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Welcome to my June 2005 travel journal.
Despite only crashing around 4am, up at 8am after quick shower check out Bill comes to $124 and taxi to Vilcabamba, then find excellent coop taxi that is only $1.20 each to Loja. Meet excellent guy Jamie in the taxi who grew up in Vilcabamba but now lives in Texas. Arrive just in time for the 10am bus for Guayaquil, missing breakfast and now feeling the force of two many the night before. Oh well only 9 hours on the bus to kill !!! Arrive in Guayaquil around 6.30 and after a quick taxi to the SANDER hotel, one street back from Velez, but only $10.90 for double with air con. Just like the Velez it has no atmosphere. Met up with Kerlly and headed back to RESACA restaurant on Malcón 2000 for cangreco, really getting quite a taste for it now, crabs brains and all !!!! Kerlly headed off and Blanca and I headed back to Puerto Pirata to meet up again with Rodney. Ended up playing Electric guitar with him until about 1am.
back to topUp late, Blanca heads off to pick up Naomi, Melissa picks me up later and we all meet up before heading round to see Blanca’s mum. So we head round to her hairdressers with Naomi, I again receive a warm welcome from Rebecca, Blanca’s mum, but just as we are leaving Bryan arrives and he tries to lash out at me again, the guy really is an idiot. I just push him away and Blanca and I leave in a swirl of abuse, guess it is good for my Spanish ???? After lodging another complaint with the police and Commission for mothers and children about Bryan not paying maintenance head out with Armando with aunt and uncle Paul and Mariella, with their two kids Natalia and Paulito, to a street side restaurant for rice and chicken, again I receive a warm welcome and immediately feel like part of the family. On way back dropping off Armando have another run in with Bryan.
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Pick up my photos which are really good of Cotopaxi etc... Head out to the Bingo in the afternoon which is a new thing on me. After paying the 10c for the felt pen enter a large underground hall full mostly of men, paying the 20-30c a card for bingo. It is faced paced and pretty exciting, also really good for my Spanish numbers !!! We play about $5 worth of games which keeps us amused for over an hour, make some new friends with our fellow players who are all disappointed when someone else shouts linea or bingo before the last number comes in, twice I am 1 away !!!!In the Evening head out to the side of the Penas where we have two excellent Caprianas at Arturis overlooking the river, before finding La Paleta, an excellent bar with a sort of French feel to it. There is excellent music and the whole bar is painted with bright colour of flowers, terrace views and birds. We start on the vodka red bulls as the bar starts to fill up. We sample some of the tapas, which is a bit of a let down, frozen packet stuff. Later in the night we are entertained by Max the magician, chatting to him later, he is from Uraguay but now lives in Argentina. He is really good and gets an instant rapport with the assembled crowd
Up with sore heads, head out for lunch and pick up Armando. Head out again to the cinema and see Star Wars 3 again, seems a bit better this time !! head out shopping for a while before heading back to Kerlly's shop. There we meet up with Marino (friend of Kerlly´s) and head back to his in the North of the city, 25c and my first time on the Guayaquil city busses, pretty normal experience, and 30 minutes later get dropped off in quite a nice suburb of Guayaquil. We pick up some food on the way back, and some beers obviously, and enjoy chicken soup and chicken and rice with salsa, before settling into the garden with the beers. Excellent nice, we are joined by Richard, Marino´s twin brother later in the night. Ecuador played Argentina, and while we were round the shops kept racing to the TV’s to see the two goals, Ecuador won 2-0
Naomi´s birthday. Back with Kerlly´s and Blanca to the hairdressers, spend most of the day playing football with Armando and watching the football Brazil vs Uraguay (4-1) and Peru vs Columbia. Meanwhile Blanca is dying her hair, white, black, and then white again, and now a strange green !!! Oh well. Head out to Penas for a few beers. Bryan was meant to bring Naomi back at 1pm, but he doesn’t until after 9. We head over pick her up and head over to Melissa for a stop to eat and meet Miguel Melissa’s boyfriend. He gives us a lift back and we then head back to the Havana Bar and Ricardo.
