Che LagarNO

Last night I had Thai for dinner. A wonderful curry, the kind that's like soup but not. Shrimp, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bamboo shoots. And wine. Simple and nourishing, a nice, relaxing meal. Except for one catch...the table of Americans next to mine. Damn, we're loud. I could have craned my neck to try to listen to the Asian couple's conversation two tables away and still wouldn't have been able to catch a word. But those Americans...makes me think of a story Tony told Lynn over brunch one day at an outdoor cafe in the city. If you know Tony, ask him next time you see him. It's a real lulu.

This morning, I found the hot shower. First tip, the enormous water heater. Second tip, like the glorious inferno of hell, or so I imagine, the entire bathroom is painted fire engine red. I think I've finally managed to defrost my hands. So, I'm learning that my first impressions aren't always spot on. I'm disappointed with the people in the hostal. Few to no guests, first off. And those that are staying there...well...kinda boring. I guess not everyone can be Meg & Mok. Or Ellen the Australian. Or Rupert, the English Wonder. Or Eduardo, the Dance Machine of Iquique. Oh, it's nice to reminisce. And leaving the hostal was a bit rocky. The sign posted reads, ¨Check in and check out starts at NOON.¨ So just after 3 pm, I went to check out and, apparently, it ends at noon. I wouldn't have cared except for the attitude Claudia, the oh so lovely Colombian, threw at me. So, let's sum up my last impressions of Che Lagarto Hostal in Santiago:

1. The listing of rules for check in & out is inaccurate.
2. Apparently, you have to ask for whatever you want: the hot shower, a map of the city, check-out time. Fine, I should have asked but would have stayed longer if it weren't so see No. 7.
3. The ¨system¨ apparently won't allow any checkouts after noon.
4. The sign posted is WRONG.
5. Every room has at least 2 walls of windows, floor-to-ceiling. Cozy.
6. It's freezing--slept in all my clothes again last night.
7. BORING.
8. Crap location.
9. 32º, Farenheit, that is, outside, luke warm showers and two gas space
heaters for 15 rooms (or more!!) that you can't even take into your room??
10. The people who work in the hostal argue with you over a night's stay.

Ruffled feathers. Really, she could have just proposed the solution--pay for a half day--before all of that and arrived at one without the headache for either of us. But here again, at Che Lagarto, it's the guest's responsibility to ask. If you're going to bind guests with rules, shouldn't they be posted as they'll be applied? If you're going to be hard-nosed about rules, shouldn't they be CORRECT?? And I know that it's winter, people, and that you don't want to leave the hostal because of that, but, get, this, it's actually warmer outside of the hostal! And you have winter every year, so it's seems like you'd have seen it coming...and isn't Santiago the capital of this country and supposed to have some night life? Not for the Che Lagarto folks. AAAHHH!!! And it's just kind of gross sometimes. Heaven forbid, someone in the hostal actually work. Except for the maids. They cook, wash dishes, clean floors, make beds. All the while, reception watches t.v., eats the food prepared for all 6 of them, sleeps, plays pool, DRINKS and checks email. I know we may be an arrogant lot, we may be loud, but generally speaking, we work, sure some harder than others, but work nonetheless. I've stayed in some serious dumps, whether in Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia or Chilé, where the people have been friendly. Not the cleanest place maybe, cheap sometimes sure enough, but the people lend it much more value than you've paid. Che Lagarto is the reverse. You pay for much more than you get. So I'll never stay at Che Lagarto again. Not in Brasil, Chilé, Uruguay, or Gambia, Australia, not anywhere in the world that they may create one. It's just the principle. Ok. Done with the rant. All-in-all, it's nice to have a bit of down time. And, it's good to be a little bored. It's keeps me motivated and moving. Next.

Speaking of work, most of the people I've met work and then rest on Sundays. Colombia, Ecuador, Perú. But in Chilé, there seem to be a lot of jobs where you work for a stretch and then have a break. An engineer I met who works in a mine outside Iquique works 7 days, and then she rests for 7. The conductor of the bus today has posted in the window behind him a signed certification that he rests for 3 days, works for 9 and is in his second day of work of those 9. I'm on my way to Valparaiso, a main Chiléan port and it's second largest city. It's an hour and a half from Santiago.