What a difference a day makes

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Day 263 - Thursday 19 June

In the end I´d decided to take the more expensive direct route as its a lot less hassle, a better bus and in the end the difference in price is less than the cost of a pint back home. By lunchtime I´d arrived, the sun is shining and for the first time in what seems ages its back to the t-shirt and shorts.

After finding a suitable language school on the internet I went in search of the first nightclub I´d gone too when I was here last time. I´d like to go back but don´t know the name or exactly where it is. I spent ages walking around but I just couldn´t find it. In the end it was going dark so I gave up, I´ll continue my search tomorrow.

It had been a pretty tiring journey and to top it off I´ve got a cold coming on so I had an early night in the hope i´m 100% tomorrow and ready for the weekend.

Day 264 - Friday 20 June

I woke up late and already i´ve missed breakfast. What is it with me and Santa Cruz, I hadn´t even gone out last night. I decided to continue my search from yesterday and have a look at the city centre, something I hadn´t done last time as all I´d done was drink. I still couldn´t find the club and don´t like the city centre. I´m having serious doubts about staying here. Last time I´d spent my whole time here in the pub with Gary and Bart, now i´m on my own its boring and theres nothing to do.

Luckily the football was on which made passing the time this afternoon easy enough. I had another walk around the city centre to see if things improved but they didn´t. I think i´ll go back to La Paz to do the Spanish.

Its friday night and i´m supposed to be dating Asunta tonight but speaking to her on the phone I don´t fully trust her. Im sure shes lying to me and has a boyfriend already so I cancelled our date. To top it off I´ve got a heavy cold which has drained me of all my energy and left me tired. I´ve taken a heap of pills but they don´t seem to be working. Santa Cruz is a city of beautiful girls but im tired and not in the mood. They´ll have to wait until tomorrow.

Day 265 - Saturday 21 June

I´m in better spirits today and even made it up for breakfast. I needn´t have bothered though it was rubbish. With no sites to see I headed to the Irish bar for lunch. I´m not going to make the same mistake as yesterday and ordered a pint alongside my meal.

I don´t know where the time went but it was suddenly time for the football to start. Yet another afternoon spent watching the Euros before I did some research on Ecuador.

After yesterday im in a much better mood and my cold has almost shifted. Im definitely going out tonight Ive a good feeling about it. I ended up speaking to a German girl and an english bloke in my hostel. They want to go out but don´t know where to go so i told them they could join me if they wanted. We headed out to the bar area I did know. For some reason I started drinking Bock a local 7% larger. It doesn´t taste that strong but maybe its not a good idea to drink with those malaria pills i´m taking.

After a few warm up beers and a chat we hit the club I´d gone to the last saturday I was here. Its quieter tonight but should still be good. Near the end of the night the German girl wanted to go home but me and the other english bloke thought we´d try our luck with the locals so said goodbye but were staying.

I was quite fortunate in that the music currently playing was salsa. After a few attempts I seem to be able to manage this one ok so hit the dancefloor. I ended up dancing witha girl called Giancarla. Unfortunately the other bloke im with cant speak any spanish so isn´t doing well with her friend. After her friend left he joined me and Giancarla for a drink. The cheeky git made a move on my girl but as he couldn´t speak any spanish he soon hit a brick wall. She´d asked what he´d said so I told her that she reminded him of his girlfriend back at the hotel. I´ve already resigned myself to the fact that i´m leaving town tomorrow and will need a whole week of dates to get anywhere but I was enjoying the conversation.

It came to the end of the night and as her apartment is only around the corner from our hotel she asked if she could share a cab back with us. I don´t know why I bothered but as the cab pulled up outside my hotel I asked her for her phone number. ¨You can have it in the morning¨she replied.

Day 266 - Sunday 22 June

It turns out that Giancarlas half Bolivian and half Brazilian. Her dad also owns a holiday apartment right on Copacabana beach and she wants me to go with her for a weeks holiday in a fortnights time. Now I don´t know what to do. Its completely in the oppostite direction to where im going and I can´t really afford it or the time but it would be nice to go back to Rio and the beach with her.

I´m supposed to have gone back to La Paz today but that will have to wait until another day as i´ve already missed check-out.

I managed to get up to watch Spain play Italy in the football before heading to the Irish bar for something to eat. Whilst there I started to think. I´ve got to be in LA in about 12 weeks time so really need to get moving but then perhaps I´ve done enough travelling for one trip and should see out the remainder of my time here. Its amazing what a difference a day can make. It might only be 8 pm but im knackered so decided to sleep on it.

Day 267 - Monday 23 June

I´d had such an early night that I was up before nine. With breakfast looking rubbish I decided to skip it and go to the bus station to get the times. I might regret it and still change my mind but I think I´ll go back to La Paz after all. I´d only have to leave here in another week or two anyway.

After checking out at lunchtime I´ve still a few hours to kill until the bus leaves at teatime. I headed to a cafe then the Irish bar for some more thinking time.

Maybe im making a mistake but i´ve taken the bus back to La Paz. If I change my mind I can always come back, it only costs just over a fiver.

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