feeling crappy in the low lands

Havent been feeling the best over the last few days. Not much fun.

Our ride down (a long way down) to Santa Cruz (400m) was on an overnight bus. The busses only went at night.

I am never a fan of overnight travel, and this trip did not let down that assertion. We paid extra for the ´carma´(bed) bus with extra reclining seats. But no, it wasnt enough. The road was rough, I tossed and turned, then the bus broke down. After faffing about for almost 2 hours the driver gave up, and we managed to get on another bus, not carma.

So 14 hours later we got into Santa Cruz, feeling knackered. Spent the rest of the day sleeping, so there went any notion of saving money on accomodation by using night busses!

By the next morning though it was obvious that the problem was not just lack of slep. I must have eaten something dodgy, cos i felt bloody awful. Didnt get the runs, but generly felt shitty for the next 3 days.

During this time we relocated to little town Buena Vista, only 2 hours away. Caught a share taxi to get there with the counties worst race driver. Sara was not impressed. I was impressed with the local car´s fuel economy though. They run on CNG. 17 Bols fills the tank which runs 300kn. That means $3NZ gets 300km!!!! Staggering considering that Wanaka petrol has been as high as $1.84/Litre recently, giving about 5km/dollar...

One nice restaurant makes the town, the rest is a bit rough to say the least. As mentioned, I didnt really feel up to wanding too far away from our (dingy) room.

We had come to organise a trip into the Amboro National Park. Met a couple of guides and decided on one who seemed pretty genuine. five day, leaving tues. Cost = $25US/day.

But monday (today) we returned to the big smoke to sort a couple of things. Bussed it in the morning. Watched a lady change her babies nappies... then throw the soiled one out the window as we drove down the motorway!YUK YUK YUK!!! Nobody else battered an eyelid. We were also treated to a salesman climbing on board and doing a pushy promo for his eucaliptis products. He hard-sold to everybody... except us!

One of our missions for the day was to extend our visas. The immigration office was swamped with people, and it started seriously hosing with rain just as we arrived. We managed to beat the crowd (who are all here for passports, so they can go for a ´holiday´to Spain... and never return-big issue in the media here), but the beauracracy was as annoying here as many other developing countries I have visited. (NOT however, as annoying as Egypt-the toilet bowl of the world).

We were shuffled from one post to another, each one telling us something different, and maybe stamping something for us. And just when i thought it was all over, they took my passport, and said come back in two days! $20US too. Not cool.

Our second rabies shot from the chemist went smoothly. We actualy want to get bitten now just to justify it. Well, not really..

And lunch was pretty sweet, at the Irish Pub in the square.

So, we are about to bus home now, and will be in the park till sat. Hope the rains stops!!!