9/12/12

We had an early start this morning and checked out before 8 thereby missing out on the already-paid-for breakfast (never a good thing when travelling on a budget!)

When the first taxi we flagged down already had a passenger in (and alarm bells started to ring) we took matters into our own hands and, despite the undulating altitude-affected terrain decided to walk the mile or so to the bus station. The street stalls for which La Paz is famous were already open and were doing a roaring trade despite the early hour much to our selfish annoyance as we were trying to walk through with our big packs!

Arriving at the bus station a few minutes before eight, we bought a ticket for an 8am departure. With barely enough time to check-in the backpacks, buy some water and a bus station ticket, we headed for our bus to see it already reversing out of its stand. We clambered on, just before it sped off and found our seats at the front on the first floor. With an unimpeded view of the road ahead we settled in for our 8 hour trip.

Like Ecuador the bus made a couple of unscheduled stops along the way to pick up both passengers and salespeople who left us alone as we were right at the front. The journey took us along the altiplano until we stopped at halfway for a toilet break and food.

After this we took the road less travelled to Cochabamba which was a lot more undulating. Despite the fact it was single lane and we got stuck behind several heavy goods vehicles, passing was not a dangerous activity. There were very little houses or villages but there were a number of barely-dressed children close to the road holding out their hands begging to the drivers.

We arrived into Cochabamba after a brief rainstorm and, after asking a couple of local women, headed towards a hostel we had picked out. Staggered at the price we were quoted we tried another couple without success. One proved too expensive and most curiously one said they had no clean rooms as it was Sunday and the cleaner hadn't been! Eventually we found a basic place where the only thing included (and I mean the only thing) is the room.

Leaving our bags behind we then went for a stroll around the local streets, the fact that it's Sunday immediately evident as many shops and restaurants were shut, side streets deserted and pockets of people appearing in the parks and main streets. Finding somewhere open, we shared a pizza at a nearby café (was delicious!) before following this up a little later with an ice-cream at one of the numerous heladerias.

10/12/12

Kirsty woke up this morning not feeling great. Since breakfast was definitely not available at our Residencial, we returned to the pizza café from last night having already noted it served breakfasts. Walking there two things became immediately apparent: Firstly what a difference a day makes since it was so much busier than yesterday, Sunday being the traditional day of rest. More vehicles, more pedestrians, more street sellers, more noise. A different place! Secondly Cochabamba's famed climate was in evidence - despite being early the sun was bright in the sky and it was a warm day already.

After breakfast we went and sat in a nearby square Plaza Colon enjoying the sunshine. We watched many people coming and going, the change in the locals compared with La Paz all too evident. Here people appear somewhat wealthier as they are all well turned out in trendy clothes with traditionally dressed folk making up the social underbelly.

Leaving the plaza behind we walked down a tree-lined avenue with a number of high rises and large houses until we reached another Plaza, Plaza Quintanilla an opportune spot to rest away from the sun.

Passing by the rodizio we are planning to eat at this evening, we attempted to find a good causes café where we could sit and have a drink knowing our money would go directly to the street childen. Like a fair number of guidebook recommendations, the café appeared to no longer exist so we carried on hoping to find somewhere else to drink.

We walked on and on in the midday sun passing Santa Teresa convent along the way before finding a pavement café near Plaza Colon. The exertion of walking along with the heat had not helped Kirsty's state so we agreed to relax in the afternoon.

Enjoying a coffee and a slice of cake, we noticed (for the first time since Cambodia) children walking between the pavement tables selling sweets and cigarettes to the patrons. We were also accosted by adults selling DVDs and books and traditionally dressed beggars either begging themselves or sending their children over to beg to us. The disparity between the "have"s and the "have nots" has not been this evident since India.

The afternoon was spent back at the hostel as Kirsty dozed on and off for a couple of hours. Just before 7 we both left a little hungry and excited about the meal we were planning to have.

After nearly breaking my ankle on the uneven pavement outside the residencial, we walked the 20 minutes to the restaurant through Plaza Colon which was lit up magnificently by its Christmas lights and was a hive of activity with many locals milling around.

The rodizio was, as expected, amazing! Starting with a garnish bar complete with everything from salad, pasta, potatoes, cous-cous, you are then constantly interrupted by waiters offering you a slice of meat from the cooked meat skewers they carry around the restaurant. And they never stop coming! A carnivore's delight as we had more meat than we knew what to do with! All delicious, just a shame my Spanish wasn't up to knowing all the cuts of meat we were eating but certainly steak, ribs, chorizo sausage, pork, chicken hearts were some of them!

11/12/12

After a long, long lie-in we got ourselves ready and made our way towards Mercado La Cancha in the south of the city. Before reaching there we explored the local street market Mercado 25 de mayo, a few blocks from our hostel. Just off this we found a café with pavement seating and enjoyed a coffee next to a group of old wealthy Bolivians who seemed to know and enthusiastically greeted every passerby. Such a classic scene, the only thing missing were the dominoes.

On we pushed through Cochabamba until we reached the biggest market we have ever seen. After negotiating the food stalls (!) there was row upon row of shoe and clothes stalls followed by rows of toys and games and confectionary. Beyond this there was the usual market fare: hardware, raw meats and fish, skin and nail care, electrical and fruit and veg. Despite it being a Tuesday lunchtime the market was really busy and we got ourselves well and truly lost and after enjoying browsing around it took us a while to find our way out.

Having not yet eaten and with it being afternoon we visited a nearby rotisserie chicken place where we had two of the biggest quarters of chicken which neither of us finished! We then returned to the room for an hour the only thing we could really do after such a big lunch!

Later we popped out to return to a shop we had seen yesterday selling hand-made Christmas cards, the one item seemingly not on sale at the market earlier. On the way back we stopped at Dumbo's, a well-known ice-cream parlour where we both had a sundae just before the rains came.

Sheltering in the room, we went back out one final time, firstly to have a look around a local hypermarket and get some stuff for the journey tomorrow and to a pizza place to share some late night pizza.