The Hangover

As unforgettable as New Years Eve was, I admit there was a few lapses in my memory on New Years Day. I shall never know what time I woke as even moving my eyes from one side of their sockets to the other triggered horrendous feelings like my braining was tripling in size against my skull and the pit of my stomach was turning upside down and inside out. Eventually I mustered a croak and Blakey whimpered a res ponce. He was feeling similar to me then.

The first day of a brand new year. The first day of the year we return home to everyone we miss so much, the year we get married, the year we start our lives together as the Blake's. For us, this day barely existed. It consisted of gradual shifts from one side of the pillow to another followed by slow steady intakes of air and then the kind of stillness that is usually only brought about by anaesthesia. When eventually my bladder could take no more and I was bravely manoeuvred to a vertical position it was late afternoon, and the horrific job of emptying the waste paper bin and remaining upright in the too-hot, too-cold, never just right shower happened in slow motion. By 8pm I was washed, dressed and starting to fell human again. I smugly left a still ailing Blake in bed as I crossed the road to check our emails.

Outside the party had not stopped. Chileans have got stamina! We had heard laughter, singing, clinking of bottles and general merriment all day and now there were groups of people on the street corners, silly string in their hair and confetti on their clothes. Absolutely mental! After checking the Internet it was clear many people back home were in a similar state, though I`m not sure if I can ever forgive Alex Tarling for her proclamation that she had endless tea and instant roast potatoes to see her through. To say I had a craving is an understatement in the extreme.

After sleeping for a whole day you`d think we couldn't sleep through the night, but somehow we managed it. 2nd January was the first day of 2010 for us- we awoke feeling utterly different. Now able to face the photos and video footage. I can`t wait to show you all how much fun it was, though only my friends will forgive the atrocity that is my rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

After waiting ages for the one shower and toilet that was servicing about twenty guests in the hostel we headed out into Valpo. It really is a beautiful city, though on this day filled with people weighed down with backpacks with a certain degree of foresight we decided to stay one night longer and book a bus ticket for the following morning. Just as well, the leisurely stroll to downtown bought us to a station full of people, rows of tired and stressed sales clerks and copious signs declaring the lack of tickets to various locations. When we got to the counter we booked a night bus to the town of Pucon. Suddenly we had all the following day to enjoy the cobbled hills too.

As we dawdled our way back we started to discuss our New Years Resolutions- a `to-do` list`we`d merrily written after a couple of wines a few nights before. The rest of the afternoon turned into plotting and planning our future again, laying out tasks that need doing when we get back and finding ways to find the time and money to get them done. I`m sure it sounds corny, but it`s a wonderful way to spend an engagement when we have so much time to discuss our ambitions.

So our last day in Valparaiso was more of the same- a long stroll around town to take in as much of the graffiti art as possible, a walk to the top of the hill for views across the whole harbour, chatting with the locals in a mix of broken Spanish, broken English and gestures. The so-far clear blue sky stated to gather a few clouds and the temperature dropped a few degrees so we took refuge in an Internet and telephone centre where we were excited to find that calls home would not bankrupt us out here. We wished our parents a Happy New Year and started to fill them in on our plans before catching a bus across town and embarking a swish coach for the ride out of here.