Un Llarg Viatge d'Orient a Occident- Laura en América

Red lights, [Un acordeón en Palermo], Todo puede pasar, aún. Todo es posible. Todo pasa mas queriendo que sin querer. Estaciones con mendigos y guitarristas. Suena un Waltz en La Paz y el caribe en Rio, cántico de negros, alma blanca e impura. Cierro los ojos y me pierdo en América, a pesar de todo, de ti, de él y de todos nosotros, a pesar de la historia y de los hombres. The spirit from the north, the cherry-red spirit travelling through paradise.

Bogotá off the road 2004/2005

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Between Bolivia and bloody Paraguay

Leaving Bolivia...

...well, as you can see if you scroll down to the photos. When arriving at imigration between Bolivia and Paraguay -yes these 3 wooden desks in the middle of the dessert, that was imigration-, I seemed to have forgotten this paper which has got a stamp that's got the exact day I got into the country. When telling the police officer, who sat in this completely destroyed little house with a shitload of papers, old books and ancient maps, that I didn't have that paper with me, he told me I had to pay a fee. (didn't want to, but hey.. he wanted only 25 bolivianos, which is... 2,5 quid). