Day 30 - Hostel o Hotel?

When we got to Valdivia, it was 1am. Sr. Justine and I jumped into the first cab (we may have cut the line) and asked the cab driver to take us to a hotel. He asked us if we wanted a hotel or the type of room the sisters usually stay in. I told Sr. Justine..."Please, a hotel."

The taxi driver took us to a nearby hotel, he knocked on the door and the attendant came out and asked us if we had a reservation, when we said no, he told us that they were booked. The driver went to the next place a few doors down a hostel, and told us to wait in the car. Sr. Justine said, "Oh but it is a hostel, and I said, "let's just do it...its getting late." The attendant came out and said that they had rooms and we jumped out of the taxi.

The attendant told us that the room for 2 would be $40 USD. From the outside, the place looked like a motel...I was expecting the worst. After the attendant took my information he brought us to the room...I couldn't believe it... It was perfect!!! Big beds, heat, and a nice shower. Sr. Justine and I were dancing for joy. After we took this picture, I jumped in the shower! IT WAS HEAVEN!!!!














We were up at 8am to start our tour of Valdivia. We had to catch our bus back to Los Angeles at 4pm.

Valdivia is a beautiful little town with strong German influences, so different from Los Angeles or Santiago. It was really special. Sr. Justin and I walked across a bridge to visit a botanical garden, and then headed on a 1 hour boat tour. We saw the huge seals coming to the piers for their daily meal and beautiful sights on the river. We had lunch, visited a museum and then had a hot chocolate.

As we were walking back towards the hotel (over the bridge) to get our stuff, I realized my camera was missing and started to search frantically for it. Sr. Justine, told me to look in my bag (I did), my pockets (I did). Then I looked at Sr. Justine (she was smiling). I screamed "JUSTINE!" and she laughed and laughed and laughed (she still is laughing about it.) Imagine me yelling at a nun...with all these people walking by.

Here's what happened: I had left my camera and my pocketbook on the table in the cafe (WITH SR. JUSTINE...the cute little sister I had been living with for the past 30 days) when I went to the bathroom. Sr. Justine says that she thought that my leaving it on the table was very irresponsible, and she thought she would teach me a lesson and hid it in her bag. When I went back to the table I assumed it was in my bag and left the museum with Sr. Justine. She says, that I never noticed that it was missing, so I wasn't careful with my stuff. My answer was, and still is, "I LEFT IT WITH A NUN!!!" The lesson...you can't trust ANYONE these days.


Anyway, here are a few photos (from my recovered camera) on this glorious trip.

















Nothing too exciting to report about the ride from Valdivia except that Sr. Justine was still laughing about my camera. That's why I don't feel bad about posting this picture.




We arrived back in Los Angeles around 8:30pm. We said goodbye to the sisters and gave them thank you gifts (mine was chocolates and candies for the girls). Father Ramon came over to the Srs of Charity house to say goodbye to us. We are leaving early tomorrow.