back to topUp late, excellent Empanadas for breakfast on main street, now got a taste for the ones with chicken, and a spot of mayonnaise. Pretty lazy day, getting my photos uploaded. In the evening head out to the IMAX cinema on malecón 2000, and see the excellent Galapagos movie, only about 45 minutes but is a really good recording of my own memories of the islands. The excellent dome view of the IMAX is much better than the London version at Waterloo, you really do get a full view !!! you can also see the film being loaded from the entrance hall.
back to topUp late again, and finish of my diary entries on the website. Will be heading off to Bolivia tomorrow, although looking up on the news sites, may not be able to get into La Paz at the moment for all the troubles, the local people have blocked all the roads, there is no fuel so the rubbish is collecting in the streets. May well decide to head to Arequipa for a few days and see what happens. Meet up with Kerlly and friends but head out to Las Penas, meet a really drunk Irish guy Broz in Eduardo´s bar.
back to topUp for Breakfast in the nearby Cevicheria wish is really good, pack up and head for the Ormeño bus terminal which is not in the main terminal terrestera but along the main road past the main terminal, find out that the bus only goes once a day at 11.30 and it is now 12.30 oh well, book the tickets for royal class, through to La Paz ($50 to Lima, $70 to La Paz) and head back into Guayaquil, back to Sander hotel, get the same room back. Decide to head up to Eduardo´s bar to watch the Football, Ecuador vs Columbia, bit of a disappointment after the Argentinean game, Ecuador seem to have forgotten how to play and loose, 3-0, it was in New Jersey. Head out to the cinema to watch an excellent Spanish film, called Maria llena ere de Gracias, about two young girls in Columbia who find there way in the dark world of trafficking drugs to the US in their stomachs !!! very good film, reminded me a lot of City of God. Back to Eduado´s bar for a few beers, watch a fight between two locals outside.
back to topUp early again and straight to the Ormeño offices, drop of our bags and head to a local Cevicheria, where we had the best Ceviche so far, can recommend it, its called ´El Primo´. back to the bus offices and on the bus just after 11.30 for the 26 hour ride to Lima, we have made a few friends on the way, Karl from New York, Lucio from Riobamba and two other ladies from Ecuador all of us travelling all the way to Lima. Usual excellent service on the bus, food ok, but nothing to write home about, and movies on all the time. Passport control is no problem again as I leave Ecuador back into Peru, Blanca has to pay $4 to leave Ecuador, the first time she has left the country. We are stopped in Peru about 4 times to check over the bus by the police.
back to topWe arrived in lima around 1.30 say goodbye to our friends, Karl has lost his wallet, we think the police took it from his seat at one of the stops, but not really sure.... After finding out that the bus cannot run to La Paz due to the road blocks, decide to head to Arequipa and wait there, a new President in Bolivia seems to be liked by the people and the protests and road blocks should be removed shortly. Another revolution !!! Get a refund of $15 which they convert to Soles for me, saves me changing money in Lima. Catch a taxi to a recommended hostel in the Barranco area of town, in Footprint, Mochilleros Hostal, but it is no longer running, it is only a bar and restaurant, so on the recommendation of the taxi driver head to Hostel Effiel, quite close to the south of Mirraflores and Barranco districts. After a walk about town, and some excellent food at Haiti near Park Kennedy, head back to the Flying dog backpackers bar, where Jon R and I had spent a few nights the last time we were here in Lima. We meet Ruth from London who has been working out here in the bar for the last two months and is heading home tomorrow, head out with two of her friends back to Barranco and Bierhouse, another Haunt, when Jon and I were here last. Excellent night, lots of new friends, and it really makes me think my Spanish has come on loads !!! chatting to everyone now in Spanish !!! really hope I can keep this going.. may well try and get a job in Barcelona when I return !!! all things are possible after all. Lima is quite different to back in January, it is now pretty cold and cloudy, just like London most of the year really, but there are many more tourists about.
back to topHaving got back to the hotel after 4am was a little difficult to be up and out by 8.00 but we made it. No sign of the taxi driver who promised to meet us from last night, so we head up on our own, and have 30 min wait for the royal class Ormeño bus to Arequipa. This has to be the best bus I have ever been on. It has massive seats, so massive they can only fit 3 in a row, which means seats 1 and 2 are actually either side of the passage, the America who was going to sit next to her husband switches with us kindly. only 16 hours this time, but after 26 hours yesterday and a night out, it is the last thing either of us want, the films are pretty good and keep us amused, and the food is excellent, especially the Chinese beef for Dinner !!!! Arrive in Arequipa around 2am.
