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Published: January 22nd 2009
Did you know that Americans need a visa in order to go to Bolivia? Well, you´d think we would as we planned to spend about 3 weeks there. DOY! We were in Puno, Peru about 2 days before we planned to cross the border and found out we would need $135 USD each, our yellow fever vaccination forms, passport photos, filled out forms, copies of everything.... Visions of large bribes danced in our heads. Luckily, everything is possible down here. We met a tourist agency guy named Oscar. We paid him $5 each to get fake vaccination documents from the Peruvian hospital. We were told it could take a very long time and we could get a lot of grief. At first everything went fine, the guys were cordial and we were on our way. One man even asked how much we had paid and seemed surprised when we said only the $135 each (luckily we had that kind of cash on us!) Then the guy who went to give us the final stamps of approval informed us that our vaccination cards were not international and therefore could not be accepted. I explained that they were all we had and was there anything we could do (inferring cash money bribe perhaps?). We all waited in silence for a good minute (the line of impatient tourists growing...). Finally, with an exaggerated sigh, he stamped us up and we muchisimas gracias´d our way our of there. Whew! Score one for John and Josie! Thanks for letting us spend hundreds of dollars here Bolivia. We know you recently kicked out the US´s Drug Enforcement Agency but we just want to get to know your country. Hopefully Obama will be nicer than Bush?
We´re spending 3 mights in Copacabana ( Down at the Copa, Copacabana...) and then we´re moving on to La Paz from here. We have to put some miles on our new visas. Plus, there´s a referendum on the 25th so it seems poignant/stupid to be in the capital at that time.
In other news, we did get a chance to watch the Obamanagurationathon. After walking by about 3 places that had the inaguration playing on the radio, we finally found a coffee shop that had a) a tv b) americans c) cappuchino. We ended up being about ten minutes late for the speech, but were able to see the highlights. We also invented an Obama gang sign that we were flashing to some Dutch beer drinkers a table over. To make said sign extend your thumbs, nails facing your belly button, towards each other until the tips of each thumb touch. Then straighten your pointer finger, making an L with thumb and pointer finger. Then create an arch with the pointer fingers, and all other fingers on your hands. While holding that hand pose place the newly formed O over you heart. The Dutch understood immediately the gravity of the sign. Yes we did! (John is obviously the more creative one of the two!)
More later about the bizarre Peruvian movie we watched in Puno, the massive parade, the night on Isla del Sol, the interesting people we´ve been meeting, etc in the next blog from La Paz where hopefully internet is cheaper. Also, check our profile for frequently asked questions and route map. Reminder--we respond to all emails, eventually!
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Erin
non-member comment
Not Alone
of course not! I found myself recreating the wonder of the hand sign as well. Don't be discouraged!