Gas shortages, rain and blockades

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We´ve come to realise that barely a day seems to go as expected when driving in Bolivia. It took us 4 days to get to the town we are in now and each day had its own little surprises... downpours causing very, very muddy potholed roads, gas shortages and blockades. The last few days of driving were hard core. We had a big rain storm and the roads turned into a big mud bath... driving became a matter of trying to work out which pothole was the shallowest. Had heaps of fun 4x4 ing through the muck and James is happy to say that the Beast came through with flying colours.

One surprise was after we had driven 10 hours and used up all our gas (plus our spare bottle) we arrived at the town where we were planning on buying gas (since we had brought it there before) to find they had run out. They weren´t getting any until Friday (it was Tuesday, so there was no way we were waiting!). It was a 5 hour drive until the next town (we were in the middle of nowhere) so we had no other option but to drive an hour out of the way to a different town to get gas. But on arrival we found that they didn´t have any gas either. So we could do nothing but wait for the 2 hours it took for gas to arrive. We heard a few different theories for the gas shortage (since Bolivia actually has tons of gas) - the main one being contraband - its more profitable to take the gas to Brazil. What I couldn´t figure out was since everyone knows about it why don´t they do something about it? Oh well. It eventually arrived.

And then there were the blockades... on one day in particular the whole department of Beni decided to protest (the rising price of bread?) and put blockades everywhere. Bolivians like their blockades. We heard about it the night before so got up at 3am (!!) to try and get as far as we could before the blockaders went into action. We drove in the dark for 3 hours until the car suddenly stalled and wouldn´t start again. We were dead tired so we slept for an hour and then woke up and James fixed the car in daylight and we hit the again - sadly arriving just in time to reach the start of the roadblock (two tractors) in the next town. A man dressed in camo (head to toe) informed us that he wouldn´t be moving the tractors until 6pm. So we settled down for the day and waited for 8 and a half hours before they moved. What I couldn´t figure out was they thought it beneficial to block us and a some other truckies and then let the ´officials´ drive through? I would´ve thought it should be the other way around. Grrr!

Its been great to see the lowland part to Bolivia and to see the differences in the people and in the culture. We´re coming up to the towns which have Jesuit missions and we´ve nearly reached paved road!!

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Photos

The tractor blockade
We waited outside the town of San Borja for 8 hrs 30 mins!!!

So much rain in such a short time
And its supposed to be the dry season

Comments

[Dandy]

whassup
Hey J and J, I wish I had something very witty to write that might make you laugh or at least think a bit. Instead I'll have to settle for sending you this dull comment that simply states that you are missed greatly and we hope you are back safe and soon. We are hoping to take the challenge to learn to Salsa much more serious when you guys return. See you soon! It is freezing here in La Paz. Dandy