Traveling Bolivia

Need I say more?  Sorely
disappointing, and cost
more than $5 / footlong!

Have to enjoy the journey, right?  We started waiting 4 hours in the airport when our flight was delayed (would love to see some data on the average delay here, seeing as no one even lines up to board until the departure time).  Luckily it’s easy to walk in and out of security- shoes on, whatever liquids/laptops in bag, and thus no line!  For dinner I ate at the only Subway in the city, something I have long been craving.

Jackie and I forwent the 10 hour bus ride for the 45 minute flight ($10 vs $50, worth the splurge) to another large Bolivian city, Cochabamba.  We paid a whopping $7 each to stay in this hotel for the locals:

No wonder the lady thought me crazy when I asked if there was internet. Especially as there was only one outlet in the room, attached to that free hanging lightbulb.

We woke up and went straight to the bus terminal, which is more or less a madhouse.  Nonetheless, we found a bus with “full bed” seats for $9 to Oruro, which means we could lay out for the 4-hour bus ride (after that initial 30 minutes spent at a gas station).   Throughout the ride, local people hop on and off selling loaves of bread, icecream, and prepackaged lunches of rice and meat.

Strange Juxtaposition of Logos

We made it safely to Oruro, where we stayed in a hotel for $175 USD each for a 3-night Carnaval package (ie it was a big, expensive ordeal to be in Oruro for Carnaval).  After the 3 days, we returned back to Cochabamba, this time on a "semi bed" bus where the seats didn't lean back as far, but there were seatbelts!  As we pulled out of the station, a local lady climbed on and rode the whole way on the stairs.  We stayed a night in Cochabamba at a hostel, where everyone spoke English and chatted over the free bread/jam breakfast about the best trails to Machu Pichu (the stereotypical conversation here for the backpacking crowd).

A nicer location a bit outside the city.
$10/night, with free access to playground!

We flew out the next day, after a solid 5 day vacation.  Good to be home again in Santa Cruz, but like after any proper South American vacation, now with some gastrointestinal bug...!