City break

I´ve ended up camping a lot more frequently this trip than I had planned on. This is mainly due to the number of overnight treks I have been doing but is also due in part to the wide-spread avaliability of camp sites in towns along the way. Not only is this a good way to save money but it often turns out to be more comfortable and offer more privacy than a cramped hostel dorm room. This being said, camping night after night while traveling can get to be a bit tiring after some time. Showers are only avaliable sporadically, I think I´ve been averaging about one per week thus far, not too mention the endless self-catered portions of pasta and outmeal that wear down the palatte. There is also the cold temps, wet mornings, and other small things that can begin to wear on you. All of this combined with my back to back to back to back series of long hikes during the past month has my body asking me for a break. I was planning on starting another 3 night hike today but decided to skip it.

Instead, I am spending the night in Coyhaique http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coyhaique , resting my head in the most plush hotel room of the trip thus far. For $11.50 I´m getting my own room and cable TV! I found myself just lying there this afternoon flipping between bad american movies and local soccer matches. It was very enjoyable. It is also nice to be in a larger town of approx. 50,000. As much as I love the outdoors and the truly spectacular treks I have been doing the past weeks, there is still something to be said about visiting and enjoying the cities along the way as well (I am planning on going to graduate school to study cities after all!) I think if one spent all of their time simply flying through the cities and only looking for outdoor pursuits, you would miss the chance to learn a lot about a country and its people.