have really not lkiked is the salty cheese. Seriously, it makes me Queso.

And I cant believe it, but I ALREADY miss vegemite. Seriously; even though I only have it once or twice a week back home, when the only options are marmalade or butter, Vegemite becomes chocolate. Coincidentally, they seem to like chocolate bars alot here. Just an observation.

The other observation is the amount of new cars. They´re everywhere; not necc. expensive cars but new Puegots, Daimlers etc. I also miss Holdens.

Santiago is in the middle of the mountains, so there is fog until middle that turns into pollution around 3pm. Between midday and 3 it´s generally clear, but I haven´t seen much of the sky. Right now, it´s just a wal of cloud cover; the fog is lifting a bit earlier then the last couple of days.

I keep thinking in French when I should be thinking in Spanish. My french has improved since i´ve been here, because generally if I talk in French i´m understood a *bit* better then in English. My spanish has also rapidly improved, of course, but there is a long way to go.

What else to say....

Santiago is full of stray dogs. You want to help, but there is a reasonable chance they have rabies or something, so...the other mejor problema esta homeless people and the working poor. Australia has both, of course, but in far smaller numbers, especially working poor. If >Chile was a poor country, I´d probablky help them out, but it isn´t, so I´m not sure what to do; but then I think about what I did in Autralia, and copy it in Santiago-ignore unless they approach, and then point them to the Salvation Army. Of course, I hvae no idea if they have the Salvos here, but that´s the plan anyway. :S

My hotel room faces directly onto the second busiest bus route. And in Santiago, busses run all day and all night. Seriously, even t 2am, there´s a bus, preceded by one 5 minutes before, and another following at 2:03. In the day, theres at LEAST one every minute on average, and in peak hour, around 7:30pm, about 5 a minute. !Ay carumba!

I´m over the jetlag now, which is good. I didn´t sleep on the plane at all, which made for an interesting first couple of days

I do miss Australia, but I´m now quite happy to be here. I´ll be even happier when i´m in Buenos Aires I think; Santiago is a nice city, but the altitude and pollution take away *so much* from it.

Well, I think that´s it

Adios for a few more dias.