I left La Paz (wahoooo!) at 12:30pm...I actually got a taxi with a great guy called Jonnie to the outskirts of Alto La Paz to avoid the wicked climb and traffic. As soon as I got in the cab the Aussie song...with the lyrics "Do you come from the land down under?" and "I just smiled and gave him a vegemite sandwich" came on the radio - I hit the volume and we cruised...it was a magic moment!
View back to Alto La Paz (La Paz is hidden in a deep valley)
...another view back toward La Paz
My lunch...a BAD order...it didn´t taste good at all and had me "retasting" it for the rest of the ride :(
....its been a quick ride...slightly downhill most of the way with just a few hills that hurt a bit. Elevation wise...I stated around 13,200 and the highest poit I hit was about 13,700ft and I am know sitting in a small town (Patacamaya) at 12,800ft. I have re-acclimatized much better then expected and hope to knock out the 127 km to get to the large town of Oruro by tomorrow night. My left hand is doing OK..i did buy some drugs in la Paz and they seem to help...I am glad the roads will be sealed for the next day or perhaps two.
I am off to find a secure place for my bike and I to spend the night...I am hoping there is a hostel in this town...if not I am going to ask somebody that looks friendly to let me sleep over....maybe we could make smores ;)
UPDATE: Well I am back in internet cafe after finding the hostel...is the cheapest/nastiest "hotel" I have ever stayed in....10 Bolivianos a night (US1.30)...and no I did not bother to negotiate :)...its pretty dam nasty...like a prison cell without the atmosphere but it has a padlock and I´ve also padlocked my bike to the bedframe...I will not bother with the scary blankets but will use my sleeping bag and a mesquito net to keep any bed bugs etc at bay. Since its basically a concrete cell there should be too many places for nasty critters to hide.
Here is were i rode...funny when the best map you can find is hanging on a restaurant wall :)
A couple of freindly young guys herding dhip a few Kms from Patacamaya...that was me 30 years ago :)
I always try to trusting :) and gave m camera to one of the guys and got picture...travelling solo its alwas tough to get pics of yourdelf so I often ask folks i deem trustworthy.
I rode for 200m towards Arica and got to see Mt Sajama...hopefully you can make it out faintly to the rigtht on the horizon. I hope to return to Bolivia one day soon and climb this guy (over 21,000ft)...my little mishap on the bike forced me to the jungle...not a bad thing really...that was cool!
Patacamaya seems to be a friendly town...nobody has hassled me and i have got a lot of smiles and a few puzzles looks as well.
This is where I will lay my head tonight...i hope the bed bugs don't bite!
Main Street - my hostel is down a scary alley way to the right
This where i am as i type...a small and increasingly hectic internet cafe...the only place to hang out in Patacamaya at night it seems...it seems kids are kids all over the world :)
All the best and cheers,
Neal
PS I just got an email from from God son Lachlan in New Zealand...great to hear from you mate!
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