A Bumpy Road part 3: Tarija

Next stop in my travels was Tarija. This is the wine producing area and supposed to be one of the most beautiful parts of Bolivia. It’s a short plane ride away from La Paz; unfortunately I was going by 16 hour bus ride.

Again I trekked off to the bus station, hopped on the bus and off I went, up through the freezing Altiplano area at night and as dawn broke we were driving through desert filled with cacti, jagged cliffs and low brush. This was the Bolivian desert.

Again Bolivian infrastructure started to get the best of me as we wound through the hills on dirt roads and crossed rivers with no bridges. I have to say I’m glad I didn’t go a few months later during the rainy season when those rivers are much higher.

Along the way we passed little clusters of houses surrounding churches or pasture. There was even a rooster waiting to cross the road. Each town bore the mark of the elections that had taken place earlier this year. Every wall was painted with political slogans and poles were plastered with flyers baring the faces of the candidates. There were no plastic signs with wire frames in sight. I wonder if these signs will be there until the next election when they will paint over them. I guess it saves the building owner paying to have someone paint it.

I finally arrived in Tarija, stiff and a little tired and then woke up very quickly when I realized that my backpack was not on the bus. Yes, it had been stolen. So the time I had hoped to have in Tarija turned into a tour of the local police station (FELCC) while I made a report on what was in the back pack (my laptop and my trip diary which had all my photos and memories; yes I cried). I think the police officer felt sorry for me because he gave me a ride back to the bus station.

So what do you do when you only have the clothes on your back and money to get home? You buy wine and Singani from the bus station and wait (yes I bought a tooth brush and tooth paste too Mom). People watching at a bus station can be fun, there’s the ice cream seller who won’t stop honking her annoying horn, the kid who won’t stop crying (I completely understood his point of view), and the ticket sellers who walk around every two minutes yelling out destinations and giving you a headache.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to do what I wanted in Tarija nor did I get to see the best parts of the area but I did finally make it back to La Paz, a little wiser and a little more jaded.

A Bumpy Road Part 2: Caranavi

The next stop on my travels around the country was Caranavi. This is a medium, well let´s say large town (Bolivian relativity theory), in what is called the Yungas; a large fruit and vegetable producing area north of La Paz, on the way to Rurenabaque.

I had tried to get there twice before but due to lack of funds the first time and then a blockade that turned violent on pretty much the only road leading in and out of the area the second time (I love Bolivia), it just didn´t happen. But this time I finally made it; loaded my self onto the bus and headed out.

Now, I had been warned the road was not good. The fact that there were fatal accidents on a weekly basis and it´s on pretty much all the lists of the deadliest roads in the world should have tipped me off that it would not be a pleasant jaunt to a quaint little village. But I decided I what the heck, I want to go. Just a warning, if you get car sick at all, give this one a pass.

It is 4 – 7 hours of dirt road that doesn´t have a straight stretch longer than about 100 metres. I especially like the fact that it is a two way highway that is only wide enough in many places for one vehicle. Backing up a bus or a large transport truck definitely takes some skill around the blind corners. It is mountain on one side and a sheer drop down to the river on the other.

As you go along you will see houses that seem to have no access road, people get off and take trails that lead into nowhere and there are one street villages that all seem to have livestock wondering the streets. If you´re lucky, your bus will drive into the side of an overhang and everyone will have to get out and discuss the best way to extricate the group from the situation while the poor driver has to endure the shameful tongue lashing. My recommendation, spend the extra few dollars and take a taxi but get a front seat.

Along the way you will see kids swimming in the river. It looks really tempting as you get a mouth full of dust from the road. I arrived with half of it in my lungs, half on my shoes and another other half in my hair and on my face (yes I know that´s more than 1/1 and I´m pretty sure there is more than a full road of dirt with the amount of dust kicked up).

Coffee in Caranavi is supposed to be amongst the best in the country and there is also chocolate, mmmmmmm chocolate. I personally recommend the yucca rellenos; they are fist sized balls of gooey yucca dough with a stew kind of mixture in the middle. Not bad, just be sure the place you buy it from is clean. The region is tropical so pack light and bring water.

Caranavi and Coroico (about 2 hours away) are great places to visit if you are adventurous (bungy jumping anyone?) and want a different atmosphere from La Paz. Just be prepared for some bugs and bumps.

A bumpy road part 1: Santa Cruz

Sometimes when travelling things don´t always go as planned; in fact I´ve never been on a trip where everything has gone as planned. This time is no exception. Over the last few weeks I have travelled to various different regional offices in various different parts of the country. Traveling in Bolivia is, well, an adventure. Some more interesting and fun than others.

Santa Cruz, my recommendation: a must see. Cruceños are very different from Paceños and so is their city. Situated in the tropical area of Bolivia to get there you take an overnight bus ride. After a few stops in the altiplno region and a stuttering sleep as you pass the short grass and grazing cattle of that region the sun wakes you up to a spectacular view of lush, dense jungle that seems absolutely impenetrable.

Once in a while you pass small towns with ramshackle houses, livestock penned in or tethered close by and a dirt road leading into the impassible mangle of shrubbery and palm trees. To me it seems incredible that people can live in such conditions but then I didn´t know how I would make it through almost 6 months in La Paz when I first arrived.

As you get closer to the city of Santa Cruz you see more concrete buildings and warehouses that mark it as the industrial capital of the country. The city seems shorter coming from the mountains and building of La Paz.

As you step out of the bus the difference in the atmosphere really hits you. If the condensation on the windows of the bus wasn´t a tip off, the short sleeves, relaxed atmosphere of the people and the heavy air all signal tropical. The buildings show the wear of humidity as you drive through the city. It looks like South America.

In the main square, 24 de septiembre, (yes they love to name things after dates here), there are men selling coffee out of thermoses (not bad actually), and benches to sit on and relax in the mid afternoon heat under the shade of palm trees. The government buildings have been restored to their colonial splendor and at night are strategically lit to be the pride of the city.

The main park, in the first ring (kind of like Paris where everything is built out from the centre), has a decent fountain display set to music and local kids use it as a rehearsal space for breakdancing. It is also a popular place for couples to take a romantic walk.

If you´re in the mood for shopping there are some good stores for cloths and jewelry. As the fashion capital of Bolivia Santa Cruz does have something to offer here. You can also have your picture taken with an alligator skin and buy some good quality leather goods. If you are into food there is fish and rice and yuka. I also recommend cuñape which is cheese and yuka flour pastry; crispy on the outside and chewy, gooey, mmm, mmm , mmm on the inside (yes this vegan loves cheese).

Just a word of warning, if you are a red head be prepared to get bothered by the guys. And if you´re wondering why I don´t have any pictures of the dense jungle or ramshackle towns, stay tuned for part 3.