Road trip out East!!!!
Trip Start
Mar 10, 2007
1
7
14
Trip End
Apr 02, 2007
Cochabamba, Bolivia
Monday, March 19, 2007
I met up again with our project engineer and after a quick breakfast, we headed to the Coroico bus terminal...the largest construction project my organization has ever completed in Bolivia. Coroico is one of Bolivia's top tourist spots and for years, the buses would leave and pick up passengers in the already cramped town center. The city wanted a solution and we were able to provide it. The new terminal is 4 stories high and is snuggled into the side of a hill. I honestly must say that it is a pretty impressive feat and possibly one of the best looking structures I've seen in Bolivia to date. It has offices spaces, a tourist office, a post office, internet cafes, a restaurant and stalls for 10 departing/incoming buses (plus parking for more)...and it only cost around US$500,000...if nothing else, you definitely get a bang for your buck in this country!
After hanging out in the Coroico office for a while, waiting for a driver (sadly, I had to part ways with my buddy Wildo), I was finally on my way. The replacement driver, Felix, was a little different than the other 3 drivers I've had thus far. He drove too fast, didn't wear a seatbelt and managed to make me feel like I was most likely going to die on most likely the safest stretch of road in all of Bolivia (the new highway between Coroico and La Paz). Luckily, I survived!
Once getting back from Coroico, I spend the remainder of Saturday and this morning just relaxing and trying to rest as I was completely worn out. Today it rained all day in La Paz so it was nice to just sit around, sleep, eat a nice, relaxing breakfast and get ready for my afternoon departure to Cochabamba.
I was supposed to fly with someone from the US Embassy and our country director from La Paz to Santa Cruz and then drive from SC to Villa Tunari, where our other regional office is located (halfway between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). Yesterday (Saturday), though, I was presented with an opportunity I couldn't refuse - a road trip literally across the country. We have purchased some new vehicles and one of them needed to be broken in. After getting the green light from the country director, I decided to go that route.
For entertainment for the 6-7 hour drive from La Paz to Cochabamba (where we'd spend the night) I had Jorge, the Villa Tunari manager, Cristobal, our technical services guy (who went to Michigan State - grasp!) and Hugo, an engineer/project supervisor in our Chulumani office (the only office I won't see on this trip). Between the three of them, I not only learned a lot about the countryside that we drove through, the history of Bolivia and the current situation in the country, these guys had me laughing the whole way.
The drive itself was incredible...leaving La Paz, we drove through the Altiplano and watched the sun disappear on the distant Chilean Andes mountains. As the sun was setting, the Altiplano scrub looked exactly like eastern Colorado...lots of scrub, mountains off to the west and no signs of human life whatsoever...it was wonderful. We stopped to get some coffee with milk and I soon learned that what I was getting wasn't coffee with milk but rather, the other way around. You get a cup of hot milk and then add this viscous concentrate coffee to the milk until it takes on the color of coffee with milk. In all honesty, it wasn't bad...I've even come around to the coffee concentrate (with water for 'regular' coffee).
As we drove, they pointed out historical places along the way, including some of the first churches in all of Bolivia, which are now in complete disrepair. Bolivia truly is an amazing country and it has an even more incredible past...I hope that I get back here again soon in order to continue exploring it (as well as use the plane ticket that I skipped). Eventually, the Altiplano began to give way to the 'Valley Region' where Cochabamba is located (around 6,000 feet above sea level - 2,000 meters). Driving into Cochabamba at night is impressive, the city sitting below you as you descend the mountains.
As it was after midnight, we decided to find dinner and then head to the hotel as we had to travel again by 7am tomorrow. We finally found someplace serving food and ordered. I ordered a cuban sandwich, Cristobal, a hamburger, and Jorge a salad (we dropped Hugo off earlier on). When our food came, Cristobal ended up with a sandwich full of chicken and I had something that resembled a ham patty of sorts with the fixings of a Cuban sandwich. We were both a little confused about what we got so we asked the waiter. Cristobal said he had ordered a hamburger and wondered why it came with chicken. The waiter insisted that Cristobal had the right sandwich, that yes, contrary to popular belief, this hamburger includes no patty, only chicken. We decided to call it a truce even though it seemed fishy, and eat. After eating, it was still bothering Cristobal so he asked for a menu. Turns out, I had the hamburger and he ended up with the 'Cuban' which, instead of pork, came with chicken. We laughed it off but it still blows my mind that a waiter would be THAT insistent that the hamburger Cristobal ordered comes with chicken, rather than a hamburger patty. Don't these people ever learn to think for themselves??? I know that food these days is more high science than anything else but seriously, how can a waiter be THAT dense. Oh well, it is worth a few laughs at least.
Cheers!
