Overnight bus of terror to Rurrenbaque
Trip Start
Jun 16, 2007
1
12
41
Trip End
Nov 13, 2007
Rurrenbaque, Bolivia
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Due to catch the 1:00pm bus to Rurrenbaque, a 15 hour journey, but it was 3 hours late arriving in Coroico due to a puncture going down the World´s Most Dangerous Road. We spent an exciting 3 hours waiting for the bus on the side of the dusty roadside in the sweltering heat, surrounded by women selling mandarins!
Finally got on the bus at 4pm - a local bus traveling overnight - which we had sworn we would never do! However, it was this or flying in a 16 seater plane over the Andes. We opted for the bus there and plane back to hedge our bets!
Bus pretty much as bad as expected - broken seats, no toilet, although we did stop in a one horse town at a truck stop serving fried chicken or fried chicken, illness guaranteed! Hit 4 times by luggage falling off overhead racks! 15 hours of teetering over cliff edges through the Andes (very relieved when it went dark!), 13 river ford crossings and occasional stops for the driver to kick the tyres and check underneath for major faults! Ross had to reassure Claire that it was perfectly normal for buses to be leaking brake fluid! Somehow we managed to get a little sleep in 2 second power naps between the bumps! Even Claire´s faithful neck pillow failed the challenge and somehow got a slow puncture!!
All in all an horrendous journey but arrived safe (and a little bruised!) in Rurrenbaque at 7:00am. Rurrenbaque is a lovely jungle town on the edge of River Beni and we stayed in a hostel with hammocks in the garden (100% Deet required). We relaxed for the day and caught up on sleep before we set off on our pampas tour in the morning.
Comments
Namby Pandy High Altitude
What about the poor people up 'North', where life is tough all the time, no sun, no rain only drab, and grey drab at that? You don't know you're born, with balaclavas and gloves - you are living in luxury. I can remember when we had only a frozen jubbly to get through the six weeks holidays, I can remember when mint leaves were a main meal. (If you don't know about frozen jubblys ask Ross`s mum). Well done.
Linda & Doug XX
GRIM UP NORTH
Yes - it's certainly 'grim up north'. Heard on the news today that it's 'Yorkshire Day' (1st Aug) when all the indigenous people of the North celebrate their heritage and 'all things Yorkshire' - eg: whippets, cloth caps, tin baths and frozen jubblies. As a former Northerner the photo of the Bolivian kitchen reminded me of my own childhood, only where you saw amputated sheep's legs we used to have ferret's tails! Perhaps the poor people in the North should start their own blog for us to marvel at their quaint way of life!
2 Gringos
Bolivia
You think those Bolivians have it rough? We used to live in a shoe box in t'middle o'road.
Dad.