Arriving to Bolivia

30 hours it took from Lima to La Paz. But I can´t complain as the Colombian I spent half the journey chatting to was enjoying the last leg of his 120 hour journey (Colombia to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, sat on a bus!). The Colombian was very chatty and so was the Peruvian next to me. I guess I would be too if I did those kind of 5-day journeys regularly. I did my best, Spanish dictionary in hand, as usual they didn´t speak a word of English.

Upon arriving in La Paz, I checked into the Loki Backpackers Hostel (they have a facebook group). People were amazed to find I´d had no bus trouble despite travelling the day after the Peruvian earthquake. Standing in Lima we had felt the ground shake for a whole two minutes, lamp posts swinging forward and back. As ignorant Europeans we had jumped and cheered, very excited by this incredible earthquake (7.5 on the richter scale). We soon became quiet as local Peruvians ran into the street, embracing each other, some crying. Unlike them we had never suffered casualties, families and friends, to such a catastrophe. Arequipa, Pisco and Ica were the worst affected. Ica, the city outside Huacachina, is reported to have had a quarter of its buildings destroyed. Fatalities were in the hundreds.

Arriving in La Paz was strange for me. This is the first part of my trip that I´m doing by myself. There are endless things to do at rock bottom prices, impossible to get bored, you meet a dozen new really cool people every single day. Some of them you click with almost instantly and spend the next few days partying away. The problem is that they then have to leave, off to see the next big sight or city, a new set of amazing experiences. Of course they ask you to come along, experience the world together, but you´ve already got plans, already seen that sight. There´s of course still a dozen new people for you to meet and click with, but you´re completely out of energy. No one can be happy and charming for weeks non-stop, and unfortunately first impressions really count. Still, now I´ve had my day of rest, I´m back on the ball. I hear there´s a party tonight; somebody´s birthday apparently. Should be good.