Worldtour diary- Part 4

World Tour Diary 04 - 8^th of November to 1^st of December 2006

New try...after the PC crashed down approximately 10 seconds before sending out the mail.

More than three weeks in one mail. All my "programm" between the 9th and 30th of November 2006...all what happened between the "capitals" La Paz and Buenos Aires.
Firstly I went down. By bike.A long way. More than 60km on the most dangerous road of the world.But...I must admit...I don´t really understand why it´s so dangerous and there are more than 100 dead people in the last 7 years....If you´re not Israelin...or for any other reason crazy you just accept that there´s no view at all in the fog...and do it a little bit slower.
Whereas..really tough was the following day. 18 hours in the bus to Rurrenabque...too many bumbs, too many curves..no sleep at all.
As this wasn´t tiring enough..I caught a 3day-Pampa trip directly after arriving there.
Once again no sleep, cos the about 100 moscito bites were damn itching in the night.
At daytime, I did not only fight with the moscitos, but as well with my camera. Not too easy to get these PINK !! dolphins pictured.
Much easier with the friendly alligators and monkeys..
Two early standing up for the sunrise...I arrived back to Rurrenabque really really tired...
but...once again...I couldn´t resist...and booked the next tour for the following day.
3 days of JUNGLE which were not only physically (up to 40degrees) hard, but particularly mentally. How did I feel small...being so dependent on my guide...cos he knew some things about nature..and I did not.
Despite a hell lot of wesp bites, insect bites and thanks to his chosen food (termits, cacao, other insects, piranha...) I survived as well these 3 days....and was totally happy to meet up again with Judy and Shiran, my new Israelian loves.
Passed a hell lot of evenings in the last 4 weeks with them...so my traveling habits changed a bit...and I did not do it really "local".
But...it was fun. Big fun was as well seeing a "known face" (Audrey Bonfils), a girl I studied with in France.
After this overdosis of friendship I flew again in the loneliness, hiking from 1 place to another.
So, after the experience of going from 200m (Jungle) up to 5500m (Chacaltaya mountain) and the connected headache, I discovered what Bolivian carnival means in Orururo. Shame that it was just a museum, cos the costums look pretty nice!! 1 day later I saw about 500 churches and a replica of the Eiffel Towerin the "white town" Sucre.
Then...shocking experience in Potosi´s goldmines. If you complain about your job...just come here for a day. The conditions for the guys who work- and die- here are not really funny..
Another football match, now in Bolivia, I went to do it hard for my bum.
But the 25 jeep hours were worth seeing this richness of landscapes.
Salt lake.Yes. Desert. Yes. Green and red lagoons. Yes. Volcoanoes. yes. Geyseers. Yes.
Hot bath on 4600m. Cactus island. Yes...and all that in even not three days...Just amazing!!!
Changing my inititial plan of going to Brazil then into a "quickly go to Buenos Aires to see the last football matches before summer break"..made me just rush through the towns of Tupiza, Salta and Tucuman...
So..I probably have to come back for this...DOing it slowlier is definetelt more healthy...cos 2500km in 4 days,...just hurt.
So...now I arrived in Buenos Aires...and if I dont change my plans again you should be able to get some more news about Argentina, Urugay and even Brazil before Christmas.
But--of course...I hope to hear from YOU much sooner!!
TC
jk