Trip Report 3 June - Road Block Hostal to Salt Flat bordertown, Chile
Trip Report 3 June - Road Block Hostal to Salt Flat bordertown, Chile
Distance since departure - 19,556 km
Distance travelled today - 317 km
Stayed - Chile Border Town Special
Weather - minus 4 - 18 degrees C
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Trip Report 2 June - La Paz to Roadblock, Bolivia (enroute to Uynuy)
Trip Report 2 June - La Paz to Roadblock, Bolivia (enroute to Uynuy)
Distance since departure - 20,002 km
Distance travelled today - 465 km
Stayed - Road Block Hostal - 15 Bolivianos
Weather - 4 - 18 degrees C
Read all of Trip Report 2 June - La Paz to Roadblock, Bolivia (enroute to Uynuy)
Trip Report 31 May -1 June - rest days - La Paz, Bolivia
Trip Report 31 May -1 June - rest days - La Paz, Bolivia
Stayed - Adventure Brew Hostal ($7.50 with breakfast)
Weather - 14 - 22 degrees C
Just kicking around La Paz trying to get over a cold and waiting for my wingmen to find new rear tires for their KLRs. They are out tire shopping while I catch up on internet work and attempt to play online poker from the rooftop bar of the Brew Hostal. The bar is the only place the WiFi works and yesterdays $420 win in a $5-$10 limit game should cover expenses for Bolivia. Gas prices are way down from Peru but I have not yet figured out the conversion rate to Bolivianos.
I think you can live reasonably well down here on $20 a day plus gas money. Andrew and Milan are on a tight budget and were stung with a $135 entry fee because of their US passports. Canadians are treated royally and welcomed in at no charge.
After the immigration fee, Andrew and Milan went into extreme cost cutting measures. They are roadkill specialists that will eat from any street vendor they come across. Last night they were stuffing a combo platter of fried weiners and french fries down that cost less than a buck. I don't mind watching in amusement but it does turn to horror when on a train track trek they broke out the raw weiners and had a feast.
Travel on a budget is one of the real draws down here. Half of Europe is here and they seem to stretch normal 2 week North American vacation into 6-18 month adventures. Is nobody working over there?
Trip Report 30 May - Puno, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia
Trip Report 30 May - Puno, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia
Distance since departure - 19,556 km
Distance travelled today - 308 km
Stayed - Adventure Brew Hostal ($7.50 with breakfast)
Weather - 12 - 22 degrees C
Temperatures are dropping and borders are getting easier to cross. Lake Titicaca was the scenery today at over 12,000 feet. We have been cruising at high altitude on the Altaplano for a few days and will probably be at height until we head for the coast of Chile.
The real head turner today was dropping into La Paz. You are cruising along a high plain with snow capped mountains off in the distance when you start to drop into a valley of humanity that is built in a crack in the earth. The transition is quite sudden and startling. It could all be improved with some kind of exhaust standards on their busses and trucks. These beasts just paint you in soot every time they pass you going the opposite direction. We try to keep vehicles from passing us going in the same direction to a bare minimum!