Potosi
25.10.2005
We spent the mornig after the flight in the airport waiting for some friends on another flight to catch up with us at midday. This gave me the opportunity to go to Burger King at the airport! This was the first fast food I have had since getting to South America so a pretty big moment for me. Rach had trouble eating it because of her teeth so had to cut the Whopper up with a plastic knife and fork!
We then spent the afternoon in the "100% Fake English Bar" in the centre of La Paz. They had the Portsmouth Game on (we bloody lost) but I did get to drink PG tips (5 cups although with dodgy milk) and eat beans on toast(not heinz though)! Unfortuately this made me even more homesick.
That evening we got a night bus straight out to Potosi. We had gone for the most expensive ticket we could find to get a bus with a toilet, but no, as soon as we got onboard we were told it was out of order - ahhhhhh. Another 12 hours having to ask the driver to stop at the side of the road and having to wee whilst trying to fend off stray packs of dogs.
Arrived in Potosi on Sunday morning so it was pretty dead and we spent the afternoon wandering and reading. However it was bloody cold as Potosi is the highest city in the world, nearly 5000m! However to top it all off, about midnight that night I woke up sweating, then shivering etc etc etc. Yes, you´ve guessed it I got altitude sickness again! We had flown straight in from the jungle and it only takes a couple of days for the body to readjust to sea level, so even though I was on the pills I was in bed all day. Missed the trip to the Silver mine and couldn´t eat.
However we had planned to leave the town at 4pm that day, so Rach had to pack my bag and wrap me up warm and then help me out into the cold to a taxi. It was quicker and only a couple of quid more expensive to go by taxi the 3 hours to the next town of Sucre so I held onto my guts and suffered a pretty bad journey. Worst of all because I have the best Spanish I had to try and make conversation with the driver to ensure he didn´t fall asleep at the wheel when all I wanted to do was sleep (I think I was pretty lucky to make it through the night!)
Hi Mate,
Hope your having a good time (we're not convinced from some of your stories you've told everyone on your web site!!) We're having our first get together in Bristol at Alans new place, it's not the same without you, Jeffs particularly anoyed as we're taking this piss out of him instead at the moment instead!!
Anyways Alan and John have been particularly vulgar this evening, some speculation about your past but we'll just put it down to the beer, well it's called butcombe (pronounced buttcum, Warren suggests you've tried this before, Alan wonders if you spit or swallow...).
Anyways, enjoy the rest of your trip,
Later
Alex
I've wrestled the pooter from Alex and now get the chance to tell you that we've not been vulgar at all. Without you, the rest of them are bloody nancies and get scared about anything remotely approaching gayness (except John, some theories to discuss....). God, how we miss you!!! But I do wonder, spit or swallow??. Takce care, Alan.
05.11.2005 by catalina75