Galapagos Mammals

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute!!!!!

Sea lions everywhere. And I mean everywhere. In all shapes and sizes. Amazing how they don't react at all to the intruding humans.
I think I overdid it on their pics... but Kind Waru will spare you readers.Their feet:I absolutely LOVED spending time on this white sandy beach, watching them! Not that they did anything noteworthy. Mostly sun bathe and sleep. What a great life : )

As you can see, I tried to experience their lifestyle for a bit.
Oh, and almost every day, we had a chance to do some snorkeling. Some off boat, others from the shore. Although the islands lie right on the equator, the water is COLD. I had to rent a full wetsuit. And since I am deathly scared of swimming in the ocean (not very competent in my swimming abilities to being with), I had one of the crew to hold on to (literally) each time.
I mention this snorkeling only because I want to say that I swam with some sea lions too!!! Fun, fun, fun.
Other than the sea lions, though, nothing spectacular. Schools of yummy fish, yes, but because the area lacks coral reefs and warm, calm water, no pretty tropical fish sightings.

We didn't get to the fur seals until one of the latter islands on the cruise. And not as numerous and as up close either.
I guess their habitat is a little more restricted.

It's so hard to tell the sea lions vs. seals....

Creatures with Wings

I'm not a bird lover. Although my mom has had them as pets in the house before.
The most recent one "Goo" suffered heat stroke when he/she (never figured it out) was left unattended in the car during my parents' move to California. They did, however, remember to take the dog out for a walk around the lake, so no harm done there. By the time my parents realized that the bird was left alone in the sizzling car, Goo was a goner. RIP.

Anyways, bird-watching is a big component of any Galapagos tour. I’d estimate around 30%. Random figure.

Luckily, I was able to see the two most famous Galapagos birds during the first couple nature walks. I don’t know which one is more representative of the region...

1. Frigates – The ones with the big red pouch at the neck. As with many bird species, the males get all the color/pizzazz/funk! The pouch blows up like a balloon during courtship to attract the females. Didn’t realize how large these birds can get before seeing them in real.

2. Blue Footed Boobies – My FAVORITE!!! Only because they look sooooooooo clumsy and dumb : ) The blueness of their feet come in all different shades. This is one of the lighter ones.

The boobies are actually quite ugly close up, but adorable from afar. Especially when they walk, somewhere between a penguin and a duck. During one of my walks, I was able to see two boobies doing a courtship dance. Cute, cute, cute. One really follows the other like in this photo. Wish I had taken a video. Argh.

I didn’t see any red footed boobies during my cruise. I think they reside in some of the more remote islands that wasn’t on my itinerary.

I did, however, go to an island full of the Nazca boobies. Espanola Island, me thinks.

Not as cute as the blue footed ones, but the highlight here were the nesting chicks. Fluffy as a cotton ball!

(Nonetheless, I do think their beaks and eyes are scary weapons)
We had to walk through a few of these mother/chick nests (since straying off-course is a no-no on the islands!). No touching, but very close. It was surprising how the moms remained calm and didn’t attack any encountering humans to protect their babies. Only in the Galapagos can animals live without fearing the evil humans...

On one of the last islands on our cruise path, we sailed past the rare Galapagos penguins.

I always thought that penguins were cold climate animals, but here they were right at the equator! Interesting.
Or maybe they were supposed to swim further south towards the cold, but forgot or got left behind for some reason.... explaining why there were only two of them around. Who knows.

And then there were the usual pelicans, albatrosses, and finches. Well, the latter may not be so usual (hence, termed the Darwin finches) but they didn’t catch my attention too much. Small and quick-flying, they sort of looked like any other finch I’ve seen elsewhere.

Oh, and here’s a dead one (albatross, frigate, something else?!?!?!?) to end this entry.

A Galapagos Welcome

Got a ride to the airport from my friendly hostel owner (for a fee, of course).

What chaos! Too many tourists. Too many flights. Yes, surprisingly, there are several flights out to the Galapagos, all leaving around the same time. What made it confusing was the destination nomenclature - how was I supposed to know which particular island I was flying too??? I thought there was only one airport...
See, this is what happens when I join an organized tour. No planning. No research.

I couldn't quite figure out which line I was supposed to join, so I wandered round the terminal in seach of someone who looked like a tour operator. My eyes met the eyes of a friendly Chinese woman; can she be the one?!?!?! Turns out we were both lost tourists booked on the same flight & cruise. Haha.
Eventually, we found the right line for our flight (TAME to Baltra Island), had our bags screened for agricultural items (don't want to contaminate the islands with new vegetation!), got the boarding passes, and met our fellow cruise-mates.
ALL COUPLES, EXCEPT LONELY OLD ME. My fault, as I opted out of the cheaper backpacker boats.
But that's OK. Most of the couples were chatty. Especially Wen Lee and her husband Will. Thanks for keeping me company all those hours!!!

Coming in for the landing was a tad disappointing. I was heading to a group of islands around the equator, approx. 2 hours by plane from the continent. Maybe I was thinking Carribean...(opposite direction, I know!)...but for some reason, I expected turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. Nope. More like deep blue waters and rocky shores.

