Que passe Bolivia?!??!

---

Alright everyone, heres teh bolivia blog.

Entered this country about a week ago, crossing from peru on the 1970s throwback bus, with brown upholstery and a certain whiff that matched. woken in the early hours, those travelling to copacabana were unloaded into a smaller minibus where we would be joined on route by a selection of bolivians making there way to the homeland. between the backpackers, big skirted, bowler hatted, beplaited ladies climbed on teh bus, insistent that the tourists sit on the proper seats. While they perched on a padded bar and dabbed their noses on the inards of their skirts. NEver seen a face so lined.

Got ´charred´at in border control for leaning on teh table. bolivians not a huge fan of the english, this was sfurther confirmed when at a peña (local music night) and got questioned by the compere. we recieved spatterd applause, while the 13 strong group of japanese business men got nearly a standing ovation as they sipped at their pisco sours. No one was more welcome than the Nicruaguans (sp.) who had an entire bottle of whiskey and certain schemely looks with teh management. dodgey deals me thinks.

While here other delightful bolivians have included, the doctor hibbert of south america.

Accepting that was utterly incapacitated after spending a day in various cafes so as to be near el baño finally trudged to the doctor. Tehre was an excessive amout of prodding, a few hours attached to a drip and a very painful bloodtest (once again my veins refusing to give up the good stuff) so now i sit pock marked and pennyless . . . a slight exageration however the medical adventure has detracted from the bargain hunting charm of bolivia.

Dr Ludwig was a definate chuckler. From the moment he waved my urine sample about in the light until the moment he escorted us to teh cashpoint and waited for mine (and beena´s account) to give out 2000 boliviano big ones he kept on chuckling. hope the insurance pays out.

however, bonus points can now wlak more than 5 minutes without collapsing. health advice to all. don´t eat lamb in the jungle. post dinner saw my main course´s bretheren strung up in a tent surrounded by flies and various dirty people with big knives. source of 5 days pain located.


saw my first women without plaits yesterday - wHy was this ''' becuase we were watching the cholitas wrestling. ALl very WWF, with the stars of teh shows being the ´cholitas´women in traditional dress (plaits bowler hats and big ole skirts) not sure if it was necessarily empowering - the umpire was quite happy to give her a kick while fighting -tho preserved her dignity by pulling her skirts down when legs were asunder and she was received full body blow.

for The ultimate fight the wrestling ring was surrounded by a gas pipe and a ring of fire. First time seen a bolivian woman without her plaits . . . her oponent set her hair alight. This was tame. moments later hte cholita was running around the ring in a ball of fire as her petticoats had gone up.

our tour operator made us leave early because the locals had started throwing bottles and the gas pipe around the ring was only being kept from exploding by some 10 year olds wrapping damp cloths around it at sporadic intervals.

Tourists were more accepted here then anywhere else we´ve been- with plastic picnic chairs ringside. Feel we may have been as much a part of teh sport as the wrestling itself.- being in prime position to be spat on, subject to the loosing cholitas fury as she flung the metal railing into the crowd and in beena´s case ideally located to have a sweaty, smelly snog wiped across her face by . the Chinese couple to our left also received a bit of tongue action, with teh wrestler bellowing ´Bessitome commo Chino"


people here do not like the english, fear for life whether its daylight ofr the evening hours. walked up a hill yesterday, and an inmate from the prison approached us and said he would give us a tour for 20 boilbolivianos. he was bare footed filthy, and coked up to his infested nostrils. "from new York, only 2 weeks lieft inside" (he told us 3 or 4 times ) as we were following him down the road he gave the thumbs up to the passing police van. we bottled it about going to the prison full of murderesr and rapists. Its a large open prison and the women and children can pay rent and live-in with the inmates.
don´t know if this was a mistake, but just luck here ahas been pretty thin on the ground. some russian girl ysterday told us she got ´searched by the pooliceñ´and found out they had stolen her camera.

so that just a bit of Bolivia, there is so muuch more. but been going on for ages hoping pictures will be able to upload soon, which will be much more interesting for you should you have a moment.

---