el and i have moved on to valparaiso, where i am writing in a hostel right now. valpo is chile's nightlife capital, and is gearing up for its new year's festivities (which attract hundreds of thousands of partygoers from the region) with street performances at every corner, crowds of tipsy barhoppers roaming the streets, and lights strung around the plazas. last night, we befriended a sad clown named rodrigo, who led us to a concert of a formerly exiled rock/folk band in the city's main plaza, which was packed with carousing chileans.

earlier in the day, we visited the eccentric house of pablo neruda in the seaside town of isla negra, then spent a few hours watching the ocean waves crash against the coast. we thought our three-quarter length sleeves and pants were sufficient protection against the sun, but ended up paying for our folly with curiously shaped patches of sunburn on our arms, legs, and faces. they look pretty ridiculous.