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Published: March 4th 2008
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Day 2 of Bolivia, Santa Cruz, leaving tonight on a bus bound for La Paz, the world's highest capital city.
We felt like it was a real treat to be getting in a plane again rather than thinking about another long distance bus trip. We bid farewell to Rio in all its splendour and after a bus ride with a kamikaze bus driver on a death mission, we made it to the airport all in one piece. Confusion set in at the airport much like when we flew from Buenos Aires to Santiago all those months ago - where to check in? Then when we got thru all the formalities, where does the plane actually go from?
We managed to get it right anyway, first stop was Sao Paulo where we had expected the shops and duty free to be great (it wasn't) and there to be a bank machine (there wasn't). So dinner on the credit cards, the most expensive sandwich I have ever had (and not that nice anyway). We had a spectacular view of one of the world's most densely populated cities, Sao Paulo on the 2nd flight. It was the most amazing night view of a city I have ever seen - lights as far as the eye could see, some in strange patterns over the water. I could actually see what 124kms of traffic jams looked like, roads defined the edges of the city and the traffic pumped slowly around it like slow moving blood through the veins of the metropolis. We were fed juice and guava museli bars again, and the same on the 3rd flight, but managed to make the passionfruit juice a bit more interesting with our own half bottle of smuggled Bacardi.
We had to stop again in Campo Grande. Our airline was GOL, a Brazilian airline. On all 3 flights there was no safety demo, just a helpful "There is a lifejacket under your seat if you need to use it" almost a kind of "by the way" note, although in the very Portuguese accent it sounded more like "bish bosh mush lush life-y jacket-gy oonder the seaaatchee plash fish thank you." If I hadn't known any better I would have pegged them as Chinese people trying to speak English.
We arrived into Santa Cruz airport an hour and a half later than what was on our itinerary, even though only the first flight had had been late, but didn't effect the second or 3rd. We got through immigration via a very tired and bored looking official who neglected to ask us about our return ticket, even though the airline had been adamant that we would need to have one. We got a taxi easily and were in at our hostel in around 20 minutes, around 2a.m. at this stage.
It was pitch black when we got into our room so when we woke in the morning we saw a beautiful courtyard and garden outside our window. While I was getting dressed a saw a toucan hopping around, the most amazing colours. Turns out there are 2 which are the resident pets of the hostel.
Spent the day marvelling at how cheap everything is here, especially compared to Rio. In celebration we ended up spending probably the same amount anyway, but we ate and drank like kings and bought the most expensive and comfortable seats for the bus this evening. Food here is great, we ate in a Cuban restaurant yesterday, some fabulous fish, and in the evening went to a place which is considered pretty posh, but for 2 cocktails, a beer, 2 waters, 2 main meals and salad we paid 8 Euro (4 Euro EACH!!) The waiters wore cool cowboy hats, one of which they had to place on the head of whoever was having a birthday and stand around them, clapping and singing some kind of song with about 3 notes in it. (there were about 5 people last night having birthdays, that's a lot of clapping and singing!) In our guidebook it said that there was traditional music most nights of the week. John asked the waiter before we had even sat down and he said they would be back on again soon. He regretted that he had asked when he did come back onstage, turned out to be a one man muso on a synthesiser who had "My Way" as part of his repetoire (as well as other greats) Although there was a girl who came on later, dressed down for the occasion and who seemed only interested in singing to her boyfriend at the side of the stage.
Food's been really great, first hostel we have been where they have had decent fruit with breakfast, and the meals yesterday were great too. As John keep reminding me "We are in the land of the potato now" and was most excited last night when we tried a different kind called "yucca" which was fried in big chunks and really good. John also got a menu del dia today for 18 Bolivianos (10 Bolivianos to the Euro, 7 to the dollar) which was a 3 course meal. Great drinks include a version of caipirinha with passionfruit juice, "chuflay" which is the Bolivian cocktail, and John was delighted by the fact that Jameson is half the price here than Ireland in a posh bar.
Had a bit of a rough nights sleep last night on account of some Isrealis in the hostel playing Dire Straits "Walk of Life" at 4.30a.m. John went out to tell them to turn it off, and we had flashbacks of India which was overrun by the Isrealis - they like the cheap countries.
On the bus this evening for La Paz......over 3000 mtrs above sea level....looking forward to altitude sickness.....
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