Went thru passport check (w/o stamp) and forked over $100 for the Galapagos entrance fee upon which I received a "Galapagos card" in return as proof of payment. Pricy card!!! It's valid for a whole month, but I don't plan to hang around for that long! I wonder if anyone does...

Once all the cruise members regrouped, we boarded a minibus to the docks. And look who greeted us there!!!("Provincial de Galapagos" painted on the bench)

The sailboat named Sagitta wasn't anything luxurious, but I loved it. Old wood. Lounging space. Clean (no footware on board). Had a wonderful character to it.
And I had a room to myself, with working shower and toilet, on my own floor beneath deck. Not the greatest view, but no complaints otherwise. Wen Lee & Will moved to another room on my floor after the first night due to loud creaking sounds in their original room.
So, about the room:
- Each room was interestingly equipped with a bunk bed, the bottom one being larger in size. Never seen one of those. Either way, VERY comfortable.
- The shower was salty and cramped. I know I must've used more water than necessary, but oh well.
- Every day, someone folded the towels into cute shapes. Here a swan (me thinks).The room was nice enough, but I didn't spend much time there aside from sleeping, showering, and changing.

Most of the day was spent going on nature walks or in the water (more on that in later entries).
Food consumption was done as a group in the common area - breakfast and lunch outside, dinner inside. The quality of the food wasn't too bad. Although I think they overdid it on the canned peaches and beets!
Free time was spent on the deck chairs when sunny, and in the lounge room when dark or cold. We had our nightly briefing sessions there as well, where the guide talked about the events for the next day.

Wait. Looking back though, I think I did spend a lot of time in my room the first 2 nights.

Only because I wasn't feeling well... Regularly ingested those dramamine tablets, but I think it took some time to get used to the rocking boat motion. I'm pretty certain.

Oh, and one day, I got up the courage to climb up to the top of the mast. Aren't the views great?! But I must be getting older. No doubt about it - I didn't feel as comfortable and secure up there as I thought I'd be... I'm admitting to shaky legs : (

Which makes me seriously wonder if I'd be able handle roller coasters and freefall machines anymore...

Quito - Before Galapagos

I am staying at a very cozy guesthouse, not really close to anything, but I like it. The owners are friendly, there’s a convenient travel agency at reception, my fellow guests are social, the rooms is clean, and the room is cheap. I had my very own room for $12 a night. That rose to $20 when I had to upgrade after the first night into a corner room with a king-sized bed and en-suite bath. No complaints.

I realize my spending of late has become much heavier. I am determined to enjoy my final 2 months on the road RTW. With comfort : )

Interesting how Ecuador uses the US$ as its local currency. They have their own coins (useless, of course, back in the US), but the bills are the same. I find it extremely annoying that I am getting charged foreign fees for withdrawing US$ at the ATM.

I spent my first morning in Quito confirming my trip to the Galapagos. It’s actually holiday season in many parts of South America right now (carnival season to be exact), including Ecuador. Hence, most businesses are closed. Except for my travel agency, which would be open during the AM hours to wait for my payment. Haha.
Since I would be charged a pretty hefty fee for using my credit card, I decided to go all cash. The agent was soooooo nice, he came along with me to the bank as my personal bodyguard. He didn’t think my carrying around close to $1,000 in cash on a relatively quite morning alone was a good idea. Thank you!!!
(FYI – For those of you interested in going to the Galapagos or to Ecuador in general, I highly recommend this tour agency. Contact me for details.)
With the payment complete, I had my cruise package and flights. CONFIRMED. Yaaaaaaaaaaay! I can’t wait to leave in 2 days. How exciting!

Until then, I lazily checked out some of the tourist sites in Quito.Starting with the Old Town, easily reached by the ultra-cheap tram system @ $0.25 per ride. Like any old town, it had a large square with a huge cathedral on one side. The inside wasn’t anything spectacular (not free too!) – a bit damp, dark, and gloomy. I did, however, enjoying gazing up at the aged, worn, wooden ceiling. I feel like I had the same experience elsewhere as well.

All in all, I think that the usual charms of old town are wearing out on me. Even though this one is a UNESCO World Heritage City. Or perhaps Quito failed to excite me due to the lack of liveliness and activity in the town during the holidays...

Moving on, I walked up and down the cobblestoned alleys of old town, and decided to do some Galapagos-prep shopping while I was there. Needed some contact lens solution and sun block. The latter item being extremely important out in the middle of the ocean. I’ve never used gel-based sun block before; never actually heard of them either. But since they were highly recommended somewhere (?!) I gave it a go. It’s made in Ecuador... I have my doubts of its effectiveness, but I’m going to be adventurous! Try something new. Hopefully without regrets.

The following day, I ventured a bit further to the Mitad del Mundo or “The Middle of the World”. Took about an hour to get there with tram + bus, costing $0.40 one-way. Awesome public transportation system in this city!As the name suggests, the Mitad del Mundo is where a monument (and park) to mark the equator has been built. For some reason though, the actual equator doesn’t run through here - What the ____, right?! Unfortunately, I didn’t learn about that strange fact until I got there.

