Did we say quote, "things are looking up?".

At dinner last night, while not understanding much Spanish, watching the TV news, it was painfully obvious the violence over the fuel was stepping up, with protests in all major centres, and we even saw a small rally here in Rurre.

Then when we called to collect our laundry it was not ready due to last nights storm and the power being off. So on the way back to the Hotel, Avan steps over a drain, hits a smooth wet piece of cement pavement and hits the deck like the proverbial sack of spuds. No broken bones (that we know of) and is able to stand again, but with a fair bit of bark off the knee and elbow, and good lot of bruising to come.

So we pack, collect our laundry, luckily ready and head to the tour office." Very sorry your trips been canceled due to the river being swollen by the rain but we will give a full refund via your agent in La Paz". This is all translated by James (Megan) who just happens to be at the tour office heading off on their Pampas tour, apparently that river is not swollen.

No point hanging around to fly out Sunday with the whole country in turmoil, so we hot foot it (actually Avan is limping) to the airline office and for an extra $30 BS each manage to grab the last two seats on this afternoons plane with a $8 BS bus transfer. Excellent - our luck is certainly running hot and cold. We share the flight with a US of A tour group who are convinced the little plane will not make it, and they are holding hands and actively praying.
 
We make it back to La Paz fine and grab a cab into town. We are stunned to see the highway toll booths that were there when we left are all burnt out! We get into the city and go directly to our tour agent who confirms that the violence has escalated and the road to the airport had indeed been blockaded and toll booths torched. There have also been violent demonstrations in all major centres and no buses are running. They are recommending tourists to take flights and leave, but can not get us a flight till Sunday. We are advised the riots have now stopped for New Year and Sunday but will recommence on Monday. We book our flights partially funded by our tour refund.
 
Nothing else to do but enjoy New Year's Eve, so Avan buys some small fire crackers off a street stall, we break open a bottle of wine and settle in. What a blast, come Midnight it would appear that absolutely every citizen of La Paz had fireworks to light. The city was ablaze with noise and colour. Fantastic.

So what else can happen? We wake up to the news on New Years day that Qld has had the worst floods in history, the Bolivian President has reversed his stance on the fuel rise (which is great, but no good to us we are now committed to leaving, without seeing anything near what we wanted to, or spending anywhere near what the country could have gotten out of us) and Heather has come down with Bolivian Belly and been laid up all day. Oh well that's travel folks!!.