From £4 to £24 accommodation

I am leaving Copacabana today. I'm very sad. Yesterday I was very emotional. I cried when I read about the flooding in Cumbria, I cried when the waitress saw a huge tip on the adjacent table, made a little squeak of delight, then kissed and blessed it. I cried when a local woman and her 3 year old son came in (to the same cafe/bar - I was there for hours) begging for money and the wee boy took some of a neighbours chips. I also cried when I looked across and buskers were playing and dancing across the street. What's THAT all about?

I know I'm finished my big adventure and am ready to go home but I think its the whole life changing thing I'm now faced with! I've had time to think loads here. This 3 months travelling alone has been a piece of cake compared to what's now in front of me: I'm leaving behind my job, my friends and everything that I've known for the last 21 years, back to the place where I grew up. But I don't know it anymore. I don't know the people. People there say I sound English, then I get the bigoted "we hate the English" comments and digs. When I first moved to England and started working with the public, I was told off by more than one employer about my "abrupt attitude". It was suggested to me it was probably where I was from but to keep an eye on it. I had no idea what they were talking about. I do now though when I go back home. It's weird. The shop assistants seem rude and abrupt. But I know it's just friendly and helpful.

I will embrace the change the way I have done all the changes in my life.. with positivity and confidence and go full speed ahead to making a new life for myself.

I packed then killed time until my bus back to La Paz at 1pm.

Oh. My. God. I'm now back in La Paz. What a HORRIBLE contrast! I HATE it here! I can't breathe! And that's not even an exaggeration! All the exhaust fumes are killing me! The hostel is in a horrible area and it's the worst one I've been to! No seats on toilets, no loo roll, soap tho, but nothing to dry with. I don't know if I'll survive 2 nights here!

Restaurant

I placed my drink order as soon as I sat down. Vodka with tonic water. She came back after 5 mins to ask if I was ready to order. Without my drink. I ordered and reminded her about my vodka. She came back 5 mins later and asked did I want lemonade or coke with my vodka. I repeated tonic please. She came back 5 mins later talking about gin and tonic which I hadn't seen on the menu so hadn't ordered. Another guy was with her and showed me the words GIN and TONIC on his Iphone. I said great if you have gin and tonic I'll have that. No we don't. I told them both I didn't order gin anyway I ordered vodka and tonic. 5 mins later the guy came back with vodka only. No tonic. I Again. explained to the girl....who can actually speak good English so it wasn't AT ALL a language barrier...maybe she should write down my order so she won't forget. She said she doesn't have tonic water. So I asked for Lemonade and FINALLY got my drink. The fiasco lasted so long my main course arrived at the same time as my drink! I've never in my life experienced anything like that!!!! Good job the chef knew what he was doing. The food was outstanding!!

No tip. Obviously

On my way back through the fumes to my hostel, my face tripping me (Is that a Scottish phrase? See I have no idea anymore. What chance do I have?), I walked passed a posh hotel.

Hmm.

I went back and asked how much for a room. My hostel is £4 per night. This was £24 per night. In the UK that's pretty cheap and I wouldn't have thought twice. So I didn't think twice, went back to the disgusting hostel to grab my bag and was back at the nice hotel in a flash! It's my last 2 nights. I need R&R before my epic 2 nights sleeping on planes. I have no idea how I managed to do that but still.

The room's huge but a bit shabby. It'll do nicely thank you.

Aah I'm relaxed again now. I wonder if I can stay in my room and avoid the fumes for the two whole days?

A weird thing happened on the way back to the hotel from collecting my rucksack (I offered to pay by the way but they let me off). I fancied a snickers so stopped at one of the many stalls. I said hi to the wee lady. She looked at me then straight away pointed to the snickers bar before I'd had a chance to ask, or point! Can you believe it? But that's not all...oh no! She then pointed at the peanut m and ms. The only chocolate I eat here are these two items. No really!!! Coincidence you may think but I was amazed and told her she was psychedelic by pointing back and forth to both our heads and making a beep beep beep sound. She seemed to understand and smiled and winked at me! How bizzarre!!! I wonder if she actually is psychic?