Back on the highway, back on the bus. On my way back home. 10 days to get to Lima with hundreds of kilometers to go, two borders to cross and 2 cities to visit (again). The Aldea Luna experience forced me to sacrifice several other plans and stops before arriving in La Paz, although with such little time I thought it best to go direct.
Thus I got the first bus to the border town, La Quiaca. With a late arrival I was forced to spend another night in Argentina and cross into Bolivia the following day. The Bolivian influence and native resonance shown in the towns and people up here were astounding and awakening. After spending so much time through Chile, Argentina and Uruguay I had forgotten the differences in society... man had I missed it. The next morning I walked to the border and crossed the dried river bed that separated the two countries and entered the Bolivian town of Villazon. Immediately upon entering into Bolivia there was a surge of intrigue. Markets lining both sides of the main street. Small shops, flags and other things hanging from above the streets. The interest of Bolivia that I had not felt in so long had returned, an interest, an excitement that may come from a higher risk but a higher gain.
From Villazon I opted to take the train to Oruro then a bus from Oruro to La Paz rather than a bus directly to La Paz for the sake of comfort consdering the lack there of of pavement in Bolivia. On the train I met an English girl and a Brazilian guy who were both going the same way. By the time we arrived in La Paz Hannah, Vitor and I had agreed to find a hostel together. Considering I had already been in La Paz, I had an idea of where the hostels where and where I wanted to stay. Suprisingly finding a hostel was difficult, the most difficulty I have encountered anywhere! La Paz was full of tourists including all of Israel. The hostels were packed full. Finally we found one for a good price and took a load off.
I had several things on the ¨agenda¨ that I wanted to do in the La Paz area and I spent the first 2 days in La Paz running around to find a way to schedule it in so that I could get to Cuzco with time to do things there. Essentially I didn´t have enough time to do what I wanted comfortably and I was stressing over it. I knew that it didn´t really fit in but I was trying to force it into the schedule just so that I would live up to what I had told myself I would do. The entire trip I had wanted to climb a particular mountain outside of La Paz, a mountain over 6000 meters an altitude goal that I had made for myself, a challenge. I didn´t really have enough time to acclimatize before climbing the mountain, yet there are still agencies that would sell you the ticket just to get you money, your welfare is of no importance of theirs and you climb at your own risk, no refund. I really wanted to make something of the last week before I got on the plane and it was all over. I didn´t want to spend the money, nor did I truly feel like doing it, but I felt like I should because I said that I would. I made a ¨promise¨ to myself.
I quickly realized that this was the wrong outlook. To much focus on the things that I had done and to little focus on the things that I had done, it was tearing me thinking this way, and so unneccisary. Upon seeing this I forgot about the mountain, expectations and promises made. I began putting more focus into what I had done and who I had met as well as organizing myself to go home. Spending time in the city of La Paz, feeling the people and the environment, bringing back memories which took place the first time I had been here, 4 months ago, 4 months ago! Even with the few days spent back here in Bolivia I am glad that I chose to come back to fly out of Lima. A circuit is a great trip because that way you can go back through the countries or areas that you went through at the beginning, relive things that may have been lost in the pile of memories that has built up between now and back then and also to see the country after 5 months of travelling and not only after 1 month of travelling, or 3 days of travelling. This may be the most key, because a lot can change after travelling for 5 months, a lot of priorities change, confidence and comfort are much more secure. For this it was really nice to just come back to Bolivia and now have so much more to compare it to than before. With that ability to compare I think my respect and love for Bolivia has grown a lot over the first time I was here, whence I was comparing it mainly with Peru. I think now my priority to revisit Bolivia over Argentina is much greater and to spend time here and unlocking the mysteriousness of the people and the culture. A mysteriousness that I don´t see nearly as much in the locations visited and people met in countries such as Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. A certain emotion and intrigue, as I said before, about Bolivia is extremely prominent, a land slightly untouched by exploration similar only to Paraguay I would guess. The two only countries in the continent that are land-locked. I think tourists have trouble enjoying time spent in Bolivia unless they speak Spanish. The culture in Bolivia is much more reserved, the people are much quieter and are not nearly as openly interested in foreigners as Argentines are. Likewise much less english is spoken in Bolivia in general, and there is much less touristic incentive to visit the country. The wonders are talking to the people (in spanish) and learning from them and being told tales and information. Once they realize that you can communicate with them and are interested in what they have to say, then they become interested in you.
So I leave La Paz tomorrow to go to Cuzco for a few days to do the same as I have done in La Paz. Relax, eat, shop and think.
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