Bolivia - Copacabana to La Paz 26th January 2011

Look out blog followers we are nearly up to date!!

We'd heard many stories about Bolivia, and most in general bemoaned its rough edges and lack of service culture, but these seemed to be unfair comparisons with other "westernised" countries in S.A. We thought the best place to find out would be La Paz. But to get there we had a journey.

Our transport was a little 30 seater coach, very modern with air con and reclining seats...nice.

...looking back and saying goodbye to Copacabana...

Sorry to go on about this but the scenery out of Copacabana was stunning (tried looking for a different adjective sorry, but try this next description and you'll get the picture).

If you have ever driven up the M6, just south of Penrith, there is a range of mountains called the Howgills. In early morning or late even sunshine these hills look to be made of velvet, soft and undulating and changing the character of the light as it strikes them.

ahh........gentle sleeping giants

However lets get away from the misty eyed view and get back to reality. The main road to the capital is only two way so there is a lot of....

...overtaking involved..sometimes on clear streches....

...sometimes on not so clear stretches...

We also had a ferry crossing at Tiquana...

The coach went on a barge, powered by a 40HP outboard ( again quite slow)...

Whilst we the passengers caught the latest in equally slow speed aqua technology...

...here we are appropriately packed into our little boat of paper thin wood,  like sardines....

Oh lucky on this day tey weren't using the inappropriately named...

...our bus just being reversed into dock with the barge equivalent of a Jonah in the foreground...

Anyway we made it safely across just in time to catch...

...the latest in online banking...

Yep there were two fold up tables in the back of this van with two bank clerks, you can just see to the two armed guards. the satellite dish uplinks the transactions direct to the central bank; neat huh! Suddenly Bolivia is looking a little more advanced than we thought.

So we drove a bit more...

saw a few more trucks...

and eventually came to the worlds highest capital....

...Nuestra Senora de La Paz...to give it the full title...

Try this link La Paz if you want to know a bit more.