Thoughts on a rest day

I consider myself lucky. Lucky to have this opportunity to be here seeing new, amazing places and gaining a lot of unforgettable experiences. I'm lucky that my boss and colleagues said 'yes' and allowed me to leave my job for 5 months. I'm lucky that everything worked out and I could leave my family, friends, home and job without worries. Lucky that I wasn't escaping anything and have a nice place to return to. I'm fortunate that I had the money to fulfill my dream of travelling to South America. Money was the easiest part; I guess I'm good at saving, I don't need a lot of luxuries in my normal life in Finland. I feel extremely lucky also because this trip has gone so well. I've mostly had good weather, hitchhiking has been relatively easy and I've always found what I've needed. Along the way people have been nice to me. Maybe this feeling partly comes from being positive. I emphasize the good things that have happened to me and try to forget the bad ones, like going to an ugly hostel when I first arrived in Puerto Natales. It may sound a cliché, but "your attitude will change your reality". I hope this good feeling lasts throughout my trip.

Today I needed yet another downday. I recently had one last Sunday. I don't know if it's the cold I've had for a week, or if it's the first signs of getting tired of travelling. I felt almost guilty when I didn't go for a hike to the slopes of volcano Osorno with Felix and Amelia today. (I guess it's quite typical for us Finns to feel guilt; we've been brought up to feel that.) It's our last day together... But I must admit that I enjoyed having a tea with strawberries and chocolate at the hostel and then reading a book and having a short nap in a hammock. What's the point in rushing from a sight or a hiking trail to another if you're too tired to enjoy it? On the other hand, what's the point in travelling to the other side of the world to lie in a hammock and reading a book if I can do that at home? Just before I left for this trip I wrote myself ten commandments and they were something like "Remember that you're on holiday. Take it easy, you don't have to see and do everything". Sometimes it's hard to accept that we are not machines and won't feel energetic all the time. Today I remembered how my friend Arto told me that he spent a week in a big city in Asia without seeing any of the official sights.

Maybe I should also give you an update of what I've done after my last update. Well, just after writing Amelia's immortal worlds "I physically can't buy anything", the following day I bought a new pullover - which I didn't need, but really liked - and got a pair of pants from Amelia. I still have space in my backpack, but I shouldn't make it any heavier. After relaxing on Sunday, on Monday I went to the national park of Chiloé with Felix. We walked a bit, saw some dense forest, took a lot of photos and sat down on the beach to enjoy the peace and the soothing sound of the waves. The white, foaming waves of the Pacific Ocean hit the beach crashing and then rolling further on the sand. The horizon was hidden behind a greyish white curtain of fog silhouetting the sun shine behind it. On Tuesday we all left the island of Chiloé and took a bus to Puerto Varas. Yesterday we travelled to see the waterfalls of Saltos de Petrohué and kayaked on the lake Todos los Santos. Floating on the water, enjoying the blue colour of the lake and the mountains behind it, admiring the snowcapped volcano Osorno... I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow is my nameday. (In Finland we celebrate namedays in addition to birthdays, although they are not as important.) I just learned that my name - spelled with only one U, tula - in Chilean slang means an enormous penis. Maybe I should start using my second name, Anneli, or just carry my name with pride as all the Dutch guys called Dick do.