So I decided that I wanted to try hitchhiking my way through Chile. Mom, when you read this, don´t freak out! I am still alive and it is common to hitchhike here in Chile :)
From Arica to Iquique it was very easy. I waited 15 minutes and got picked up by a truck that took me all the way to Iquique - perfect!
I´d say that every day is a new adventure and I want to tell about everything I experience. Even though I write much, I know it is not possible and neither interesting. Here comes just another day from my travels.
I woke up at 7:00am after 4 hours of sleep. The plan was to go from Iquique to Antofagasta today, a journey that is a bit more than 400km and takes around 7 hours. I took a bus from the house to the highway where I decided to get some breakfast - 2 sopaipillas and a coffee. Now I was ready!
The location was perfect. Just outside the city, entering the highway where there was construction work. This meant that there was only one track and the cars had to take turns driving north and south which made all cars stop anyway. The problem was that I was not the only one there. More and more people kept coming and at some point we were around 15 people in the same spot trying to catch a ride south. It was a mix of locals and backpackers.
At first it was quite hard since all cars stopped, but no one really pulled over. I then found out that I should just walk to the cars and ask the drivers directly. Some of them were being bitches, some were only going a few km further to a beach and some to the airport - I didn´t find any who went further. I started at 9:04 and now it was 11:25. I decided to take the next ride possible away from this spot. I met a nice guy and his dad who where going to the airport and they drove me there. It was right next to the highway and I was the only hitchhiker.
The sun was shining and it was hot carrying around all my stuff. I started walking along the highway with my thumb sticking out, while trying to cover my thermos for my medicine to stay cold. I got picked up after 53 minutes and the guy drove me another 15km - everything helps. I was just outside a small village where there was a place for cars to pull over.
Here I met three young chilenian guys who I also saw in Iquique at the highway. We talked for a bit until they all three squeezed inside a truck. I didn´t have any luck in this spot and I decided to walk along the highway to keep myself busy while waiting. After 1 hour and 22 minutes, three construction workers picked me up on their way to eat lunch. We talked about the women in Chile compared the other countries in South America and I told them about how many beautiful girls we have in Denmark. They offered me some kind of chilenian pastry and coca cola. I thanked no to the coca cola, but the chilenian pastry was not bad. Some kind of dry bisquet with a mix of syrup and something else. It was around 12:45 and I was starting to feel hungry again.
After a great conversation, they dropped me off in front of a restaurant along the highway where I met the three chilenian guys again. Within 2 minutes I got a ride though. To a tiny little village along the beach 25 minutes from the restaurant.
Now comes the good part. Once again I walked along the highway. Exhausted, worried about my medicine and hungry since I had been up at 7:00am and only ate 2 sopaipillas for breakfast and a small pastry for lunch. The time was now 15:43. I only walked for a minute until a truck honked it´s horn at the driver pointed straight ahead. I saw him pull over 50 meters further ahead and I started running. A young guy comes out of the truck smiling and asking me where I´m off to. Turns out that he and the driver, who was a man in his 50´s, were also going to Antofagasta and I could join. I looked inside and saw that one of the chilenian guys was sitting on the front seat and I was wondering where the two others were. The young guy then took of the lock of the container and opened it. I looked inside and what I saw was a mattress with the two other chilenian guys on it and their backpacks, nothing more. I threw in my backpack, jumped in as he closed and locked the container behind me and the container turned dark. The only reason why I could still glimpse the two boys, was because of a small hole in the container where the sun was shining through. Inside the truck it was cooler and my medicine could stay cold.
We started talking and having a good laugh. After 45 minutes the truck stopped and we had to get out because of a control. We waited for the truck on the other side of the control and to our surprise the truckdriver and his friend brought us a role of those pastries, that I described earlier, each and a 2 liter soda to share. Man, how great! All six of us standing in the sun, talking, laughing, enjoying our food and soda.
We got back into the container and drove for another hour until we reach a small village where we stopped for another control and extra time for us to see and walk through the village. It was beautiful! A beautiful beach, nice houses and a lot of skaters flying around the skate park that we passed.
