Dualing Drivers

We checked out of our Wi-Fi free apartment on Saturday morning and went for brunch in town, mainly to access Wi-Fi to see if any of our Copacabana hotel enquiries had come good. 

Again, the Bolivian Wi-Fi snail struck and in an hour we just about managed to download 2 emails but nothing else. Sadly, nowhere had availability so we left the cafe knowing, for the first time we'd be arriving in a town with no accommodation booked! 

We hailed a cab and headed for the bus terminal.

The traffic, as always, was heavy and we started to worry we were going to miss our 2 pm bus.

As we approached a red light, our driver just about crawled through on amber but then was stuck in the middle of the crossroads in nose to tail traffic, blocking the way of traffic coming across us (completely normal here!).

The driver of a black jeep didn't like it so pulled right up to the side of the cab to make his point but misjudged it and bumped into the side of our cab!

Our driver jumped out and an argument started with lots of pointing at lights and damaged cars. It was clear the Jeep driver wasn't interested in paying for the damage whatsoever.

Our driver got back in and turned off the road we were on as we were blocking the road and the symphony of La Paz car horns was getting more than annoying!

He pulled up next to the Jeep at the side of the road and both drivers inspected the damage together and the Jeep driver laughed, made it clear he'd not be paying  and drove off!

Immediately our driver jumped in his cab and before we knew it, we were involved in a car chase through the streets of Bolivia! I could hear the Starsky & Hutch theme tune running through my head but the excitement was overwhelmed with 2 things: 

1) Were we going to survive

2) Almost certainly we'd missed our bus

We turned a corner and pulled alongside the black Jeep. Then our driver pulled across the front of the Jeep, herding him like an unruly sheep, onto the curb. The Jeep's bonnet was millimeters from my passenger door through the whole of this crazy maneuver and I was certain that our driver's passion for justice would mean him obtaining a matching debt in the other side!

He managed to stop the Jeep and for the third time the game of Spanish, arm waving charades entailed.

Lauren and I made a plan and she got out of the side ways facing cab to try and hail another taxi whilst I went to the back, opened the boot and started getting our rucksacks out. I was stood in between the dualing drivers so kept my wits about me but was pretty sure it was all 'handbags' and wouldn't turn violent. As I turned my back, the Jeep driver's glasses flew past my head and smashed on the ground. I realised I was wrong!

The cab driver motioned for me to put the bags back in the car (Lauren had had no luck in getting another cab) so we got back in and eventually made it to the bus terminal, fortunately in time to get on our bus to Copacabana!

The bus ride to Copacabana was fairly uneventful until the bus driver stopped at the side of Lake Titicaca and rattled off a standard message in break neck Spanish speed and waved to us to all alight from the bus.

There were no English speakers around us and he'd spoken so fast that we had no clue what was going on. So I decided to memorise 5 people from our bus and follow what they did!

It turned out that we had to cross a thin section of Lake Titicaca by 'boat' and the bus had to go on a 'ferry'.

As you can imagine, the 'boat' and the 'ferry' left a little to be desired and as I calculated the width of the lake, I began to regret I'd not paid more attention to Doreen my swimming instructor when she'd assured me I could do better than just my 25 meter badge.

We were packed on to a small boat with about 20 others (one that you could see the water through the makeshift floorboards) and slowly made our way across the lake using the power of just one 75cc motor!

At this point we had no clue where our bus was with all our belongings on!

As we got off the other side we saw vehicles driving on to what looked like about a dozen scaffold planks tied together (all those who know the plank story can giggle here!), with a small child operating a similarly small engine to project this expensive motor vehicle across the depths of the highest lake in the world!

My heart sunk as I realised that our bus would be on something pretty much identical on the other side and I started running through the conversation with my travel insurance company in my head:

Reason for claim: "Loss of rucksacks & all belongings"

Where did you last see your rucksacks? "On the bus to Copacabana"

Where did you last see your bus? "Nose down, rolling off a makeshift raft into Lake Titicaca."

However, a miracle happened and the bus appeared, on the raft with an identical small child operating the motor, at our side of the lake. He used a long wooden stick to punt into the dock and before we knew it, the bus was off and in one piece. 

I do have to admit to chuckling when Lauren asked whether the small boy had punted the raft (with the bus on board) all the way across the lake!!

30 minutes later we arrived in Copacabana and operation 'find accommodation' started.

We were now slightly higher in altitude (3800 metres) and Copacabana is a hilly town. Add that to us both carrying 2 rucksacks each and the fact that we'd listed 2 hotels that were not only at the top of or hit list but were at the top of a huge hill, meant that when we arrived at the first hotel, we could hardly get enough breath to ask if they had availability! Seriously, walking uphill at high altitude makes you feel like an 85 year old chain smoker who's eaten fish & chips every day since he was 18 months old!

After 4 unsuccessful attempts I eventually led Mary & her donkey (Lauren & her rucksack) to a hotel where they found us a room in a stable full of hay... Well, on the third floor and it may aswell have had hay on the floor!

We put our bags down and walked downhill into town for some dinner knowing that we'd have to, once again, climb uphill with full bellies this time, to our bed.