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OK, so I know the last blog was quite recent but I thought I needed to fill you in on the last 2hrs.
So, the story starts when we bought our bus tickets from Copacabana to La Paz on Saturday. Today we then went to the office to ask what bus we were supposed to be on as there were a lot, when the woman requested $10bolivianos more as the price had increased (we deduced this from our now fluent grasp of the Spanish language since Madds left).
Now, the easy thing to do was pay the lady and get on with it, but that was not the principle of the matter. So I proceeded to ask her politely to mount her bicycle and be on her way (in my now fluent grasp of the Spanish language since Madds left) - remember we are brassick due to lack of cash machine.
The Kimbo decided to wing it and find a bus that looked similar to the one on the poster, while the lady went to ask her friends for help or advice.
When she came back she accepted defeat and pointed to the relevant bus - victory for principles!
We then got on the bus, which had seen better journeys, but had no seat allocation. This led to some locals asking me to move. So I did and hijacked another seat before being told it was allocated to another girl. So right now panic ensues as we are 10mins to departure and most likely on the wrong bus, with all the others apparently already full! (Remember we do not have the cash for a later ticket!)
Our predicament drew sympathy from a family of Aussie passengers, but it seemed a nice young guy from Argentina was in the same predicament, eventhough his mastery of the Spanish language came from birth and not since Madds had left.
Anyway, he expelled it was 'a mess' so I played Irish and handed my ticket to the lady parading the isle. She took it, never flinched and I sat down in the front - victory again!
Nueha, the Argie, also blagged his way on so we were sitting together at the front of the bus with Kimbo on the back row.
Sorted, one may think.
Nadda of the sort.
We travelled a bit before the bus ground to a halt and we were ordered off by the driver, but we weren't allowed to take our bags off. (Nueha interpreted that one).
So I'm ready to go Chicken Oriental on the driver, after all, we're on a victory streak. But through my new-found fluency in the Spanish language since Maddy left, coupled with my skill in awareness of the situation and knowledge of engineering I could work out what was goin on.
We had to leave the bus as we were at the edge of affor-mentioned Lake Titicaca. There were a line of busses behind and what looked like planks of wood bound together, badly, floating toward the shore. Then came the lightbulb moment - the buses would float across the water on the poorly-looking planks, but they would be too heavy with us on so we had to leave and take the boat. (I say boat, but if you can imagine, the floor was held together by the mudflap from a Nissan nailed between the floorboards, and even the locals laughed when I pointed out the Technical Inspection sticker on the window. You get the picture).
Anyway, I paid the $1.50bolivianos for us and Nueha for helping with translation, and patience (plus his favourite band is Oasis and really likes some Irish band that plays a song I don't know - cigar for anyone who knows 'The Worst Day Since Yesterday' by Flogging Molly), and ship and crew safely made it across the rocky waters. I should point out the Dad of the Aussie family offered us our fare for the boat as he remembered our plight.
So anyway here we are, en route to La Paz again. We should be there in a couple of hours but I'll keep my fingers crossed and my ear finely-tuned to the Spanish language since Maddy left.
As a footnote, the additional cost the lady was asking for was $10bolivianos, about 91p. But it's the principle.
- comments
ifaf Lol love it... I'm all for the principles!! Lookin forward to reading the next instalment :) x
Orla Brilliant! Laughing out load at this, sorry but very funny! Glad you all got sorted in the end!!! Sounds like you're having an amazing time with the little hiccupps along the way but all part of it I'd say! Missing you both, please please please look after each other and never leave each other I no I'm being the over protective sister but it's just from hearing the sad news about Mickey Harte's daughter Michaela! Take good care of each other!!!! Can't wait for the nxt blogs! Lots of love Orla x
Shelle Hehe... what a day! Sounds like you guys are being well and truly immersed in South American life :o) The trip so far sounds amazing - very jealous indeed! Missing you both already and loving that your blog lets us know how you are and what you are up to. Dee, have you by any chance mastered Spanish since Maddie left ;o) Love you both loads, xxx
Craig If that Top Gear special is anything to go by, you've still got the fun bit of the drive to Le Paz to go. Good to hear you managed to negotiate your way out of trouble in Spanish.
Claire Absolutely comedy plus! I was also laughing out loud as I was reading the story to Neil! Glad you are both safe and sound!!! Missing u both but looking forward to hearing more instalments :) Hi to Kimbo xxxx
grainne Hi damien & kim hope u r both well!! We r all waiting on the next update. Sheltered life i live! Take care xxx