Freejan

Well I am still here and melting! Spend my time looking for shade and places with air conditioning! I had a busy day yesterday seeing some sights because I had burnt on the beach on Friday. I went to see the Parque Catacomba – an outdoor art exhibition of modern statues all set in a tropical park. There were miniture monkeys in the trees, beautiful butterflies and amazing flowers. The staues were ok but not as beautiful as the flora and fauna. I then went over the road and walked round lake in Parque Cantagio. Then I set off in another expensive taxi – expensive because of the traffic and the fact that you pay by time not distance! – to Pao de Acucar – or Sugarloaf Mountain to you and me! The cable cars were scary for me – dont like the movement when you get in and out – and the height of some of the viewing platforms was also a challenge for me! The veiws were awesome – all around Rio and over to Christ the Redeemer that I had seen the other day. There was a bit of a storm while I was up there – spectacular! Got back to my friendly hostel and whipped off in taxi with my owner of hostel to get my Carnival tickets. Did that, got back and there was a banda – parade for the Carnival going on at 5pm so had another quick shower and went down to Ipanema beach front towatch that – all madness and amyhem but very funny in parts! (Philippa you will know what i mean by this!) Some of the men dressed as women were amazing to see – a sight for sore eyes as they say! Got back 3 hours later, starving and had a shower, and went to find food. Went to a very posh Italian restaurant. I felt cold in there – wonderful!

Lazy day before i go to the Carnival tonight – 9pm to 6am! I,ll be dead by tomorrow I predict!

OK off to rest now – sit on the beach and people watch!

Chao

Janxx

They were all in by dawn and not a peep – just the odd book falling on the floor! Bless em! I slept very well once the air con was switched on and I was not wet through with sweat! Had a lovely day at the beach after a mixed day yesterday. I got back at teatime to find another girl in my bed – and she did have golden locks! T´was all a mix up and I got another bed and made friends with Jo from Manchester who had also been put in my bed when she arrived! The joys of these hostels!

Anyway, today, Ipanema beach, didn´t take my book but didn´t need need it. So much to see. Mr sunglasses, Mr sunhat, Mr sun lotion, Mr wrap/dress/top etc. and then all the food and drink passing all the time. The waves were very strong and even though I am a good swimmer I didn´t go in very far. I kept getting knocked over. I am now back at the hostel and had a shower ready for a walk out at sunset and a meal. I am a bit wary about being out late on my own here but it all seems very friendly and ok. Going to do some sight seeing tomorrow. Still not got my Carnival tickets but hopeful will arrive tomorrow. Some of the younger people here are going to join in nd are given clothes to wear – sounds good!

Chao xx

Flight from Foz Igassau all went very smoothly after getting up at 3am. I just wake early when I know I have a flight! going crazy for definate. It is 34 degrees here and i,m melting. The hostel is manic with loads of young people all geared up for the Carnival and very noisey! I am in a dormitory with 9 girls so dont ex[ect to get much sleep tonight as all gone to Samba party! The place is friendly enough but not what I need really! Got here and signed up for tour to see Christ the Redeemer at 2pm – awesome! views awesome also! now been out for a quick look at the beach at sunset – ipanema – wonderful – in fact cant believe I,m here! So tired so going to try to get some sleep before the girls come in! No chance with Portugese by the way, and if julie could read this and see the mess I,ve made of my hair she would laugh – sorry for thoise of you not intertested but the mix for hair had 4 stages. No. 1 first on hair , then 2 & 3 together – leave for 35 mins. So what do i do – put 1 and 3 in together! must have neutralised it because i then added 2 and put it all on together! Left for one hour! No change!!!
I feel terrible with this colour but stuck until i get home now – brain obviously not up to this high tech stuff! Thanks for comment Trish – these are not published as I thought – must say the red plastic mug has been a life saver at ,service stations, XX
Chao!

