Right, so yet again I have to trace my thoughts back to a week ago. So here goes.

That evening in Asuncion, the results of the election were announced and a new president was elected which saw the chage of power from the Colorado Party for the first time in 61 years. This was a huge occasion for the Paraguayans and the streets filled up and there was singing and chanting and celebrations well into the night. We watched for a few hours and then headed to a bar for the evening where we met an English man called Mark who told us a lot of stories about his travels which we are sceptical about whether or not they are true as they were quite extreme!

The next day we checked out of the hotel and bought some bracelets and Jenny got a replacement camera and then we sat in a restaurant for the day waiting for 8pm when we would get our bus to Bolivia. We got to the bus station in plenty of time and stocked up for the journey. It wasn't the most comfortable coach we've been on to say the least but we were tired so fell asleep within a couple of hours. We woke up at 3am to find out that we had been still for 3 hours because the bus had broken down and we had to wait for a replcaement. That replacement was now there so we changed buses onto an even less confortable one, but it was the middle of the night so we all went straight back to sleep. Then, yet more drama as we arrived at passport control at 6am. We were shown that we didn't have an entrance stamp for Paraguay so would have to go back to Asuncion to get the stamp. We pleaded with the people there and eventually the woman said she'd accept $85 dollars each - a total of $265. I had about 20 and Jenny had 200. They eventually accepted the $200 and we got back onto the coach. Although this was expensive, we realised it was cheaper than going back to Asuncion and doing the journey again so we weren't too agrieved. The rest of the journey was bumpy and through sparse desert like land and we saw a fair bit of wildlife - Jenny saw an ostrich. When we arrived in Villamontes we reached another problem. There were no cash points or banks which would change travellers cheques and Jenny had spent all her dollars on bribing passport control! I changed around $10 which wouldn't pay for the bus we wanted to get to Tarija but did cover a taxi to Yacuipa, almost back the way we came but the only option. We got there, all withdrew a lot of Bolivianos and bought our bus ticket to Tarija thinking that we could now relax. We did in a cafe for a while, then me and Gussy went to the market where we were delighted to find how cheap everything was. I bought a football for 1.50 pounds (no pound sign) and a hat for less than a pound. We saw numerous other bargains too, although my football wasnt worth it because it won't stay pumped up! The hat was a good buy though! So then at 6.30 we got our bus to Tarija, which was the scariest bus journey I have ever been on. We drove through the night along tiny mountain roads (which weren't roads yet, only in the process of becoming roads!) at a ridiculous speed. We couldn't understand why the driver wanted to bend round really tight corners at such high speeds and would even try and overtake other vehicles with huge drops to one side! Our seats were also upstairs at the front of the bus so we couldn't look away and we sat there holding our breaths and leaning towards the mountains as we went round corners. We manages to sleep, though not very well as the roads were bendy and bumpy, and eventually arrived in Tarija at 4.30am. We swiftly got a taxi to the hostel we'd booked and slept straight away.

The next morning we all freshened up, as we hadn't cleaned ourselves in a few days now (and i had only changed my boxers!) and then went outto see Tarija. A few shops down from our hostel is a shop selling traditional Bolivian items ofclothing - where I today bought a pair of warm woolen gloves - and then a block away is a market with yet more bargains, mostly food. We ate a breakfast of different patries for 20p each and then walked around looking at the plazas and all sorts. It's a very nice quiet and quite authentically Bolivian (so we've heard) although it is obviously trying to become more western - a lot of internet cafes and (fake) desinger clothing. That afternoon I watched the Man U game in a bar and met an English traveller who gave me lots of advice about Bolivia. He was staying at the same hostel so we went for dinner with him that evening. Then I went for a really long jog - which felt long overdue - and asked about bus tickets to Tupiza, our next destination. Then I ran to the other side of town to a bigger market which was closing up but ( Gussy and Jenny went separately ) we alldecided to go back the next day. That evening we went for dinner with the English guy and all filled ourselves up on drinks and food for around 4 quid each in a really really nice restaurant. Then we looked for a bar and ended up at - to Gussy´s delight - a karaoke bar where we sang the night away with the locals who all took it much more seriously than us.

Then yesterday we walked all over town, and spent a lot of time at the large market. We found a lot of bargains and all ended up buying some kind of (fake) Adidas clothing, me and Jenny tracksuit bottoms and Gussy shorts, for around 1 or 2 pounds each. Mine are ridiculoud - bright red - but I figured they're comfy, I won't mind if I lose them and they're quite big so could go over another pair if I was really cold. We then went to a park and relaxed there while I played with my flat football, and then to the bus station where we bought tickets to Tupiza for tonight. We leave at 6.30 and arrive there at 4 or 5am. I am trying my best to organise meeting up with Hannah and Lucy, started a 3 day tour of the salt flats today, ending in Uyuni on Sunday. So I have booked myself onto a tour of my own, which starts tomorrow morning, which should be fun, but the woman said she'll pick me up from the bus station and then said something about hospitality until the 9am start of the tour so I am looking forward to that. My tour ends on Tuesday in Uyuni so I have emailed Hannah asking her to wait for me but I won't know til I get there whether or not they have waited or not. Gussy and Jenny dont' want to rush into the tour yet but I am fine with doing it alone because the woman said there are already 4 people doing this particluar tour and it might go up to 12 so there will be people to meet I'm sure.

So that brings me up to date to today, which I have spent most of sorting out my tour and now writing this bloody blog! I will try and put some pictures up after the Salt Flats because I should have some more good'uns by then.