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Catch a taxi back to El Caminante Class, but no room so head down, again on taxi recommendation, to Hostel Vallecito, 50/s per night, with TV hot water and breakfast (not included) available. Crash out for the morning, and head into town for lunch. Arequipa again seems to be a little colder, but in the day the sun makes it feel quite nice indeed, again there is a marked increase in tourists about in town. After lunch head over the other side of the river to explore the new part of town, end up at the excellent Cine Planet, 5 blocks up from the river bridge, in an excellent shopping mall to watch Sn. y Sra. (Mr and Mrs) with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, quite liked it, this time in English with Subtitles. Headed back to the Irish bar near the main square and then onto a club to watch Blade Trinity, with a few Arequipeña´s before crashing out.
Up for breakfast at the Mexican, and then spent a couple of hours walking around the Citadel of Santa Catalina again, I didn’t mind as it is a really peaceful place to be. Wander around town and find a really nice restaurant for cake and coffee, just off the main square. As we leave the waiter, tells us to wait, and then all of a sudden we are in the middle of an earthquake !!! the floor suddenly turned to a rippling liquid and we felt the effects of 1 minute of a 5.6 earthquake. The epicentre had been in Chile and a lot stronger (7.6). In Arequipa no really damage and no one hurt, there was an eerie silence when the earthquake happened, I expected a lot more noise, and it was only afterwards you heard the people screaming. more detail on the bbc news site. I really quite enjoyed it, although Blanca was quite upset !! Back up to the bar near the top of San Francisco and caught the House of Wax, a truly awful horror flick, on the DVD Cinema they set up in the afternoons.
Caught the 1pm bus for $1.50 out to Corire, 3 hours later let out on the track to Toro Muerto, it is a good 1 1/2 hour walk from the road before you reach the site, and the directions are a little vague so you need to ask as you go along. Once you leave the last houses, you are walking in a moon like landscape, with dunes of volcanic ash, and large boulders scattered throughout. It is best to head down to the left as you approach and follow the boulders up the hill, rather than the road, as this way you will see many more of the petroglyphs, that are on all the large boulders, there are literally thousands, the ones lower down are mostly ruined by graffiti, but as you get higher they are really quite amazing. Returned back to the road around 6.30 just after dark, and caught another bus back to Arequipa. After an excellent meal we jumped in a taxi to head back to the hostel, but one block from when we picked up the taxi, two other guys jumped in beside us and to cut a long story straight, a short fight ensued after which they robbed us of everything, even checking for money belts. After being dumped in the middle of no where somewhere in the city, we managed to find a shop and got the owner to call a taxi for us, and the hostel paid for the taxi when we got back.
back to topSpent most of the day cancelling my cards, and with the police in Arequipa, were really pretty good, and for 3/s got a copy of the report for the insurance back home. We also identified the three guys from their photos. Who knows what happens next .... Certainly a very bad experience, and I would recommend to anyone only take the teletaxi´s in Arequipa.
back to topFeeling frustrated and annoyed at the previous days events, caught the bus to La Paz, it was meant to leave at 12.00 but didn’t arrive in Arequipa till 2.00 am, was ok sitting in the Ormeño waiting area, very nice !! and secure !! Fairly easy journey although the hostess didn’t explain what was necessary at the border. You have to first get your exit stamp from Peru, (if you are Ecuadorian, you also need a copy of your passport to hand in) Then cross the bridge to get your entry stamp into Bolivia, They were not going to let Blanca in as by all accounts there is a problem with Ecuadorian’s using Bolivia as a start country to get to Europe, as its much easier !!! Oh well sounded to me like an excuse for more money and handing over the last of my change (5/s about 1 pound 50) got a very bitter look and the stamp in the passport !!! Welcome to Bolivia, another 3 hours in the bus we arrived in La Paz. Another Typical South American City sprawling between the mountains. On the bus got chatting to an excellent guy ChoCho from La Paz, who has been living in Norway for a year learning the language, may well try and meet up with him later in the week, I have some time in La Paz as I wait for my new cards to arrive. Also met Stuart a South African who has been travelling for around for 3 weeks but doesn’t speak a word of Spanish, he ended up tagging along with us to the Happy Days Hostel right near the San Francisco Plaza and the centre of town. Just crashed for the rest of the day.