Made it! Yes the journey of 26 hours went amazingly well thanks to the buses here! SO different to Bolivia! A sandwich, cake and coke when we got on, tea and biscuits at 6pm and at 10pm dinner! I have a confession – the sandwich was beef and yes! I ate it and yes I enjoyed it!! Feel cursed for my weakness but there was no alternative! I suppose I am in Argentina with all these cows – the animals i mean! A little man came round at regular intervals and swept the ailes and washed them with disenfectant (God my spelling is wonky at the moment!) – i couldn´t believe what was happening after the buses in bolivia! I kept laughing to myself. The seats were amazing and I slept well , arriving in Igasau about 9.30 am today. I found a place to stay and then went to book my flight to Rio – a Korean girl on the bus had scared me with tales of full planes because of Carnival – and managed one that takes 3 and half hours instead of one because i have to change – no direst flights left! anyway, had shower in stifling heat and set off for the falls! WOW! got wet through as I was near them – wonderd why everyone seemed to be dressed as if for beach – then I realised why I had packed waterproof – sometimes I worry about me! Wet as it was it was spectacular. Saw a toucan and a monkey and another bird  with yellow breast and black or navy back – didn´t see any big cats – told you not to feed them!!! Off into Brazil tomorrow morning so that I can go to see the Falls from that side. Flight to Rio is 6am so will have an early start on Thursday. Bit scared about Rio but will go slowly. Eating empanadas – cornish pasty type things – 1 peso – about 20p.

Too hot to carry on now so off to get something to eat! Chao xx

Holed up her euntil tomorrow at 6.50 when i get a bus to take me to Puerto Igasau – 26 houors on the road. Hair is wrong colour but at least has one now! got on wrong bus from Tupiza and when it came to my notice, ( a man wanting my seat) my bus had left! I was in a real state bcause time is of the essence at the moment! I cried, they gave me my money back, woman got off my wrong bus and i bought her ticket – was on way to Villazon! I wa scomforted by two lovely people from Argentina who spoke immaculate English – i feel more and more inadequate as time goes on with my Spanish! BUT; the bus was air conditioned, comfortable, road was smooth so it was quiet enough for me to listen to my music – it´s a first for this trip! Got here to after 7 and half hour trip at 3.45am. found hotel, slept until 9am and got up to go get ticket for Igasau. This is a different planet – Argentina so far ahead of Bolivia.

I fel a bit blind with no lonely Plane for Argentina but manging ok so far. will only be here 4 days or so. Liz, you ask about toilets! I must say this has been a bit of a good and bad story. all public toilets in Bolivia ae clean and you have to pay 0.50 bolivianos about less than nothing, and you get toilet paper given to you as you go in. Posh ones cost 3 Bols. They do vary in standards and I know Philippa would be rather constipated if she were here!

when travelling there are often no banos so you have to take a walk on the wild side! Desperate situations call for desperate measures! In Argentina i was excited to see that the banos ae free! and much cleaner!

I have just finished reading the second of 2 books by Simon de Bernieres – think it´s simon  , anyway, very kindly lent to me by Claire as they are based in S. America – ´the battle of the General´s nether parts´and ´Lord Vivo and the Coca lords´ – really enjoyed them  – put me in mood for here! So thanks Claire!

OK going to go on a walk about and discover some of this amazing city. Chao!xx

It all started badly adn up to and including trying to do my blog now and email it has been one big problema! It was at 5am when locked in my hotel with the ´bus´as I thought leaving at 5.30am. I couldn´t rouse the girl who said she would be there to open door – hot sweats and panic! Eventually after waking all the hotel who were cursing me, she let me out! I dashed on foot to the bus place to find no bus but a 4 WD leaving at 6am! 10 people but me in front with one other person. I was so angry but my bad spanish didn´t let me give vent to my feelings so brooded for the first 2 hours! I was utterly stuck for words when we stopped at some small place and were unloaded and told another carro would take us to tupiza in an hour!  Why did I get up at 4am¿ so the next car came and on we went – after one and a h alf hour wait in hot sun. We arrived 2 hours quicker than I expected – 2pm instead of 4pm. I found a nice hotel who must have thought I looked harassed and agreed to give me some agua caliente so that i could make tea! Two h ours later I am much better! I have booked my bus to Villazon tomorrow at 2.30 – short trip to Argentine border (2 hours). Hopefully I can then pick up a bus in the direction of Salta (8 hours ride).

