#goodbyebolivia

Our bus ticket from the Bolivian border to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile was booked for 10am; 9am Bolivian time (how does it make sense that Chile is an hour ahead of Bolivia, despite being further west?!). So it was another 6am start in order to fit in the two additional stops on the tour: the vast Bolivian desert and the green lagoon. The desert was indeed vast and the lake was kind of green... we were there a bit too early in the morning for the photosynthesis to have kicked in for it to be as green as it can get. But with another border crossing on the mind, we got back in the 4x4 to make our way once more. The wait in the queue for the Bolivia exit stamp (paying 15Bs each for the privilege) was mercifully short and Harry even helped speed up the process, as a 'friend' of the guy stamping the passports. So before we knew it we were saying goodbye to Mike and Yasmin (who were returning to Uyuni) and hopping aboard a big red pick-up truck that was our unexpectedly private transportation to San Pedro de Atacama. As soon as we crossed into Chile, the road was tarmacked and smooth, making it a welcome change from the dust roads and potholes we had become used to. Our new (grumpy) driver sped us through Chilean immigration and then dumped us off in a car park just outside the centre of town. An unceremonious end to our wonderful Salar de Uyuni adventure! We already had our hotel booked for the three nights in San Pedro and therefore made our way straight there to enquire about an early check in and a chance for a shower (having only had a "faff" in the morning, owing to the lack of facilities in the gravel-floored accommodation). No such luck: we arrived at 11.30am and were told that check in would not be available until 3pm, our first time on our trip of not being lucky with check in! With the wifi at the hotel being annoyingly poor and the hotel service being less than helpful (this is somewhere that cost more than three times as much as our nice hotel in Sucre!), grumpy Olli and Victoria emerged and we headed for an irritable lunch to pass away the time. Though the service at the hotel did not improve upon check in (we had five bags and the staff did not help to even take the tiny one as we were shown to our room!), our mood did as we were able to flop onto the comfy bed and rest for a few hours. We didn't venture out of the hotel again, choosing instead to eat at the on site restaurant and get an early night. Hello, Chile! We will be less grumpy after a good night's sleep, we promise...