But since I was there and had nothing better planned for the rest of the day, I just enjoyed whatever was in front of me. Like this deceptive (hehe!) monument.And had a relaxing coffee & empanada at the overpriced (yet good atmosphere) café where I proceeded to write some postcards and convinced myself that I was at the equator.

BOG Transit

I feel like I haven't been on a plane in a looooong time. Let me think...yeah, this is the first time I'm flying this year!
I love LAN's business class - airy, bright, comfy, good entertainment. That got me to Bogota airport. From where I had to switch flights for Quito.
Now, I didn't check in all the way from Santiago to Quito. I just didn't feel comfortable leaving my bag in the hands of the Colombia baggage handlers, especially since I had to change airlines.

Anyways, I went over to Avianca’s counter to check in. Didn’t happen as easily and as smoothly as it should have. The agent refused to let me on board since I didn’t have an onward ticket from Quito. She claimed that Ecuador requires proof of onward departure; otherwise I’d be deported back to Bogota as soon as I landed. What the f*ck?!?!?!
I knew that was complete bullshit. So many travelers fly into Quito without an onward ticket because they overland into either Peru or Colombia.
Woman, I’ve been traveling long enough to know what’s legit and what isn’t!!! I must’ve spent at least 30 minutes arguing with her. At which point she finally called in the supervisor, who again refused to check me in for the same reasons. I went through my “I am going to take the bus back to Colombia” again. Over and over. And I did the “I absolutely HAVE to get on the flight to catch the Galapagos cruise I’ve already booked and paid for! It’s been my dream for ages...”, etc. etc. etc. in my sweetest, cutest possible manner. It worked : )
She told me to go to the ticketing counter and just book a return flight – I wouldn’t be charged for it. WHY COULDN’T SHE HAVE TOLD ME THIS EARLIER?! It was such a piece of cake.

With boarding pass in hand, I made my way through the airport, wishing I had some Colombian pesos on hand to drink a cup of coffee. Smelled soooooooo good! I can’t wait to visit the coffee plantations when I come back here.

The flight was fine. I kept a close eye on my belongings since a guy told me that he got his wallet stolen during an Avianca flight. His bag was underneath the seat in front of him, so the culprit must’ve been whoever was sitting in that row.

Immigration was fine as well. I got my passport stamped (well actually, they have this funky printer thing that records entry directly onto the passport rather than normal stamps) without incident. I wasn’t even asked about my onward plans out of Ecuador. Just as I expected.

Parting Ways in La Serena

First, I had to part ways with my cap. The Roland Garros cap I bought when I went to see the French Open a few years ago. I ADORED that hat. But now it is gone. Disappeared into thin air. More likely into someone else's hands at the bus terminal. I must've dropped it or left it on the counter as I was inquiring about bus schedules to Santiago. My fault. Sob.

Well, at least it wasn't my wallet or passport. (Attempt at positive thinking)

Without a cap, but with a +18kg pack on my back, Nicole and I walked towards town to find a place for the night. Hot, hot, hot. Burning, burning, burning. I guess it just wasn't one of my good days - all the hostels on the street were full. Never imagined that La Serena would be so popular. Heck, I never even heard of the town until I got here!
As we backtracked down the street, a stranger came up to us offering accommodations. So we followed. And ended up at a friendly, colorful, family-run place. The owner even fed us some leftover salad and pasta from lunch. No complaints. I would've loved to have been able to stay here a little longer (especially since they were having a family & guest BBQ dinner the following night), but I need to get myself to Ecuador soon. Darn it.

Organizing this last-minute Galapagos thing was starting to become a huge pain in the rear-end. Actually, I think the cruise itself is already organized - I should have a seat on the boat. The only thing was deposit payment. But without that, no guarantees, right?!
The agency wouldn't take credit cards, unless in person.

Paypal was out. I managed to set up a working account, but the payments wouldn't go through no matter what! I later found out that it's because I was using an overseas (outside of US) internet connection.
The online transfer from my bank account doesn't permit overseas transfers to outside banks.

My last option was wire transfer. After lunch, I went to the nearest internet cafe/call center (yes, they still have those everywhere in South America!) to give my bank a call. To avoid international call rates, I managed to find a local toll-free number for the bank online. But those toll free numbers don't work on call center phones. Aiyaaaaaa! Why is this so difficult?! Frustrated, frustrated, frustrated. I went to several different call centers, but all with the same result. Then, a light bulb popped up in Waru's brain - why not try a mobile phone?!?!?! Strangely, you can opt to use a mobile phone at the call centers as well. And voila! I got thru to my bank!!! No jumping up and down in happiness though. I ended up NOT accomplishing what I wanted to because I couldn't answer all the security questions I'd set up before college, when I first opened the account. My bank sucks. Totally.

Since I got here, I’ve wasted sooooo much time, effort, and money on trying to get a simple task of paying a deposit. I had the money, but I couldn’t pay. Ridiculous. Very annoying. Oh well - not much else I can do now.
I’ve sent an email to the agency outlining my attempts and troubles. I hope they are understanding...

