BOLIVIA    DIARY  4

           From Diary 3, it is time to see the last for now.
5. The first stint is 370 kilometres, first in the ugly La Pas for over an hour. The city might have some charming areas and buildings, but I did not find any in my research, and fail to find the energy to explore the vast city.  When I finally get to clear the city and its bad but busy roads, I hit the familiar Ororu road with its flat sand desert. Well it is actually farmed in many places, quinoa and some grain.
Then I turn into the huge gravel hills. The altitude raises from 4000 to 4300 meters, but the vegetation don’t change much. Here are even some crops around.
A little cobblestone roads leads through some small and humble huts, and finally reach Mirador Chaquilaguna, to overseen a lake – and especially, it turns out: The Eucalyptus tress on its shore. I fail to see why this should be a special beautiful sight.
Then I enters the 170 kilometre Cochabamba-Villa Tunari road. It should be something special, but it does not really catch me. Well, when it finally drops below 2500, there are first cacti, and below 2000 meters, it is dense rainforest. The temperature and humidity raises dramatic, but the sun vanish. I can't talk myself into leaving the car to explore the real dense rainforest - and I don't have the time either.
I reach the little jungle town of Villa Tunari at dusk, and find Cesar's Tropical Hotel right away. A huge (former) luxurious hotel at the entrance to town. Then into the more or less one-street-town to find some food. I had actually expected some more town, but fine with me.
I gas the car once more, as gas stations with gas are so scars. After a salad with fried eggs, I get a warm mug of milk. I had hoped for a bit of coffee as well.  Highlights from the day

6. 30 kilometres through the one lane village, then the jungle to Parque La Hormiga which should be botanical garden-like. Well, I would say small farms in the rainforest. Despite I really try, I only find a few interesting plants, although I can't say if they are native or not.
Then 327 kilometres towards Santa Cruz. It is just transport, first through jungle, then slowly into pampas.
I pass the closed botanical garden, then find my car dealer, figuring it might take some time to sort out the dents. I don’t need the car the next two days anyway, and parking is expensive, in the dead centre of the city, where I have a hotel and sights.
He take the dents nicely, and his uncle fix it for US$ 300. I have to pay US$ 200 for the extra kilometres and actually end up getting US$ 180 back if my deposit. The car have coasted

He offers me a lift to the hotel, and even to the airport in two days, I settle for the hotel. A short brake, then a walk out of town to find the national Apple Store. It is actually, where Google claim it is. They have an idea, which I didn't thought of: Try without battery. It works, although the computer is extremely slow. Well, I'm grateful, and pay 50 Bolivian to the coffee-box.
Back to the hotel, pass a fancy burger bar, willing to exchange the beef with a fried egg.
Then I check photos, and they seems to be all right: No new camera for now. It turns out the "first click", which activate the focus, have gotten a bit too much water, but can be "massages" to live again.
A short walk around the centre at eight, to find dinner, then early to bed.  Highlights from the day

7. At eight, I have had my cold shower for a first on this tour, and enters the huge but nice city. I am in the dead centre, with souvenirs, parks, old colonial buildings and cafes - and a lot of trash as well. Besides from a pair of sunglasses, I just need to relax before Peru.
I find an rather expensive pair of Italian sunglasses, but they might be good. But fare from like those I lost.
A tour up in the central church tower and a lot of loops around the central part of town does not give the expected amount of photos. Finding animal-free food is hard, but one restaurant owner follow me to another restaurant, who serve some real nice salad, fried eggs and fresh, salt cheese.
I see most of the central part, and even find a market: Mercado Florida, of which half is food stands. I just get a mug of coffee. Half way home, I get loured into a passion-cheesecake.
It is a real windy day, but not cold at all. The sun is on and off, the temperature and humidity high. A loop in the evening to get a vegetarian hamburgesa and then an early night.  Highlights from the day

8. The plan is just to spend the hours, until it is time to find the airport around three. I doubt I'll be able to find anything new around the centre, but I don't find the energy to try the botanical garden by public transport either.
I manages to get a warm shower, but sleep some more. Breakfast at the Macando Florida, then home to sleep some more. I finally realises, I might have a stomach-bug, draining me for energy. I find a clinic, giving me 20 ampoules of different stuff, in an one hour drop. It does calm my stomach a bit, and supply a fraction more energy. I stick to bananas and the calm at the reception, till it is time to find a taxi for the airport. Bolivia have been a cluster-fuck-up, and I have not really enjoyed much. Expensive due to the car-problems, not much exploring due to the belly-bug and lack of computer, GPSes, camera, sunglasses, glasses and general fuck-ups.
I have made only 1414 photos, driven 2669 kilometres but spend 19.935 DKK / €2525.   Highlights from the entire tour