Tupiza is dedicated to Pete

---

We are dedicating this blog to Pete because he keeps popping up in John's dreams and saving the day. Thanks for subconsciously always being there for John, tall guy. We have really weird dreams while we're travelling. Sometimes, when our days aren't too full we are very busy all night with math tests, waiting on tables, places to go and stuff to do. Other times people from our past pop up with people from our present. It's a weird inner world on the road and even weirder while sleeping.

We wish we could say we just hopped a bus to Tupiza, no problem. But, of course, we were in Bolivia and things rarely happen so simply. Our bus stopped after 2 hours (of deafening Andean flutes) and it became clear we were meant to get off. Then we witnessed our bus driver paying another bus driver to take us on his bus and overheard them talking about how there were too many people. Thus, when I came back from the lovely bathroom, WW2 was breaking out again between the French and German tourists. ¨This was our bus first!¨screamed the French girl with the boyfriend who seemed to have the food poisoning we just recovered from. Tell it to the driver, blondie. In the end, 3 tourists had to stand for the rest of the 4 hours--Josie took a turn when the German girl started looking faint. It hailed at one point during the ride and the mountains were covered in white stuff--looked just like home must look!

We didn't seem to be the only ones who were feeling a tad over Bolivia by this time. One leggy Australian guy actually blurted out ¨God, I hate f***ing Bolivians...¨, looked around the bus,¨except for the Bolivians on this bus of course¨. This was after a Bolivian guy tried to kick him out of his seat because they double sold it (both tickets had the same seat numbers). An Australian couple on a round the world ticket who had already conquered Cairo, New York City and other challenging places looked absolutely panicked when it seemed possible they may not make it to Salta, Argentina by that night. At least we speak and understand Spanish so we always know what the situation, scam or scenario is--that makes things a lot easier.

We had learned a few things about Bolivian culture by the time we got to to Tupiza--and yes, we did eventually get to Tupiza. All these phrases can be prefaced by, ¨In Bolivia...¨
1) Nothing is ever anyone's fault. No Bolivian will ever take responsibility for anything. Ever. Example: If you want to buy something but don't have change--yep, your fault even though they're the one making the sale.
2) Everything is done at a minimum--nothing more than what is absolutely necessary. Example: Your bus technically arrives in a town, but not at the bus station.
3) They just don't seem to be trying very hard. Example: The panels of the window in your hostal room door are broken and (barely) covered with bits of paper and plastic bags. There are rarely curtains, sometimes no furniture other than a bed and nothing on the walls of hostel rooms.
4) They have all the ingredients for good food but do not make it--obviously a highly personal observation informed by our choice to live a vegetarian and healthy lifestyle. Still, chicken and french fries do not a diet make. Also, those are not ¨empanadas¨-- a new descriptive term is necessary.
5) Finally--Bolivians don't seem to excited to be in Bolivia and it makes it hard to get very excited about being their yourself.

That said, we did enjoy our 3 weeks in Bolivia very much. It is an amazingly beautiful country that was worth more than the $135 visa to see and experience! We stayed in the hostel of a very nice family in Tupiza and it was our cheapest in Bolivia--under $3 each. We cooked pasta for dinner in the little kitchen, tried Bolivian wine, talked with the strange night caretaker, Alfredo, who helped us make popcorn and generally tried to recover from the various travel ailments we're suffering from. We did go horseback riding with Luis, who must have been about 14, and had one ear bud of his mp3 player in for the duration of our 3 hour tour. The landscapes are really beautiful in and around Tupiza and we were glad we stopped there before heading to Argentina.

---

Comments

[Pete]

Thanks?
I don't know what to say. Part of me is glad the details of the dreams have been omitted. Part of me is curious of those details. Anyway I am glad to be in your thoughts because you guys are in mine. I hope the trip is still going well and we look forward to hear more about your travels when you get home. On a side note, Jeannine is not interested in Pete Bjorn and John so it may just be John and I. I have to doublecheck the date of the concert and I will let you know if I grab tickets. Sound good John? Take Care, Pete