Later in the afternoon (post payment ordeal), Nicole and I hit the town. More like a few streets lined with a bunch of shops and restaurants. Not very interesting, but a handy place to find myself a new cap.

Got one for 900CHP ($1.50ish). No, I didn’t get the wacky, bright red one with skull patterns, although I did try it on. Kinda liked it : ) But the rational side of my brain told me that I would stand out too much wearing that thing. Better to stay inconspicuous while on the road!

With my new cap protecting me from the sun, we picked up a collectivo heading towards the beach. Starting with this lighthouse. Cheesy, yet fun in a way. Seemed like a couples’ hangout place.

La Serena has one of the longest stretches of beach I’ve ever seen. Goes on and on and on. We had planned to walk from one end to the other, but that didn’t happen. Too long and boring – not many people were out there after the sun started to set. It got pretty chilly.
Since this was going to be our last day traveling together, we decided to have a nice dinner by the beach. Hey, we’re by the shore! Might as well eat some seafood. At which point a couple of random Chilean guys joined our table to chat – had a few laughs, all good.The guy was heading to Santiago tomorrow and offered a ride. I politely declined in my sweet manner.

Now, I have to part ways with Nicole. She even came to the bus terminal with me to see me off. So nice!!!
It’s hard to believe that almost 3 weeks has passed since we first met. I had a great time traveling with her. We shared a lot of interests in common (especially travel, food, and TV), which is why I guess we didn’t kill each other all the way through Bolivia. Although she might’ve wanted to for talking her into going to Rurrenabaque...
She is heading to Easter Island, then back into Argentina. Hopefully we can catch up again in Buenos Aires! But for now...Adios mi grande Dutch amiga!

Back Seaside

Up at 5am to catch the international bus from La Paz to Arica. We booked a seat on a Chilean bus, making the bus ride as comfortable as a bus ride can be, excluding flat-bed seats.

Passed through some beautiful scenery, similar to what I'd seen during the Uyuni tour. Don't think I'll be seeing this kind of landscape anymore…sad : (
At the Bolivian border, the bus driver took my passport while I stayed on the bus. I hate when they do that!!! I get restless and anxious when it's out of my hands! Seriously, what if isn't returned to me?! But it was, no worries.
So long Bolivia - I don't know if I'd ever be back here. I really had a great time passing through the western regions of the nation. I'm sure there's a lot to do & see in the east as well, but I have to admit that I have other priorities.
And hello again Chile - at the Chilean border, we had to get off the bus to individually pass through immigration and customs. Less anxiety.

Being back in Chile, it felt like another world. Fast, paved roads. Nice, clean cars. High-rise buildings. Well-dress (some) locals. Lots of commercial stores. Comforts.
We arrived in Arica during the afternoon. Don't remember why, but we decided not to stay there. Instead, we bought a can of diet coke and boarded another 3-4 hour bus to travel further south to Iquique.It's a seaside city offering what most seaside cities do. This one was nice in that there's was this main street resembling a boardwalk. Cute and quaint. Lined with a bunch of tourist stalls, shops, and restaurants.We were lucky enough to find a hostel right on that strip, with cable TV. You guessed it - Gossip Girl night!!!!! With take-out sushi from across the street that wasn't too bad.

Iquique is quite famous among backpackers (not that there are many of them around here) for the huge duty free center located in the outskirts. Easy to get to by local bus. I thought about heading out there to buy a new memory card, but I hardly ever do duty free shopping. Couldn't be bothered to take the time and effort to get there, although it probably didn't require much of both.
In the end, Nicole and I spent the day wandering around the small city.
Going up and down the main street. This is the main plaza:Diverting onto the side streets leading to the ocean:Finding an interesting signpost:So obvious, no?! That you go away from the ocean when there may be a tsunami.
And looking for a nice beach to hang out. Which we somehow never managed to find. Sounds impossible, but possible.

We found the beach the day we left - on our bus ride down to Le Serena. Looked like a cool, entertaining, happening place to hang out. Can't believe we missed it…
Maybe too caught up with cable TV. Or other things on our minds.

For me, it was the upcoming Galapagos cruise. The agency Deb used got back to me with the disappointing news that the Nemo II was unavailable for the dates I wanted. However, they did provide me with a list of alternative options. I checked out each one of the boats (online research & reviews are so convenient!) and decided - decent itinerary (7 nights), good discount for an above average boat. Departing Feb. 25th. Geez, that's like in a week!!! I need to figure out how to get to Quito, Ecuador soon.

My next RTW ticket would take me from Santiago to Bogota. Changing my flight path would cost me over $350, and I still had hopes of somehow having enough time to visit Colombia after the Galapagos. Luckily, I found flights from Bogota to Quito for around $200. The ideal date would've been the 23rd. Ideal because I wanted to get there a couple of days earlier just in case flights were cancelled. The 23rd, however, was not an option upon finding out that there were no flights from Santiago to Bogota that day. Fine, 22nd it is.

