Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Getting out the jungle was supposed to be easy, flight back to La Paz, night in La Paz, bus to Titicaca.
The flight was not until the afternoon, so I had some lunch at the hostel, chicken skewers. They took so long coming I did not have much time to eat them before I had to get to the airline office. The airport is just a shack so you have to check in at the office in town and then you get on a bus with them.
Anyway the chicken did not look quite right, but there was no blood so I woofed it down and then ran off to the office. It was really cloudy and rainy, so was not surprised to be told that the flight had been cancelled. I had heard that the other airline had cancelled all their flights too.
It was not the end of the world as I had not booked anything just in case, so went back to the hostel and booked another night.
Be back here for 7am they told us. Great, another early start.
So there I was for 7am, checked in again and was told come back for 9, flight is delayed. Got back at 9, come back for 10.
Got back at 10, got on bus, waited at airport for an hour.
Finally we took off and as we got towards la paz I started to feel quite queasy. Must be the altitude I thought.
I realised my 30 day visa was not going to last me long enough for lake Titicaca, so as soon as I landed I needed to get to the immigration office and get it extended. I shared a cab into town with some of the others and dashed straight down to find it was closed.
Because it was saturday it had closed at noon. Now I was in a pickle. It was closed sunday and we had been told that on monday the road blocks were on again, so if I waited until then I would not be able to get out of town. It was getting late and I could not face a four hour bus journey and I did not feel well so checked in to my lovely five star hotel for the night thinking I might benefit from having my own toilet.
I spoke to the woman who owned it and she said I could get my visa at the border which is only five minutes from were I was going in Copacabana.
Right, decision made so I booked the bus for the next morning.
Yet another early start but I needed to get rocking and rolling.
I had not had an indian for months so figured it would be kill or cure for my dodgy belly. I was convinced now I had food poisoning from the kebab the day before.
It was awful, I wish I had never bothered as I walked back to the hotel feeling worse than ever.
Well that night I do not know what was wrong with me. I could not catch my breath, and I could not sleep a wink. About 2am I was convinced there was a ghost stood next to the bed ringing a bell.
I dragged myself to the bus station looking and feeling like s***.
Oh well, at least I can have a sleep on the bus I thought.
As we did a couple of stops I was amazed to see Sarah get on who I had briefly met in Valparaiso. We had a good old natter as I yawned constantly at her, I felt so rude, but I was so tired.
I jumped off in Copacabana and left her to continue her journey.
I walked up to a hostel that everyone had recommended but it was full, so started to head back in to town. I popped in the one next door but it was really pricey at 20 dollars and not that good at all. I asked to see the room just to get a gauge and as the lad showed me something went horribly wrong in my stomach.
I realised that what was in there was wanting to make a sudden exit, if you know what I mean.
There was no way I was going to make it To anywere else, so grabbed the key off the porter, shouted I will take it, and shoved him out the door.
So I had no choice but to stay there, but at least managed to get a big chunk off the price.
I decided to go straight to the border before doing anything so just grabbed my passport and jumped in a taxi to the border.
I walked in to the immigration expecting them to just give me a longer stamp, but bang bang and I was out. They would not extend it.
Peru he said pointing up the road.
I guessed I would have to go to Peru and then come straight back, like lots of expats do in many countries.
No problema I asked him?
Si, no problema.
So I walked over the most loosely guarded border I have seen in ages and walked in to the Peru office, filled in the immigration card and bang bang.
This was simple I thought.
As they handed me my passport I handed it back saying Bolivia.
They just looked At me.
No she said.
Eh?
I needed a translator, and as if by some miracle, Sarah walked in. Her bus had arrived at the border the same time as me. She spoke good Spanish so explained I needed to go straight back.
20 Dollars the woman said.
s***!
I had left everything in the hotel, I had about five quid in Bolivian money on me.
What now?
The woman just shrugged her shoulders.
By an even bigger miracle Sarah had some dollars on her and said she would give me the money. I was shocked by a combination of how kind she was, and for myself for being so stupid to have come to an international border with nothing on me.
So yet another lucky escape. Bang bang out of Peru, back to Bolivia bang bang back in.
They asked me if I needed to pay anything as they stamped me in and made those ouch faces as I told them twenty dollars.
The worst of it all was that I was only going to be a day over. It would have been cheaper to have just paid the fine.
So back to Copacabana and I decided I did not like it there at all.
I had imagined it was a beautiful hillside town sweeping down to the lake with a little beach.
No it was more dogs than ever before but this time having sex, and loads of backpackers.
Get me out I thought.
I booked an island boat trip for the next day which meant yet another early start, but I did not want to hang around.
The local speciality is trout so I went in to town to try some.
The restaurant was dead and they appear not to have heard about customer service as the miserable faced waitress slammed my plate down.
I was still not feeling well so eat the trout and left the rest. I got up to pay and then realised I had no money on me.
Luckily I had my cards with me, so tried to explain I needed to go to an ATM.
Well if looks could kill.
I gave her my camera and room key as security and kept saying cinqo minutos.
She just stared at me.
Ok?
She just kept staring.
Eventually I think the penny dropped and she stomped off with my camera that was easily worth ten times the cost of the meal.
Luckily my card worked and I paid up and headed up past the wild packs of dogs having sex in the main square back to my over priced hotel.
Isla del sol is one of the main attractions so I was looking forward to seeing it.
The boat drops you off at the north of the island and then you trek to the south and get the boat back in the afternoon.
I was tempted to stay the night on the island, but the weather was not so terrific and I wanted to get a move on.
It was a bit of a tough walk due to the altitude, but it was nice scenery and the weather held out. I managed to make it back to the boat in time.
My time in Bolivia had come to an end, I could not believe I had stayed a month, but it was now time to move on to Peru.
I had booked a bus the next day so it meant yet another early start.
Next stop........Arequipa Peru.......
- comments