Into Bolivia

Puerto Quijarro to Sucre

It was after a 6.5 hour busride from Bonito when we arrived in Corumba at the brasilian side of the brazilian-bolivian frontier. While waiting for the immigration officer to get the exit stamp we met a greek expat who happened to know everything and everyone between the brazilian bus terminal and the bolivian train station (ca 3km). He was weird and loved Otto Rehagel. He managed to get us a taxi for 10 Reals less than the other drivers were offering and since the Bolivian immigration office was still on siesta, we went with him across the border and disturbed one of his "friends" nap in the hamock to change money.

After this action, we went three wooden huts further to another of his friends who ran a "restaurant" and who served us cold chicken with cold rice and a cold potato for 10bolivianos (1Euro). However, after half an hour we went back to the immigration office and waited another 20 minutes because bolivian take it easy and forgot the actual immigration stamp. Finally we got into the office and the greek knew the officer and rushed them. We got the stamps without bribing and without getting searched in 5minutes. The nice greek organized once again a cheap ride to the train station where he dropped us at a hotel and gone he was.

Quijarro has got one paved road and just a couple stone/brick buildings. The hotel was a hole and we were basically just sweating for ca 24hours and very happy when we left the next day to wait for the train.









El Tren del Muerte is actually pretty cool and comfortable. The only challenge was the entertainment programme: starting of with bolivian "Schlager", followed by Rambo 1-3 in spanish and bad bad quality (red was the only colour --> Sly is actually an indian!). Afterwards bolivian music clips. It was horrible. The aircondition did not work, which was not too bad. The train literally bounced 15hours (600km!!!!) through eastern Bolivia. We arrived in Santa Cruz della Sierra at about 10am. We spent 6 hours in St Cruz to get money, food and book the next bus to Sucre.















The bus ride to Sucre takes between 14 to 25 hours (LonelyPlanet). We made it in 18hours. The bus was some kind of old 4WD mountain bike off-road thing with people standing and sleeping on the floor in the aisle, and in between two gringos! There was of course no toilet.
Soon we left the paved road to climb through the mountains on dirt roads. The only catch about dirt roads is, that they convert into mud-slopes during the rain season, which is at the moment. At 6am we ended in a sort of traffic jam of three busses and two trucks in the middle of nowhere: a "river" was crossing the road. We waited 2 hours until the caterpillar fixed it and we could go through the river. After another 6 hours we arrived safely in Sucre at an altitude of almost 3000m.

Here we are, in Bolivia!!!!!