In & Out La Paz

After that nightmarish ordeal from Rurrenabaque, Nicole and I needed some down time. Sleeping in, TV (sadly missed timing for Gossip Girl), cafes, etc.

Online research was another high priority task - yes, I am SERIOUS about the Galapagos cruise. I've been madly sending off emails to tour agencies asking for available boats and cruises. Given that I want to be back in Argentina before mid-March, I need to do the cruise end of Feb or early Mar. And I need to arrange all the flights to get to Ecuador depending on the cruise dates as well. Aiyaaaaa! Not that much time left!!! Hopefully, an agency will come back to me with good news soon.

Of course, I took the time to do the occasional sightseeing in La Paz. Which was pretty much limited to wandering around La Paz's main tourist strip. Tons of souvenir stores and travel agencies. Bought 2 pairs of tacky socks on the street for 5BOB to replace my holey, warn-out ones.
Also some cute (others may say strange/odd) stuff for my friends at the famous Witches Market. The place sells weird stuff, like dried baby llama fetus and dried frogs. Don't worry - I didn't get my hands on those : ) Figured that if customs ever looked through my stuff, I'd be in BIG trouble ne!

Oh oh oh. Major news of the day - I got my refund from Amaszonas! They must be very used to dealing with flight cancellations. The process was all laid out and went along very smoothly, without a hitch. Impressive, huh?!

Mode of transportation in La Paz - the shared taxis:Destinations are written on the front windshield. Very cheap and useful. Surprisingly, the drivers are friendly and helpful. Although they may not be the best drivers.

Anyways, there's a lot of stuff you can do/see from La Paz. Popular ones being:
(A) Day trip to pre-Incan ruins of Tiwanaku, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
(B) Mountain biking down the most dangerous road to Coroico
(C) Half day trip to Valle de La Luna (Valley of the Moon)
I didn't do any of them. OK, I admit that to a certain extent, it had to do with my laziness. But I have other excuses, too:
(A) Maybe not for this one. Of the 3 options, this is probably the one I regret not doing the most. I love ruins!!!!!!!!! Why did I miss it?! Lazy.
(B) It isn't the safest activity to do. The route is NOT all downhill, as the tour headlines suggest. I didn't feel like biking up sections of the gravel road in wet conditions. Furthermore, I doubted that tour operators would have small enough bikes that would fit me perfectly. The one I rented in Mendoza was traumatic to my butt
(C) Think I saw similar rock formations during the Uyuni tour.

I've been in Bolivia for nearly 3 weeks already. Probably time to move on.
Nicole and I will be heading back down to Chile tomorrow morning. Another long bus ride...

The Death Road

I wasn't supposed to travel down that road. That's why I bought air tickets. Unfortunately, the god of weather decided otherwise.

As soon as we got back to Rurrenabaque, Nicole and I headed to the Amaszonas office to confirm our flights. Turns out that planes haven't been taking off since a couple of days ago due to the rain. Hence, there was a backlog of people waiting to get on whatever flight was going to take off in the near future.
We were supposed to get on the first flight out the next day (at least that's what the ticket said - CONFIRMED), but the airline decided to push us back. WHAT?!?!?!?! I did not want to waste any more time in this little town. It's a good place to relax, but I was on a tight schedule - only 2 months of traveling left! ARGHHHHHHH
Thus, WARU HAD A FIT...
What fu*king airline bounces you off a flight when the ticket is CONFIRMED on that particular flight?!?!?! Airline argues that passengers on the first cancelled flights get priority on the next flight. Don't CONFIRMED ticket holders get to take their flights, while the cancelled passengers get on if and only if there's an unoccupied seat remaining?!?!?!
Waru and airline agent went on and on and on, arguing… WARU WAS HAVING A MAJOR FIT!

All my efforts wasted. Because the following morning was rain. No flights.
Who knew when the next flight out was going to be?!To get back to La Paz, there was the dreaded Bolivian bus option or the chartered jeep. Luckily, we found a few other people who needed to get back to La Paz ASAP (including the 2 Dutch girls on the pampas tour) and organized a jeep. Totally overpriced at 430BOB, not that different from the flights. I better get my promised refund from Amaszonas when I get back!!!

So began the journey. We were supposed to be in La Paz by midnight - about 10 hours on the road (vs. 20 for the bus).
The jeep was from my childhood years. Very uncomfortable at full capacity, squeezed in, little leg room (even for my short legs!).
Before leaving town, the driver stopped by his house, hoping that his wife could squeeze in with us. Yeah right! She wasn't no tiny woman! He finally gave up after we all refused. Wife didn't seem too happy.

As you can see, the roads aren't all that great:Especially with all the rain, we encountered several road blocks from falling rocks. Nothing we couldn't get by, but some were huge. Certain death if it fell right on top of you.
And of course, the expected breakdowns. Let's see - about 3 flat tires, which left us with no spares. We stopped by a small town on the way to get them repaired just in case we encountered more problems down the road. Good decision.
In the meantime, we strolled around the market and did some local photo taking. Cute kids:Did a lot of chatting with the other jeep riders. Conclusion - I think I am going to the Galapagos!!! I met this woman, Debs, who recently came back from a cruise there on the catamaran that I thought about taking a few years ago. She raved about it sooooo much, that I became convinced. I need to go to the Galapagos. I need to find a boat that would take me. Soon.