15 minutes more in the truck and driver stopped to show us a rock. It is a huge rock shaped like an elephant! Not only did this guy buy us food, but he also wanted us to see what was worth seeing along the way!
The truck stopped two times more. First for picking up two young chilenian guys and then to pick up another chilenian guy. We were now 6 people in the container, talking, getting to know each other in complete darkness and smoking weed. This was so amazing! I finished reading Jack Kerouac - On the road, in the end of December. I felt like I was in the story! Everything was so surealistic, but amazing.
After a while we all lied down and fell a sleep. When we woke up we had arrived to the outskirts of the city. From here I said goodbye to everyone, thanked for everything and then took a bus to the city. I found a public phone, called my couchsurfing host and got directions on where to go.
On the way to the bus I passed plaza Colon. Two dogs were lying in the grass and the second I pass them, they run out and start biting my leg. I was surprised! Carrying my backpack, my shoulderbag, a big bottle of water and my thermos and suddenly two dogs were attacking me. I tried to escape, but their grip just made me fall out in the middle of the road. The dogs were around me and I was scared! They were barking and trying to bite me. I started to scream, kick and punch as much as I could and fortunately it worked! I kicked one of the dogs and they took off.
I was lying there, in the middle of the street. Pants broken, shoulderbag broken, scratches on my knee and elbow. The locals just looked, maybe they didn´t know what to do or maybe they were just cold. For whatever reason, I was on my own and not a single person asked me if I was alright.
Well. I continued towards the bus, swearing and cursing. Got on the right one and asked the driver to tell me when we were in the cross of Avenida Isabel and Rendic. He forgot.
I went way to far north while my couchsurfing host was waiting for me (it was around 22:30 and I already woke him up by calling him). I got off the bus and caught another one in the other direction.
I finally arrived to the house! I was welcomed by Christian and his mom. They gave me a towel so I could shower, while the mom was preparing food. After the shower I got a delicious soup and spent the rest of the evening talking with Christian and his dad. An amazing family and they made me forget about the bad welcoming from the dogs :)
This is just another day of traveling. Everyday is unique and I can´t believe how lucky I am with the people that I meet!
From Arica to Iquique it was very easy. I waited 15 minutes and got picked up by a truck that took me all the way to Iquique - perfect!
I´d say that every day is a new adventure and I want to tell about everything I experience. Even though I write much, I know it is not possible and neither interesting. Here comes just another day from my travels.
I woke up at 7:00am after 4 hours of sleep. The plan was to go from Iquique to Antofagasta today, a journey that is a bit more than 400km and takes around 7 hours. I took a bus from the house to the highway where I decided to get some breakfast - 2 sopaipillas and a coffee. Now I was ready!
The location was perfect. Just outside the city, entering the highway where there was construction work. This meant that there was only one track and the cars had to take turns driving north and south which made all cars stop anyway. The problem was that I was not the only one there. More and more people kept coming and at some point we were around 15 people in the same spot trying to catch a ride south. It was a mix of locals and backpackers.
 |
At first it was quite hard since all cars stopped, but no one really pulled over. I then found out that I should just walk to the cars and ask the drivers directly. Some of them were being bitches, some were only going a few km further to a beach and some to the airport - I didn´t find any who went further. I started at 9:04 and now it was 11:25. I decided to take the next ride possible away from this spot. I met a nice guy and his dad who where going to the airport and they drove me there. It was right next to the highway and I was the only hitchhiker.
The sun was shining and it was hot carrying around all my stuff. I started walking along the highway with my thumb sticking out, while trying to cover my thermos for my medicine to stay cold. I got picked up after 53 minutes and the guy drove me another 15km - everything helps. I was just outside a small village where there was a place for cars to pull over.
Here I met three young chilenian guys who I also saw in Iquique at the highway. We talked for a bit until they all three squeezed inside a truck. I didn´t have any luck in this spot and I decided to walk along the highway to keep myself busy while waiting. After 1 hour and 22 minutes, three construction workers picked me up on their way to eat lunch. We talked about the women in Chile compared the other countries in South America and I told them about how many beautiful girls we have in Denmark. They offered me some kind of chilenian pastry and coca cola. I thanked no to the coca cola, but the chilenian pastry was not bad. Some kind of dry bisquet with a mix of syrup and something else. It was around 12:45 and I was starting to feel hungry again.
