Salty Towers

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Hola from Bolivia!
There´s been so much to write about over the last few weeks. I´ll start where I left off, my last night in Paraguay. Don´t know why it is but I ended up doing kareoke on foreign soil again. I got roped in by a local and we sang Bohemian Rhapsody together. It sounded more like troughing time at Battesea Dog´s Home but I did think no applause was a bit harsh.
It´s been a mixed bag of contrasting events and fortunes over here. First of all, I´ve met a lovely Ukranian called Alexandra who lives in Buenos Aires. She´s going to help me w/ my Spanish and I´m going to teach her English and stuff. However, my first Saturday in Santa Cruz, Bolivia was a different story. I went along to the Fox Bar and within 2 mins i found myself in the grip of a chunky lass w/ multi- coloured teeth. (you know the one, if she had a white one´she´d have a snooker set). I decided that i had a thirst on, made my apologies and made a cool, sharp exit. Santa Cruz, I thought was a bit seedy and the only highlight was leaving. F/ here I took a tour to the edge of the rain forest where I went up a river on a boat and stopped in part of the jungle where I was greeted by really huge ants and freaky jumping spiders. Carried on my tour to Cochabamba and then the smaller town of Oruro.
Food over here can be fantastic if you go to the right places. On the other hand the only choice you get in the small towns is greasy chicken and unhealthy looking chips that has been sitting out in the open for who knows how long ready to be reheated. Either that or it´s fatty pork, scratty beef or donkey. The smell is wretched! Looking for a bit of a change I decided to go to a vegeterian restuarant (vegetariana) or something like that. I was lost for words when I walked through the door and saw a manky dog having its poopshute dabbed w/ a bit of cotton wool. Stepping back outside the sign read vetenaria. Having been put off f/ eating and miffed that that I can´t read´I set off for the nearest bar. Beer me Jim! The ale is well fizzy at altitude and gets to you in double quick time. I spent my 27th (what¿) in Potosi, at 4070m it´s the world´s highest city. A fact that becomes clear when you´re struggling for breath when climbing the city streets. My introdution to this place was to have my knee almost removed by a local taxi whilst waiting to get my bag off the bus. W/ no damage done, I went off in search of a hotel and my opinions about Bolivians being the world´s worst drivers were confirmed when 15mins later on the same road, a car pulling into the ´curb´ took my other knee out. Losing my temper I lashed a right foot volley against his bumper and limped off. I have a habit of staying at the first hotel I find. Sometimes it works and other times well...The one in Potosi was like a prison cell. I half expected Godber to poke his head round the door and tell me to naff off or find a tin of pineapple chunks hidden in the wardrobe. Come to think of it, what wardrobe? On Saturday I stayed at the pleasant city of Sucre, where people still dress in traditional costume with their bowler hats and carrying anything from onions to babies on their backs. Two miles f/ the city I went to see dinosaur footprints. Sunday, i went to the market at Tarabuco. It was a bit like Donington but w/ Bolivian crafts. Got some gifts for me Ma and took a lift back to town in a lorry w/ a load a goats aboad. From sucre I was off to the dusty village called Uyuni. Apart f/ the train cemetery the only reason to come here is the base for the trips to the Salt Plains. What an experience! Driving through the plains you get to see the most surreal and fantastic landscapes. After a trip to a couple of islands and lagoons I was dropped off at the Salar Blanco. A hotel in the middle of the salt plains built of salt. Beds, tables, walls and chairs- all salt. I spent the evening there w/ 2 excitable Japanese girls, Hitomi & Natsuko. With no running water, electricity or heat it was freezing and pitch black when the candles burnt themselves out. But I´ve got to say it was one of the best nights ever! Unbelievable sunset, looking at millions of stars in the clear night sky and watching flamingoes fly by at sunset. It´s what it is all about.
Despite the drivers, Slade Prison and some of the food, I have to say in the 50 countries that I´ve visited, Bolivia takes some beating. For its unimaginable landscapes, friendly people and things to do & see. If you ever get the chance to come here you must take it!!
Adios Kevoz

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