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the death road has been improved recently. I don't know what sort of improvement they did, but most of the road was still harrowingly dangerous! Extremely narrow, unpaved roads going along the edge of the mountains. And we had to pass this during the night, making it all the more fun : )
Interestingly, there were areas along the road where the lanes were switched. In other words, one stretch you're driving on the left, but in others you're driving on the right. Rather confusing. Which I think is dangerous. But I think it's regulated for safety reasons - you get the better view depending on which side of the curve you're on. I THINK.

Well, midnight passed. Total darkness.
FREEZING - We had to keep the windows open so that the driver didn't fall asleep. Nicole, who got to sit up in front next to him, was nice enough to have conversations with the guy to keep him up!

The sun rose.

Back in La Paz.

Pampas Creatures

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Will I ever have "that someone special" to spend the day with in the near future??? Keeping fingers crossed… Haha.

To be honest, though, I didn't even realize that it was Valentine's Day until I typed in the dates for this entry. When you're in the middle of the Bolivian pampas all day, not showering for 3 days, and being eaten alive by mosquitos all day and night, Valentine's Day doesn't matter.

I can't say I had the BEST time on the pampas - the animals were great, but the tour itself sort of sucked...

Let's talk about the positive first. My FAVORITE!!!!!

Capybara, they're called. SOOOOOOOOOO adorable, no?! Kinda like a big, fat beaver or guinea pig. Reminded me of my beloved Puffy : ) I seriously didn't understand why Nicole thought they were ugly… How can anyone say that this face is UGLY?! That is so rude!

Then, there were the monkeys. The bigger ones stayed high in the trees, but these little yellow ones come really close.

Personally, I fear monkeys. It's that movie Outbreak, I think. Monkeys easily transmitting diseases to humans, which I firmly believe to be true. Sadly, the tour was ecologically unfriendly - the guide started handing out bananas to feed the monkeys. I was so shocked!!! Everyone else seemed to appreciate it though, and had absolutely no qualms about feeding free animals in nature. Sigh.

Speaking about feeding, the guide always left leftover food scraps and garbage for the caiman (crocodiles) by the shore of our camp.

I was so annoyed. It's nice that the animals come close enough to take a good photo, but they are NOT pets!!! I should report this to the authorities, although I highly doubt that would accomplish anything. Sigh.

Speaking about caimans, we went out on the boat at night and were able to see their red, glowing eyes everywhere. Spooooookyyyyyy! Again, annoyed when the guide found a baby caiman and picked it up. Sigh.BTW, I accidentally dropped my flashlight into the river that night. From then on, it started to die slowly but surely...

We also saw a bunch of turtles basking in the sun (my kind of R&R) and a bunch of different birds that I was, and still remain, unfamiliar with.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see the famous anacondas of the region. It's hard to find them in the wet season. We spent one whole morning walking around in the marshy grassland, without success. It was a difficult and tiring walk, with the ground being soft, mushy mud. I got stuck a few times. Annoyed, tired, and uncomfortable after an hour or so, Nicole and I headed back to the boat while the rest of the group continue their anaconda hunt. Or so we thought…it felt quite scary walking in the tall grass, without being able to see our footing and supposedly surrounded by anacondas. We ended up waiting for the group to return in a small patch of clear land.

A couple of girls who did manage to head back to the boat ahead of everyone else claimed to have seen a humungous snake on the way - a possible anaconda sighting?!

So you might be wondering why I keep mentioning the boat. Well, that's how traveling on the pampas is done. Except for the anaconda walk, all of our animal viewings were done from the boat. A very uncomfortable, wooden piece of shit.

Imagine sitting on this thing for at least 5 hours every day. Under the blazing sun. But with long sleeves and long pants on because any exposed skin can be attacked by mosquitos!!!

Now, you understand why I didn't enjoy the tour that much.

So much of it was uncomfortable - the boat rides, the bed room, and…the DAMN mosquitoes!!! They were everywhere. It was so bad that I feared even going to the toilet to pee because the instant I rolled my pants down, they would get me! Yes, I had bites on my wonderful behind. Hey, at least something thinks it's yummy, right?!

Even during the day, under +30C temperatures, I had to keep myself covered from head to toe. Insect repellent everywhere. Even to bed. By the last day, I had too much strong repellent on me (I was using like 90% DEET), I started developing rashes on my neck and arms. I guess the repellent on top of sunscreen on top of repellent for 3 days in a row didn't help either. The "shower" was basically muddy river water. You couldn't pay me to shower in that - it would probably just make me dirtier!

Anyways, aside from the creatures above, there were 3 dutch girls, 2 British teenagers, an Argentinian, and an Irish guy in my group.