After a great conversation, they dropped me off in front of a restaurant along the highway where I met the three chilenian guys again. Within 2 minutes I got a ride though. To a tiny little village along the beach 25 minutes from the restaurant.
Now comes the good part. Once again I walked along the highway. Exhausted, worried about my medicine and hungry since I had been up at 7:00am and only ate 2 sopaipillas for breakfast and a small pastry for lunch. The time was now 15:43. I only walked for a minute until a truck honked it´s horn at the driver pointed straight ahead. I saw him pull over 50 meters further ahead and I started running. A young guy comes out of the truck smiling and asking me where I´m off to. Turns out that he and the driver, who was a man in his 50´s, were also going to Antofagasta and I could join. I looked inside and saw that one of the chilenian guys was sitting on the front seat and I was wondering where the two others were. The young guy then took of the lock of the container and opened it. I looked inside and what I saw was a mattress with the two other chilenian guys on it and their backpacks, nothing more. I threw in my backpack, jumped in as he closed and locked the container behind me and the container turned dark. The only reason why I could still glimpse the two boys, was because of a small hole in the container where the sun was shining through. Inside the truck it was cooler and my medicine could stay cold.
 |
| Inside the truck |
We started talking and having a good laugh. After 45 minutes the truck stopped and we had to get out because of a control. We waited for the truck on the other side of the control and to our surprise the truckdriver and his friend brought us a role of those pastries, that I described earlier, each and a 2 liter soda to share. Man, how great! All six of us standing in the sun, talking, laughing, enjoying our food and soda.
We got back into the container and drove for another hour until we reach a small village where we stopped for another control and extra time for us to see and walk through the village. It was beautiful! A beautiful beach, nice houses and a lot of skaters flying around the skate park that we passed.
15 minutes more in the truck and driver stopped to show us a rock. It is a huge rock shaped like an elephant! Not only did this guy buy us food, but he also wanted us to see what was worth seeing along the way!
 |
| Our truck |
 |
| The elephant rock |
The truck stopped two times more. First for picking up two young chilenian guys and then to pick up another chilenian guy. We were now 6 people in the container, talking, getting to know each other in complete darkness and smoking weed. This was so amazing! I finished reading Jack Kerouac - On the road, in the end of December. I felt like I was in the story! Everything was so surealistic, but amazing.
 |
| Two of the guys leaving a bit before Antofagasta |
After a while we all lied down and fell a sleep. When we woke up we had arrived to the outskirts of the city. From here I said goodbye to everyone, thanked for everything and then took a bus to the city. I found a public phone, called my couchsurfing host and got directions on where to go.
On the way to the bus I passed plaza Colon. Two dogs were lying in the grass and the second I pass them, they run out and start biting my leg. I was surprised! Carrying my backpack, my shoulderbag, a big bottle of water and my thermos and suddenly two dogs were attacking me. I tried to escape, but their grip just made me fall out in the middle of the road. The dogs were around me and I was scared! They were barking and trying to bite me. I started to scream, kick and punch as much as I could and fortunately it worked! I kicked one of the dogs and they took off.
I was lying there, in the middle of the street. Pants broken, shoulderbag broken, scratches on my knee and elbow. The locals just looked, maybe they didn´t know what to do or maybe they were just cold. For whatever reason, I was on my own and not a single person asked me if I was alright.
 |
| My pants after "playing" with the dogs |
Well. I continued towards the bus, swearing and cursing. Got on the right one and asked the driver to tell me when we were in the cross of Avenida Isabel and Rendic. He forgot.
I went way to far north while my couchsurfing host was waiting for me (it was around 22:30 and I already woke him up by calling him). I got off the bus and caught another one in the other direction.
I finally arrived to the house! I was welcomed by Christian and his mom. They gave me a towel so I could shower, while the mom was preparing food. After the shower I got a delicious soup and spent the rest of the evening talking with Christian and his dad. An amazing family and they made me forget about the bad welcoming from the dogs :)
This is just another day of traveling. Everyday is unique and I can´t believe how lucky I am with the people that I meet!
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