7-2
Unfortunately the one bank they have in this town has an ATM that doesn´t accept intl Visa. Since I was arriving from Bolivia, I only had 50,000 pesos with me, which wasnt enough to cover everything there as the tour alone cost 40,000. The bank, being a tiny town ,wasnt open on friday nor of course the weekend. I assumed it would be open on monday where I could exchange USD´s for pesos. I travel with 200 bucks in USD in case of issues like this. Of course the bank wasnt open on Monday either, I think bc of a festival or something. So bc I still needed to pay for my hotel and pay for a bus ticket out I was kind of stuck until it opened.
But I was stuck in another way as well. I needed to have an interview with the head science lady for the lockheed antarctic program as I had moved onto a 2nd interview. I had hoped to have my interview before 2pm my time so I could catch the bus to Arica and move on (my hostel would take USD and I could pay the bus on arrival). Unfortunately they werent available until 4pm Denver time, or 6pm my time. So I had to stay yet one more day in the town of Putre. It´s a nice town bc it is tiny, quiet, and has nice views, but there is not a whole lot going on here and I wanted to move on.
So I had the interview in the evening on Skype. It was on speaker phone with the lab manager who I had originally interviewed with and her boss. There were only a few questions and then it turned more into logistics of being hired....they were offering me the job!! So they officially offered me the job, though they said they are still waiting for the final funding to come through before I for sure have the job, but they said it was likely. So fingers crossed for that!
The internet fee had relieved me of about all the chilleno pesos I had left. I wanted to celebrate with a beer or nice meal, but all I could manage with my 600 remainng pesos were a couple of eggs, some pancitos (little bread) and a tomato. But I did celebrate it by watching some Glee on my ipod!
7-3
The day before I had met two australian women who were staying in a cabin at the hostel I was at. They asked why I had been here so long in such a small town and I told them my dilemma. They had a problem in they couldnt speak spanish and there was absolutely no english speakers in Putre. So I helped them arrange a tour and get done what they needed yesterday. This morning (I slept in) when I woke up, they had slipped 40,000 pesos (80 bucks under my door) with a note that said we are off for our tour and we want you to have this so you can leave and eat in case the bank doesnt open. Turns out the bank was open and I will of course be paying them back. The library was also open today, which means free internet..woohoo! This afternoon I have the bus to Arica.
Unfortunately the one bank they have in this town has an ATM that doesn´t accept intl Visa. Since I was arriving from Bolivia, I only had 50,000 pesos with me, which wasnt enough to cover everything there as the tour alone cost 40,000. The bank, being a tiny town ,wasnt open on friday nor of course the weekend. I assumed it would be open on monday where I could exchange USD´s for pesos. I travel with 200 bucks in USD in case of issues like this. Of course the bank wasnt open on Monday either, I think bc of a festival or something. So bc I still needed to pay for my hotel and pay for a bus ticket out I was kind of stuck until it opened.
But I was stuck in another way as well. I needed to have an interview with the head science lady for the lockheed antarctic program as I had moved onto a 2nd interview. I had hoped to have my interview before 2pm my time so I could catch the bus to Arica and move on (my hostel would take USD and I could pay the bus on arrival). Unfortunately they werent available until 4pm Denver time, or 6pm my time. So I had to stay yet one more day in the town of Putre. It´s a nice town bc it is tiny, quiet, and has nice views, but there is not a whole lot going on here and I wanted to move on.
So I had the interview in the evening on Skype. It was on speaker phone with the lab manager who I had originally interviewed with and her boss. There were only a few questions and then it turned more into logistics of being hired....they were offering me the job!! So they officially offered me the job, though they said they are still waiting for the final funding to come through before I for sure have the job, but they said it was likely. So fingers crossed for that!
The internet fee had relieved me of about all the chilleno pesos I had left. I wanted to celebrate with a beer or nice meal, but all I could manage with my 600 remainng pesos were a couple of eggs, some pancitos (little bread) and a tomato. But I did celebrate it by watching some Glee on my ipod!
7-3
The day before I had met two australian women who were staying in a cabin at the hostel I was at. They asked why I had been here so long in such a small town and I told them my dilemma. They had a problem in they couldnt speak spanish and there was absolutely no english speakers in Putre. So I helped them arrange a tour and get done what they needed yesterday. This morning (I slept in) when I woke up, they had slipped 40,000 pesos (80 bucks under my door) with a note that said we are off for our tour and we want you to have this so you can leave and eat in case the bank doesnt open. Turns out the bank was open and I will of course be paying them back. The library was also open today, which means free internet..woohoo! This afternoon I have the bus to Arica.
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