people of titicaca - day five

Four hours in a Mini Bus Collectivo… probably half the size of a greyhound seat. Keep in mind I´m six foot three.

(The internet spot that I usually go to is full of these fucking gamers who yell a lot to the other half of the two computers downstairs. I think they’re playing that WAR OF THE WORLD or whatever that shit is called. I am tempted to bitch about them for this entire entry but it’s just simply not that interesting.)

We travelled on a road that to call it unpaved is an understatement. For the first time in my life I wished that I was driving on a Montreal street. If I hadn’t been sitting in the front seat I would have probably puked or just simply puked. The rocks that paved this road to north TITICACA could some times be called boulders. The roads here in the country are so bad that it’s usually a 50/50 choice to be driving on either side of the road in order too NOT hit a huge ditch, bump or boulder. Then! sometimes you’re in a situation where these small boulders or ditches are on both sides of the road and its the gamble of the driver to choose from ¨a shitty¨ or ¨impossible¨ road to cross. Not even half of a four hour drive, the conductor chose... the wrong side. It was impossible, for that little engine that could, to get over this mud and rocks. Everyone got out and pushed, in about half an hour of struggly and pushing, we were off again.

(Its Alien of Ancienter)

When I finally got to the village, we had to wait two more hours on the side of the road. We could have walked but we had three dozen 2 liters bottles of Soda for the election day celebrations. Surely we could carry them ourselves with Rodolfo´s cousin, so we needed a ride for the 2km hike in order to get them there. Finally, we climbed into a strangers broken down jeep. Now I am not exaggerating when I say that the 2km drive to the town was ten times worse then the four hour drive through the boulders and ditches. I got even closer to puking on myself.
As we approached the town, Rodolfo´s mami had lunch waiting for us. She speaks three words of Spanish, rest in Aymara and she makes a mean chicken mint stew.

We ended the day with six of the towns people on the side of Rodolfo´s house drinking 18 large bottles of beer. I think I politely declined their offer as many liters that they drank. During this time, I was beside myself with boredom because I was cold and sober, while they all planned the town´s carnival. There was a small boy there named Ivan and I taught him how to use my camera. After that moment, till I got the Mini Bus back to Laz Paz the next day, he wouldn't stop asking me to take pictures. It was worth me telling just a second over and over again, cause his beautiful stoic spirit killed that evenings boredom. The reason why I sound so soar is because what I really wanted to do was to hang out with the women inside the house around the kitchen... but I would have surely offended them if I asked to excuse myself from the men.

Looking back on it... it was a beautiful experience.
The presidential elections were the next day.



I hate gamers.