Two hours after I arrived, I finally walked out to the arrival hall. Meanwhile I was desperately looking for the bathroom, and I needed to find a place that sells sim cards for my phone, and also the domestic airport for my next flight as well. This guy just stopped me as I walked out and he asked where I was heading, it looked like he was wearing a uniform, it was really just a shirt. I said I was connecting to Puerto Montt and I needed to find the domestic airport. He asked if I had my passbook, boarding pass ready and had I got some local money, I said Yes. For some reason, I did not find that question odd, and he started showing me how to go to the domestic airport, so I was just following him, which turned out to be quite a long walk, that we had to pass through a huge parking lot. 5 mins later, we were still walking. By then, inside I kind of knew he was walking me for tips! Why did I fall into these traps, I thought, I should have known better after traveling around the globe solo for so many years! But it was kind of too late at that point. He was very friendly nonetheless, though getting inside the domestic airport hall, he did ask me straight for tips. I said I had no small change for my pesos. I don't think he will do anything with me even if I don't give him anything, but I gave him 2 US dollars anyway. I was not about to give him 10000 pesos for walking me uninvited, are you crazy?! I don't want to be rude neither.
At last, I got my bathroom fix fixed, thank goodness. No sim card is to be found anywhere inside the airport, which was quite surprising. Anywhere I go, they often sell me sim cards even before I step out the arrival hall. There is internet inside the airport halls, so I was able to connect. But once I get outside, it could be problematic, I need my google map and google translate to survive here.
Made my final flight of the day and got to Puerto Montt at 4pm. I still have one last challenge to tackle before getting to my airbnb though, I needed to find a ride from the Puerto Montt airport to Puerto Varas where I am staying for the next 4 nights. That is no simple task for someone who does not speak much spanish, not at the level I can communicate freely anyway. My airbnb host suggested me to find these local transporte agencies inside the hall instead of using taxis. I saw this sign saying Puerto Varas for 5000 pesos, that is equivalent to about 7 dollar US, cheap I thought, so I showed the guy the address of my airbnb, I don't think he really read it other than confirming that I was heading to Puerto Varas, I paid him the 5000 pesos, got a receipt, not exactly sure if it was a bus or a private car or where, he just said it is outside. I picked up my bag and walked out, it turned out to be a cargo van, seated about 10 or so people, the car was full after myself and a woman got on. I tried to show the driver the address as I unloaded my backpack, again he was not really paying attention to what I showed him as soon as he heard Puerto Varas. I knew we were heading in the right direction since I had been checking google maps the whole time, but I had no idea how to get off. I was expecting maybe there was a terminal in the center of town, we all got off there and I just had to walk back to the airbnb, that is no big deal. At one point, the driver was speaking to everyone, something about plaza, the crowds had spoken (except me) and no one was going to the plaza, and I noticed the van turned and was heading in the opposite direction from my airbnb. I was like ah ah ah, there were things stuck in my throat and I could not get it out. Meanwhile, we were going further and further, the van finally stopped at some high up place dropped one person off, I asked the guy sitting next to me, I wanted to go to here (pointing at my google map), and asked whether I can walk there, and he said no, "esta lejos" (it's far). Oh great! I asked if he could tell the driver where I wanted to go, and he did. He actually is not a local either, he is a Brazilian attending a conference here in Chile and just came to see Puerto Veras for a few days. He is also not fluent in Spanish, according to him, but to me he is more than fluent, at least they could communicate. As the driver kept clarifying where to drop me off, other passengers also chimed in to help tell the driver where to drop me. He was asking me whether it was a hotel or airbnb, some women in the back translated to me, I said airbnb. The whole 3 times on the van had turned into a latino melodrama series "Let's Help This Asian Man Get Off The Van."
Got to my airbnb at last by 5:15pm. From the time I took off from Chicago, a total of 24 hours exactly no less. Exhausted as I was, but it was still broad daylight and a beautiful day, so I went to the supermarket, walked around the small town, and found my sim card there too. Grabbed some seafood dinner, and I headed back to the airbnb and thought I would have an early night. It was still bright as day time at 7:45pm. So I googled it, the sunset wouldn't start until 9:15pm, d'oh, so much about turning in early.