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Up fairly early having slept for over 10 hours, and took the Lonely Planet walking tour of La Paz, pretty interesting although some of the roads we detoured off to seemed a bit dangerous, and we passed a number of small protests. It is clear that La Paz is a poor city, well here anyway, I don’t know quite what it is yet, but I don’t like it here, maybe it will grow on me, or maybe its just the events from a few days ago playing on my mind, anyway. The Llama foetuses are really a sight !!! (Horrible) Headed back to the hostel and tried to help Stuart argue with a taxi driver over the price of a fare, he wanted 40/b for a ride that was only about 7/b oh well. Blanca and I then headed down to the cinema to see the latest batman film, pretty good and in English with Subtitles, despite the 7 minute interval !! yep an interval !! and the applause at the end, pretty good film.
walking again round the markets and feeling a little bit happier with La Paz, still getting pestered by every shoeshine boy and shop attendant. The money my Mum had sent through was simple to collect from western union, so all is well and good again. Will be heading to the ruins at Tihauanco, and the mountain bike down the most dangerous road in the world to Coroico. Quite night only a few beers with Stuart.
back to topUp for breakfast more exploring the markets and getting my photos uploaded, visiting the Coca museo this afternoon. Coca museum was really interesting. It has been set up by the local farmers, Scientists and government agencies to show the history of the coca leave and its uses. Spent an hour or more reading the excellent English translation, and coming away with the thought that the ancient Andean people had been chewing coca leaves for thousands of years with no problems, it only took the western world to start extracting the cocaine that has lead to all the problems, both medical and in the trafficking. It was only in 1914 that they stopped putting cocaine in Coca-cola and it is still flavoured with the coca leaf. More walking around the very interesting markets in the afternoon.
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Up for more exploring of the markets and booked a downhill mountain bike ride down the worlds most dangerous road with Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking $50 with all the equipment and a free t-shirt when you complete. We have been recommended these guys by Ken we met earlier. Had an email from Robin, who I travelled the north of Peru with, he is in La Paz with a friend Nick from the UK. We eventually met up in Sol y Luna a nearby Pub and caught up with what we had been doing for the last 3 1/2 months since I last saw him. Had a great night, also met up with Sandra who Robin had been travelling in Brazil with. The Pub had some pretty good live music, Bongos and a piano, which kept us dancing till after 3am. We headed back to the hostel for a quick hot shower and 30 minutes kip before the bus tomorrow... oh well....
Up a 4am, well 4.30 when the guy from the hostel knocked on the door, out to the waiting bus outside,
we are the last to get on, and the off for the two hour drive to Tiwanaku we arrive at around 6.00am and after a quick cup of tea on the bus, off which most went over me, head through mad crowds through the gate to the main temple. It is really cold as we wait for about 1 1/2 hours for the sun to come up over the hills. There are hundreds of people gathered. Some locals are all dressed up in colourful clothing and chanting and making music on large drums, and panpipes. When the sun does eventually rise over the hills, we are all holding our hands up and making wishes for the new year, this being the Winter Solstice here. There are great cheers and shouts of ´Hiwaki´ to welcome in the new year, and you then wish every one around you a new year with ´Bueno Suerte, Felix año neuvo´. Really quite a special experience. We then spent time wandering around the different groups of local bands, trying to warm up and feel our feet again.
At 8, the tour group headed off to a local restaurant for breakfast of bread and fried eggs, before we split into two groups, one Spanish, one English for a tour of the ruins.
Really quite interesting. Had lunch and the same restaurant and then headed off in the bus to a nearby hill to see the mountains and all take part in a new year ritual. Here we all gathered around the local Shamen, while he prepared the fire of Coca leaves, sweets and offerings to the gods and pachamama, we then all selected 12 good coca leaves and placed these in the pier, making wishes for the new year. We then each blessed the pile with wine and it was all set on fire. After this the shamen blessed us all with chanting, while sprinkling our hands with wine. We each held paper money and a key ring which would ensure that we received wealth in the next year and the key ring would act as a talisman to protect us. Really quit an insight into how they still hold on to these believes, despite the Spanish, they have done this ceremony for centuries. After the drive back to La Paz crashed out to catch up on some sleep.