Now if all this is boring you I will tell you the interesting thing about round here. Robert Leroy Parker and Harry   Alonzo Longabaugh or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid , had their last shoot out just a stones throw from where i am now. The landscape is very much like a desert with cactus and some amazing rock formations that would stand alongside some from the states – like bryce canyon etc. The rocks are white, red and blue and  look spectacular. Something has to taske my mind off my day! Now the internet connection is the slowest I have come across! anyway there is hope! I have manged to find some hair dye and will do my hair tonight – been bleached by the sun which is very harsh at this altitude. Only 2950m now so feeling better on that front! May be Igassau before i get to a computer again – at the border with Argentina and Brazil. Must get there so that I can spend 2 dAYS IN ONE PLACE TO RECOVER EXCESSIVE TRAVELLING! pRESSE caps lock again! Sorry! Hope you are all ok. Uyuni was wonderful but the leaving is very difficult!

Now I am here I am experiencing something I have never seen before. a most amazing landscape where the land and sky seem to be jelled together – do you spell jelled like that or gelled? Is this the place to discuss this! I came here last night on a bus from Potosi where I suffered yet again from altitude sickness and a very bad hotel! The toilet was at the end of the corridor and the ducha – shower – was down 2 flights of stairs in a back yard! Only for one night ! I met up with a couple from New Zealand called Dale and Mark who are lovely and i had met them briefly in La Paz. They were travelling with a YOUNG MAN CALLED wAYNE , ALSO FROM nEW zEASLAND and we got on the same bus to Uyuni. eXCUSE slip of fingers on caps lock! We met up for a beer and pizza last night in a place called Minutemaster Pizza owned by an American guy who knew his pizzas! Lovely to spend time with people who can speak English!

Today I went an a day trip to the salar Uyuni which was one of the most incredible experiences of my life – just hope the photos come out ok – it was so bright out there. Looked like snow but was salt – white every where and in the far distance the snow capped mountains of the Andes – my geography of course had not linked the Andes as far down as here. We visited a hotel made of salt and on the way back saw some Chilean flamingoes. Then we went to the cemetary of the trains – a very sad place for train enthusiasts – rusting trains by the dozen all sitting on lines that were no longer used. What a day. Got back and saw a man having a huge beer so joined him – turns out he is called Rupert and comes from near Bath – doing Bolivia on a BMW motorbike. Amazing how many inteseting people you meet!

Off again on my speedy trip down to Igassau Falls tomorrow – 5.30am  bus! Never seen this time of day before! Going to Tupiza, 12 hours drive, so bottom beware! Going for a shower now in my Hotel – the Kory Wasy- Indian name me thinks! I like Uyuni and will be sad to leave – not least because it is flat and I dont suffer so much with breathlesssness! I think I am going down again in elevation so I will be happy! Given up on photos so will do a slide show for you when I get home. Ther are buses every day now from here so better than I thought – may make it all on time!

