Getting there is half the adventure

It's impossible not to be captivated/terrified by the driving in Bolivia. Our daylong trip to Samaipata showed us the good, bad and ugly of it.



It's 2 1/2 hours to drive 120 kilometers, and for good reason. Once you pass the main divided highways out of Santa Cruz, sleeping policeman are the main way to slow traffic. In the towns lining the road, they come every 300 meters or so, and are really big ones. Then, there's the road itself, which progressively narrows and twists as you reach the canyons and hills. Also, we're traveling on a Saturday - market day in many places, and the road is clogged with vendors and buyers. Finally, there's the extensive road damage from use and washouts in the rainy season just past. At least 6 bridges are under reconstruction in the mountains; they seem to to have just disappeared during the rains. In the canyons, there are numerous landslide areas where the road is being recaptured from nature. In a few, there are freshly-dropped boulders half blocking the road. Our driver Victor tells us that this is a normal state of affairs each year.



Tires and brakes take a beating: 2 months for a set of tires, and 1 month for brakes. I asked Victor how long drivers last, and with a laugh he acknowledged that it's not a job for an old man. The eyes are the first to go - and one doesn' He's been at it 4 years and his main problem now is tired legs from the braking and shifting his Toyota Corolla wagon. The predominant driving technique is heavy acceleration and high speed whereever possible, including around curves and on the berm, followed by heavy braking. Despite lots of near misses by US standards, I haven't seen a single accident this past week and the cars, although old, are in good shape. Probably they are valuable enough that drivers pay close attention. We're also fortunate that this is Victor's main driving route and he knows it like the palm of his hand.



The nice part about our slow progress is that there's plenty of time to see the roadside: many gomerias (tire repair places), phone centers, tiendas of every sort, and roadside sellers of oranges in particular. Bolivia has a beautiful tree in bloom just now: a tall dark green umbrella covered with bright pink flowers and yellow centers. Roadside farmhouses here seem more prosperous than those near San Pedro: white stucco and tile roofs rather than dusty wood and thatch. The wet season is barely past, and the bouganvilla, poinsettias and other blooming vines are glorious.

On our way home in late afternoon, dozens of trucks are coming from the city, overloaded with people and empty baskets from produce sales at market. But the evening market in El Torno seems just as busy as the morning one when we came up from Santa Cruz. Saturday is selling and socializing day, and probably Sunday is for resting and preparing for the week to come. At least that's true for me: I leave tomorrow - Monday May 11 - for 2 weeks in Guayaquil Ecuador.

!A luego!
Claire