December 10, 2005
Day 73
Last week, I lost my small camera. For awhile, I thought about not getting a new one and just using my big camera, but I soon realized that that wasn't possible. I didn't want to carry my big camera with me everywhere I went, and I already had missed out on many photo opportunities, such as last night when I ate fried fish with a bunch of random Chileans. I had to buy a new camera, and today was as good a day as any to do so.
The first stop in my search for a new camera was the mall, which had a bunch of stores with small digital cameras. Of all the cameras I saw, the Nikon Coolpix 4600 seemed like the best one for me. It was small, light, and somewhat inexpensive. In fact, I almost bought the same camera before my trip until I decided to go with a slightly cheaper model.
I still wanted to check out some more prices, so I headed downtown. I found a huge store that had clothes, furniture, electronics, restaurants, and an Internet cafe. When I started looking at cameras, the first one the employee pointed out to me was the Nikon Coolpix 4600, the camera I was most interested in anyway. I carefully examined all of its features and decided to buy it.
I'm glad the whole ordeal is over now. I have a new camera that I can always use for spontaneous and candid pictures. This time I'll be more careful not to lose it, too. As much as I like taking pictures at bars, I've decided that I'm not going to take my camera out at night with me anymore. Even though it could've fallen out of my pocket in a taxi in the middle of the day, I would've been more likely to find it then than at 6:00 AM.
This afternoon, I walked down to the beach. It took about thirty minutes to get there from the center of town, so it's not like Arica or Iquique where I could see the ocean from my window. There's also no swimming allowed at the beach, so I'm not quite sure what it's good for. There is a lighthouse at the end of the walkway to the ocean, so at least people have something to look at.
My other big news of the day is that I drank tap water for the first time since leaving home. I probably asked a dozen people if it was OK to drink the water, and they each said that unlike Peru and Bolivia, the water was purified here. Finally, I caved in and tried it today. Now I don't have to buy bottled water every day like I had been doing. Now that I can drink from the tap, I'll have my camera paid for in no time (as long as it doesn't put me in the hospital)!
The photo album for this entry is here.
How about that water you drank from the former gas can? (I think it was the day of the smoking pile.) Were there ever any ill effects from that?
So are the pictures you linked in taken using the new camera?
Paul - No the gas can water passed through me normally. It may have taken a few years off my life, but at least I didn't pay the price right away.
El Doctor - Yes they were mostly taken with the new camera. The small camera's pictures always have names that start with DSCN, and the big camera ones start with IMG. My new camera is a Nikon like my old one, so the only way you can tell it was with the new one and not the one I lost is because the number after DSCN started all the way back at 0001. In other news, I've taken almost 10,000 pictures with my big camera!
Is there no swimming because of sharks? I recently watched the beach again and learned you can't be too carful with sharks... Also... Happy St Nicks Day.... a few days late!
In fact, they are sharks with frickin' lazer beams attached to their heads.
Also... Merry Christmas... a few days early!