Kids really do grow up very fast these days, huh?! These British girls just graduated music school and were traveling around South America before attending college in a few months. Wow - Cool & rich parents. Remember, my parents (well, my dad) vowed to disown me for quitting my lovely (yeah right) job and traveling for a year (at least).

Watching these girls, I keep thinking "to be young, is to be carefree." Sounding old, right?! But these girls - they showered using that filthy river water every night and went swimming with the pink dolphins in the caiman-infested waters!!! The guide did say that the crocs stay away from the dolphins. Still… I didn't have the nerve. Call me a chicken.

Headed to the Jungle

After some deliberation, Nicole and I decided to head towards the jungle region of Bolivia. Our destination would be Rurrenabaque, a small town that functions as an entryway to the jungle and pampas in Madidi National Park.

Bolivia is a small country. I find it amazing that such a diverse ecology (is that the right word?) can be found here, ranging from the high altitude salar to now the sea level jungle. Temperature difference of at least 30C.

Now, how to get to Rurrenabaque. 2 options.
The first being the bus, which would take at least 20 hours. It's dirt cheap, but there is no cama service and the roads are harrowingly dangerous. A section of the road was actually termed "the most dangerous road" until a few years ago because many vehicles plunged off the cliffs. An improved, paved road has been built since then, but I don't think the safety rating has gone up significantly.
...Do I want to risk my life for twenty hours or for one?!
Me thinks one is enough. Hence, we chose the plane option. Pricey (a whopping $70 one way!), but safe. Or should I say safeR.

That's why we had to stay in La Paz for an extra day and switch hostels (to the one with that wonderful view!). The weather wasn't good enough for the flight to depart on our original date, so we had to wait for the next day. If that didn't work out, forget the jungle.

But the sun was shining the next day, and off we went!
As you can see, the plane is quite tiny with very little room. There's no door to the cockpit. People left their bags in the only aisle:This sign on the seat front was quite unnerving:
"Keep seat belts fastened at all times" - No problem. Will do without being told.
"In case of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will be handed out by flight crew." - Hmm….who would that be?!?!?! There aren't any flight attendants on the flight. And I hope that the captain and his co-pilot will be busy trying to keep the plane in the air rather than walk around the cabin, passing out the oxygen masks.
"Plug hose into the overhead outlet and turn right until oxygen flow is obtained." - Got it. By the time I get my mask, I think I will be unconscious…
"Hose plug must be removed to stop oxygen flow." - Huh?!
"No Smoking." - Again, no problem. Will do without being told.
I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react when I saw that sign - laugh or be scared????? I tried my best not to think about it during the flight and focused on my book. Somehow.

We got to Rurrenabaque without problems, landing on this grassy runway. It was humid, hot, and blue sky. Completely opposite from the condition we left just over an hour ago!

BTW, this is the airport:

I gotta say that's it much more equipped than the field I landed in Botswana. If you recall, that one had elephants on the runway.

The airline (Amaszonas) bus took us into town for 7BOB, even though it was only supposed to cost 6BOB. The driver must be pocketing the extra change. I was slightly pissed but let it go, thinking that I shouldn't be picky with my dimes.

Being the lazy creature that I am, I usually don't care to look around for hostels. If the first one looks decent enough, fine.
The first one we saw in this town had a HUUUUGE cockroach carcass lying in the hallway. Gross. We ran out of there.
The second and third didn't have dead bugs, but they were both dreary and damp. Yuck.
We finally found Hostel Beni, recommended to us by one of the guys on our flight. He was waiting to catch a boat to a farm (for what, I didn't ask) in the middle of nowhere. 70BOB for a private room - clean, spacious, and nice. Can't complain.

With that done, we got down to business - into town to grab some lunch (sandwiches and pineapple juice for 14BOB (that's around $2!) at the quaint Luna Cafe & Lounge.

Followed by searching for an agency to organize our tour. They all seemed more or less the same. We chose a 2 nights, 3 day pampas tour at one of the random agencies for 500BOB. The pampas because it offered more opportunities for animal sightings vs. the jungle. Leaving tomorrow.

I had to buy a flashlight at the market since my nice, modern one seems to have disappeared somewhere. I don't remember ever taking it out, but where did that thing go??? Well, this one only cost me 10BOB - I hope it lasts for the next 3 days…it looks like a piece of crap!
Then, did some snack shopping at the market. Played with internet. Found a really nice souvenir shop (didn't buy anything as usual) that happened to be run by a Japanese woman. Looked so out of place in that town…Oh well. Lastly, went to the Mosquito Bar (gringo hangout/bar with pool tables) for dinner. Had a nice time. Pasta could've been much better.

Food Coma

What a wonderful bus ride! Soft, cushy seats that fully reclined. I know there's a picture of my demonstrating the comfiness, but I seem to have misplaced it. Damn. The baggage check was quite odd, though. We had to go upstairs to the bus office to drops our bags, which were then lowered to the bus with a harness-like thing. Kind of inefficient, no?! But then again, Bolivia is probably not know for its efficiencies.

As soon as the bus started moving, Nicole and I chowed down on our cured ham & cheese baguettes. Yummy! That's all I remember. I must've passed out immediately afterwards, because we were already in La Paz when I regained consciousness.