Up fairly late, but caught up on a lot of sleep, got website up to date. Will need to pack for tomorrow as we are staying in one night, maybe two, in Coroico at Hotel Esmereldas. Out again to Sol y Luna just behind the hostel and again caught up with Sandra and friends. After joking about for a while, they got me to take over the singing in the pub and while the regular guy Ben (thanks for the guitar !!) was taking a break I got up and sung one song to the whole, now packed pub !! Wow, pretty nerve racking at first, but really enjoyed it !! another career perhaps !!! will wait and see on that one. Around midnight said our goodbyes and crashed back to the hostel.
Up at 6.30, thanks to the guys in the hostel, dump our backs in the hostel and head down to the El Terresa cafe for a quite cup of coffee before we leave. Around 7.30 our guide for the day Ian, from Canada, checks we have all got or waived insurance, and we head on the Bus to our starting point just under an Hour away from La Paz. The group is 16, and we all are getting on well by the time we stop to unload the bikes and get going. After they issue the bikes, all with names, mine is Woody Woodpecker, and check that we are happy with brakes, height etc. we gather round for a quick prayer to Pachamama and shot of 97% proof alcohol, yep awake now !!!! Off we go to start the 48km. The first section is tarmac and speed is easy on these excellent bikes. Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking is sponsored by a number of top American Manufactures, who supply new kit to the company every year.
The scenery is excellent and so is the speed, reminding me of my motorbike back home. Similarly you have to lift your inside knee in corners to make yourself more steady, we are told this by Ian at the start. Every 15 minutes or so we group back up to check everyone is ok. At one stop just before a tunnel, Ian gets us to remove sunglasses as it is pretty dark in the tunnel, despite the warnings, a car overtakes us as we all slowly pass through the tunnel and one of us unfortunately hits the curb and has a nasty coming together with the wall. She seems ok, but has a nasty but on her head, where the helmet broke her fall. After checking her over, we continue down a couple of stops before she joins us again at the start of the Worlds Most Dangerous Road (WMDR),
As Ian says it’s a bit of a publicity coup, but 3 years ago over 100 people died as a bus went over the edge, it sound pretty dangerous to me. Here we leave the tarmac and start of the light sandy dust and rocks that will continue for the rest of the journey, with the suspension on the bikes it is pretty easy stuff, although I wish my bike now had rear suspension too !!! Going is still pretty fast for some and really exciting, hardly have time to see the breathtaking scenery as we fly by.
At one stop Ian recants the story of the election in the 1960 in Bolivia, where the Military dictators decided to have an election, when they realised that 5 other parties where ahead in the poles, they took the five leaders and shot them in the head and threw them over the edge !! One way to win an election, wonder if Tony or George have been reading history here in Bolivia !!! Anyway after a quick banana and chocy bar we continue down.
Quite often we end up right behind the massive lorries that use this road and within minutes you are covered in the dust they chuck up. Excellent fun. After a fairly lame, but needed bread, cheese and ham bite, we continue further and father down the dusty road, slowly pealing the layers of clothing off which were needed at the top in the cold. Apart from one short 30 min section on the tarmac it is all down hill !!! More details on the route are on the Gravity Biking Site After a few waterfalls and splashes through rivers we arrived at the bottom, wet dusty but all very happy. A quick beer waiting as we received our free t-shirts and we were wished up to the Hotel Esmarelsdas. Here those not staying showered off, and we all enjoyed an excellent buffet lunch. Those leaving left around 6.00pm to get across the road works in time to get back to la Paz today. The rest of us settled back with a few bottles of wine and played cards.
