Border crossing into Bolivia

So one border crossing later (my first of the trip!) and about 16 hours on perhaps the least comfortable bus ride so far and I am in Cochabamaba, Bolivia, yay! A new country, new sights, smells, ryhthyms, exciting :-)

This was perhaps the most peculiar bus ride too: from the rudeness of the bus driver when David checked the leaving time with him; to the unpredictable leaving time itself that had me and David and all the other passengers waiting in the street in Arica from the scheduled time of midnight until 2am; to the random and illogical seat numbering that took over half an hour to sort out and left one passenger seat-less and understandably very angry (he came with us in the end, riding up front with the driver); to the various bus workers sleeping along the floor, the back seat ridge, and the underbelly luggage rack; to the breaking down of the toilet early on, that left me desperate for the loo at the unfortunate timing of the queues of the border crossing at Chungara –Tambo Quemado; to the strange sensation of feeling almost drugged that had me drifting in and out of sleep all of the Sunday day in between momentary steps down off at various loo and wheel-changing stops, perhaps a combined effect of high altitude and lack of sleep during the cold of the night passing through the Altiplano with no blanket (note to self: before next overnight bus journey check if there are blankets available and if not wither get a hold of one, or wear multiple layers of clothing!) 

 

From the moment of first crossing the border I felt the change into a new culture, a new flavour.  The biggest change is perhaps the climate, which has been sunny during the day but rainy later on.  Light rain drizzled through my first evening with lightening flashing at intervals across the sky, which is apparently common at this time of year, and as I write heavier rain is pattering on the roof.  This is obviously a huge change to the water-short northern desert regions of Chile, where it is said to rain once a year for half an hour. 

Wherever we stopped there were always folk selling food, and I had my first taste of typical Bolivian food at the border when I ate a mix of mote, papa and chicharrón (boiled corn, potato and pork cracklings) Most food sellers seem to be seated on the ground, with a large basket or plastic cooler between their feet, usually wrapped in the brightly coloured typical woven blankets that are used to carry the containers on their backs when they walk to and from the selling spot.  (The same blankets are also used to carry babies and young children on the back.) Most of the food sellers are indigenous Bolivians, whose first language is Quechan and who wear the traditional woven clothing, with the women wearing their hair in two thick long plaits topped usually by a typical Bolivian bowler hat decorated with ribbons.

After finally reaching Cochabamba around 6pm I made my way to the first guide-book listed hostel that answered and had a spare room, Hostel Fontaine (that turns out to be more Hotel than Hostel, seeing as I have a private room, bathroom , TV (that I have yet to turn on!) and fridge (empty and doesn’t seem to work even when plugged in).  After moving from the first room I was given because all the plug sockets were broken, I got happily settled into a room with a patchwork blanket style throw and an interestingly stylized painting of a harpist on the wall... the harp and patchwork two coincidental touches that made me feel very at home once I noticed them. :-)

The highlight of my first night in Cochabamba was catching up with my brilliant old friend Lucy Pickles, who’s been out here for the last few months volunteering with Tearfund.  I was shocked to hear how severe her recent bout of food poisoning was, landing her in hospital twice with dehydration.  Luckily she’s now fully recovered, or at least enough for us to share a damn good pizza, European style (After a few months of being here Lucy says she’s over the typical Bolivian food!)

I’m already one day into my stay and after wandering the streets today am full of more thoughts and observations to share, but for now, with it being 4.35am and an early start tomorrow to catch Lucy for breakfast, let’s leave it at this, and a couple of photos giving a taste of the vibrancy and colour of this hectic Bolivian city.

Enjoy!

Big love from Bolivia

:-)