It's like "Speed" meets "Groundhog day" only i don't get to make out with Sandra Bullock or the bad actress from Groundhog Day.

It is almost redundant at this point, but... My bus broke down on the way back to Santiago. We experienced electrical difficulties while crossing the Andes, leaving us stranded on a mountain pass with over 10 feet of accumulated snow for three hours without heat. I played Sudoku to stay warm.

In total, I spent 364 hours on buses in the last 6 months, which if you do the math is more than 15 days (two+ weeks) of bus riding. This includes 14 overnight trips sleeping (more like unsleeping) on buses. In other words, 1/12 of my trip was spent in a bus seat. And most of that time was spent saddled next to crying toddlers or an imposing (size-wise) seat mate. (I got peed on once too).

Overall, I have covered over 20,000 miles by bus, plane, car, boat, dingy, strawboat, 4x4, finicular, train, foot, bike, gondola, donkey, etc. Ok Stu, we get it!! enough complaining about transport. (And to that I respond; I just want to give reason to any future case of hemorrhoids).

The last leg of my journey ends at the Arniboldi's in Santiago, Chile. We are going skiing this weekend, and I am borrowing their extra ski equipment that, as they pointed out, was last utilized by a middle-aged woman many years back. ALL I can hope is that the ski pants don't make my butt look fat.

Sentimental side note of the day (part one of a two or three part series): I have no idea how many people read this blog, but I have heard from many of you and I appreciate your mostly kind words. I understand how it could be hard or annoying to read about some unemployed 25-year old wandering around South America visiting national parks, checking out the South American nightlife and getting goosed by midgets while you are working hard back home. (I know most of you are particularly jealous of the midget goosing incident). I just wanted to say that I really appreciate you taking the time to read one, some or all of my postings, and writing these posts has be really fun for me. And if you didn't get a shout out, let me know, and I will try to squeeze you in in the next few days. Thanks, Estuar Pole (My name to every South American who tries to pronounce it).