Excellent peaceful night in Coroico the bed was absolutely massive, and the view over the valley and back to the worlds most dangerous road, excellent. Up for a wander around the hotel and settled down on the terrace, playing cards continuing my trashy Alistair MacLean novel. Generally lazing around, which was just what the surroundings called for, shame really we have to head back to La Paz today, could stay here a few days just relaxing.... Had an excellent lunch and eventually caught the Bus back with today’s group at around 6pm. We had one stop around 9pm, which was well needed due to the beer being consumed, and one being sick. and we arrive back in La Paz around 10.00, after one short attempted robbery of one of the groups bags, headed back to Happy Days Hostel, and crashed....
Lazy day, collect some more money from Western Union, it is the easiest and simplest way to transfer money, while I am still waiting for my cards to arrive being sent by FedEx as DHL refuse to ship them from the UK !!! Oh well !! should be here by Tuesday .... Got another film in for development, 26/b onto CD (that just over $3 or 1.50 UK) pretty good hey !!! Blanca had remembered that we had been going out for 3 months, so had a really nice surprise waiting for me in the room. May tell you more later !!!
Uploaded some more photos and generally chilled for the day.
back to topHeaded out to Wagamama´s Restaurant and enjoyed excellent Sushi for under $10. A recommended fix for sushi lovers. Excellent friendly service... and atmosphere.
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Booked three day tour of the pampas north of La Paz, near Rurrenabaque, will be leaving early Thursday morning for a short flight into the Beni selva (jungle) region of Bolivia. Also posted off some of my collect bits. Just under 2Kg 175/b very smooth operation. You need to head downstairs with your open package so that customs can search it and the once sealed stamp it. Then back up stairs to pay the postage. Out to Oliver’s Travels bar, near the hostel, billed as a true Fake English Pub, and by the gathering of Tourists would have to agree. After a couple of pints are joined by Siobhan, who we met on the Gravity Bike ride, and Molly. After many more beers end up back at the hostel around 2am !!! Excellent night.... Food looked pretty good as well, if you are looking for a crazy bar owner look no further that Olli himself .....
Hurray, my cards finally arrived... yippee, many thanks to the staff of the DHL office on La Pardo, who held the FedEx envelope for me. Paid for the Pampas trip and picked up the tickets. Heading out to a Cuban restaurant tonight, but have a taxi booked for 8am tomorrow morning.... So trying not to have a too late one, will see what happens.... Cuban restaurant really good. Excellent food and the Mojitos are worth the journey. Ended up back in Oliver’s for a quick one, which ended up being a long one. On to Sol y Luna when Oliver’s closed at 1am, got back to the hostel around 3 !!! Oh well....
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Up early and headed to the airport to catch our flight to Rurrenabaque and to the Pampas of Bolivia. La Paz Airport is pretty tiny, but all the usual formalities are adhered to in a Bolivian way !!!
1 hour late, and our flight already having left by the boards, we board the 12 seater plane for the 1 hour flight up to Rurrenabaque, the views as we arrive were fantastic, hope the shots come out on the camera !!! We step out of the plan into the jungle heat again, catch the airport bus (5/b each) into town and find Bala Tours, which our adventure is booked with. After a little mix up, while we grab some lunch and enjoy the views of the river Beni, and try and recover from the hangover which has made the whole morning a haze, we catch a 4x4 for the very bumpy and dusty (volvo in Spanish !!!) 3 hour ride through Santa Rosa to our Pampas lodge at Ecological Lodges Caracoles, really nice set up, reminded me immediately of my Jungle time in Peru, although you instantly notice that there are not so many mossies here !! Excellent !!
Chill out for all of 10 seconds, before whisking through an excellent, but not to easy, beef and rice dish, before heading out in the canoe for the afternoons excursion.
We head out for about 30 minutes in the boat, (with motor) until will reach one of the roads through the pampas, here we get out for a little walk and with line and hook in hand, and with meat bait, set about trying to catch Piranha !! no luck so we move on, still no luck, the heat is really telling and the four of us and the guide are all drinking the free water supplied at a fair rate !!! heads a little low we head back to the lodge for an excellent supper, and cold shower in the excellent toilet block, well its excellent for the jungle !! At 10 we head out again back to where we were fishing, this time the mossies are out in force.... you can hardly see the hand in front of your face !!! We do spot a couple of Cayman crocs !! it really is uncomfortable !!!! we quickly head back to the canoe and head back down the river looking for more crocs and snakes in the edge of the river. Back to the lodge and quickly crash out for the night.
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