Our few days in La Paz revolved around food. It's good. It's cheap. So here's the rundown of our "main" meals:

- Buffet late lunch at the Plaza Hotel. For about $8, you can have an all-you-can eat buffet at this 5-star hotel. Good variety. Well-known among the Japanese backpackers as a place to splurge once in a while. I was hooked on the ceviche and grilled meat. We munched and munched for a couple of hours. Forget dinner.

- Japanese food #1. Nicole felt like sushi. I wanted plain, white rice. The Japanese restaurant close to our hostel was closed for the day, so we headed into the more upscale business district for Wagamama. Seeking comfort food, I got the chicken kara-age set. I know. Boooorrrriiiiiiinng! Nicole, however, went for the trucha sushi. I think it's some sort of trout-like fish. Pink meat, so could be rainbow trout.

- The famous apple strudel at Kuchenstube. Very un-Bolivian, but it just sounded too good to pass!

- Japanese #2 at the ultimate Japanese hangout in La Paz - Ken-chan. Located inside the Japanese Association building, they have great Japanese food and comic books! Nicole let me read an episode of Golgo 13 while I ate every single bite of my 50BOB grilled fish (yes, tried the trucha) meal : ) Incidentally, today happened to be Nicole's birthday, so I got a little cake to mark the day:

And you won't believe this, but I ran into a familiar face. This guy looked sooooo familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly where I met him. He must've felt the same way, because he came up to me before leaving and said that we met somewhere. A short exchange of conversation led us to Turkey. The cave room hostel in Goreme. That was how many months ago?!?!?!

- Official b-day cake for Nicole. We went to this huge, cheesy place (Brosso) to celebrate with some cheesecake. Sort of reminded me of Chucky Cheese in the US, but this one had more focus on dessert. AFTER we finished our cheesecakes, they brought out a special cake for Nicole. Cuuuuuuute:

- Take out pizza and Bolivian beer for a quiet night in. I didn't like the pizza very much. A bit too soggy...

- Curry at the hip Blueberry Cafe. The atmosphere in there was wonderful (think hanging vines), we had to give it a shot. And of course, the blueberry yoghurt dessert was delicious.

- A cup of coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice here and there. Being the capital of Bolivia, La Paz was lined with pretty nice cafes - a pleasant surprise for me. I must've gone into one at least twice a day to re-energize myself after walking up and down the hills in thin air.

Fine. So this entry isn't the most interesting. Nothing Bolivian about it…sorry. I'll try to post something more travel-related next time around. In the meantime, hope you enjoy the exciting view from the second hostel window!

Chill

I don't think I did much more than that in Sucre.

It was the perfect place to chill and be lazy, given that the city didn't have much to offer in the first place. A lot of tourist do a biking tour, which I was too tired to do. Or go on this Dino Truck thing that takes you to see dinosaur footprints nearby. Think Flintstones' Dino on wheels. It sounded too cheesy, even for me. Plus, I wasn't feeling all that genki when I got here.

Yet again, a horrible bus ride. It all started badly when the taxi driver dropped us off at the wrong bus station. BASTARD! We had to walk over 1km to get to the correct one.
As for the ride to Sucre, the road itself wasn't bad - paved and smooth. I think it was the overcrowding that got to me this time. As in any developing country, buses tend to sell more tickets than there are seats. And, they stop here and there to pick up more passengers along the way. Thankfully, I had a window seat. But it was at the rear of the bus, and there were 6 people sitting in my row that had 5 seats. One of them was this annoying little bratty kid who refused to shut up and stay nicely seated. The mother, of course, was indifferent throughout the whole ride. 3 hours of being cramped in the back with a screaming kid on a windy road did not make Waru happy.

So, I wasn't in the mood to do much in the city. I did walk around the parks and wandered into some nice churches (I really liked the wooden ceiling of this one in the photo!).I also visited the Casa de la Libertad museum just because it was there and I had time on my hands. I'm not really interested in the history of Bolivia's independence. I take it I'm not the only one who feels that way - the museum was one of the emptiest... Nice building, though. A bit like Stanford, maybe?!
Other than that, my most memorable moment in Sucre had to do with the time spent at the Joyride cafe. Nicole and I basically had all our meals and snacks there, except for breakfast, which was provided by the hostel. I admit, it's such a touristy place. A total gringo hangout. I know, I know…I should've been a hard core backpacker and stuck to LOCAL establishments. But I have recently been craving Western food for some odd reason - the sandwiches, pastas, and salads. I think it started when I arrived in Bolivia. Strange.

Sucre is famous (really?) for its chocolates, so I stocked up on some chocolate covered almonds. Very cheap at 8BOB.
The city also had a very large, modern supermarket (first one I've seen in this country) so we had some fun there. Bought a bunch of stuff for our overnight bus ride into La Paz. Can't wait to have that parma ham and bread later!!!

Nicole and I forked over about $20 (that's a fortune over here) for our bus this time around - FULL CAMA baby! Should be comfy. Hopefully.