Goodbye Brazil, Hello Bolivia!
We cross over the Brasil/Bolivia border at Quijarro to find that the border police are having a siesta and have to wait 2 hours to get our entry stamp.
Then news comes in that the taxi´s are on strike (quite a regular thing in Bolivia) and there´s no buses. We´re advised to walk the 9km to the train station. buts its about 38 degrees outside and our backpacks weight about a tonne!!
We manage to hitch a ride on the back of a truck. We arrive at the station where a little 12 yr old shoe shine boy called Wilda decides to take us under his wing and we spent the rest of the afternoon being charmed by him.
We left our bags in the luggage store to be put on th train and a porterhelped us carry the bags the 5 feet from where we were sat to the room. Afterwards Elaine tipped him and gave him 10 Bs (Bolivianos) and asked for change and got 5Bs back. Only later did we realise that Elaine had just given him EUR1.40 and asked for EUR0.70 back! It´s tought somtimes getting used to a new currency!
Time to get on what is known locally as the ´Death Train´ & no joke, but the movie they´re showing tonight as we race theough the Bolivian countryside is The Amityville Horror...oh Elaine was not a happy girl!
Then news comes in that the taxi´s are on strike (quite a regular thing in Bolivia) and there´s no buses. We´re advised to walk the 9km to the train station. buts its about 38 degrees outside and our backpacks weight about a tonne!!
We manage to hitch a ride on the back of a truck. We arrive at the station where a little 12 yr old shoe shine boy called Wilda decides to take us under his wing and we spent the rest of the afternoon being charmed by him.
We left our bags in the luggage store to be put on th train and a porterhelped us carry the bags the 5 feet from where we were sat to the room. Afterwards Elaine tipped him and gave him 10 Bs (Bolivianos) and asked for change and got 5Bs back. Only later did we realise that Elaine had just given him EUR1.40 and asked for EUR0.70 back! It´s tought somtimes getting used to a new currency!
Time to get on what is known locally as the ´Death Train´ & no joke, but the movie they´re showing tonight as we race theough the Bolivian countryside is The Amityville Horror...oh Elaine was not a happy girl!
posted by Ciarán & Elaine at
8:37 AM
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