After the last few days I was beginning to wonder what I had got myself into but today after a good night’s sleep I feel much better! The hotel is good – paid the most so far for it but tired and not willing to trapze round to find another -65 boliviano – about 6 pounds! Last place was 30bs – nearer 2.50 pounds. Dont say i dont live it up! Food I have been asked about by Trish – well not the worlds best cuisine but some gems. The fruit is unbelievable – very tropical and the fruto ensaladas are to die for. I have had some potatoes cooked in peanut butter type sauce with salad – mmm! and 2 chinese meals – chicken with spring onions/rice/chips and sweet and sour chicken with rice/chips. i could only find one place in Vallegrande – got chucken/rice/chips – seems to be thing to give rice and chips with everything! I had a lovely vegetarian lasagne yesterday and have had some pastys made with filo pastry filled with cheese – delicious! They do some cornish type pastys too but i havnt risked one because of meat in them. Having said that I couldn’t resist a pork sandwich with onions and tomatoes in Vallegrande sold on street for 2bs each (7p?) absolutely amazing! I have been in nice cafes in La Paz and had vegetarian wraps whuch were amazing. When I am travelling on a bus I tend to eat fruit and crackers and nuts. I bought about 4oz goats cheese, crackers, 2 tomatoes and 2 carrots in Coroico for 3.50bs – 8/9p!! But in a restaurant the food can cost me more than my hotel for night. Cervaza is very reasonable at 8bs – about 50p a pint! Pity i cant drink much at altitude!

Sucre is a beautuful city with most of the buildings painted white. Given up on photos for a while – bear with me! Leaving for Potosi at 7am tomorrow(15 bs – 1.20p) – quick trip at 3 hours! Bought myself an alpaca jumper in grape and cerise mmmm! Chao x

Sunday 12th – Sucre

well lots to tell! I got to Vallegrande to find it rainyand muddy and very out of the way. no-one at all spoke English so I felt a complete plonker with my very poor spanish asking how to get to La Higuera ( where Che was shot) and how to get to Sucre on the bus. I got a taxi to take me to La Higuera – 3 hours there and 3 hours back in pouring rain on very dodgey road with rock falls and mud. I had to drive at one time whilst Ramiro my driver first pushed and then pulled with rope to get out of the mud! so many things I would like to ask Che. Why up there in the middle of nowhere? Some Argentine young men who spoke immaculate English said they thought he thought differently to us europeans – start small he thought and work up. I was very pleased I´d been. On the way back we had a quick look at the airfield – now deserted – where he was buried until 1997. great I was feliz! Wet but feliz! I had a drink with a couple of locals and my driver and drove back.

Now the long tale begins! I´ll cut it short – no bus on saturday because full so i thought the young man at the cultural information centre said there would be a bus from nearby Mataral at 8am. One hour by taxi. I got up at 5.30 for taxi at 6.30. At Mataral for 7.35. Now this is where the problem begins! Mataral, a none horse town where all I saw was a sheep following a man on a bicycle, saw apiece of traffic on average once every half hour. At 8.30 I asked a young woman when the bus was due – a man mending shoes told us it was 9pm !!! I realised I was stuck. Do i go back or try to get a lift? Well the adventurer in me said geta lift. A lovely man stopped in his jeep and said he could get me to next town where maybe another ´flota´(bus) would go through. Great I thought. so off we set. It was hot and getting hotter as I took my place on a step under a colonade. Some concerned locals told me the bus was at 11pm which meant it was the same bus just a bit further on the road! I sat there for 6 hours by which time I looked like aunt Sally from worzel Gummidge – red cheeks and nose! My knight on a shining ruddy great Volvo truck came along at 5.45. He was called  Sallo and we were to spend the next 15 hours on the road in his truck – even sleeping together (him on his bed in back of cab and me on recliner!). At midnight at the oasis when the truck had a blown tyre, I managed to get my first cup of tea for the day! Exhausted there is no way to describe my utter hopelessness. But, we made it through some amazing scenery that if I ever crack this uploading  after changes to the site you will see. Cooler here in Sucre thank goodness – dont look quite as much like aunt Sally today!  Having real problems with photos. will try to get info from Bootsnall. Bye for now xx 

Couple of things I forgot to mention. The people dressed as zebras in La Paz were at a crossing and did take you across! The mind boggles – was it a stunt to bring attention to  need for a control of some sort at the crossing? Also Santa Cruz is supposed to be a cross between Miami amd Tombstone according to my lonely Planet guide! It´s a bit of nothing in particular I think.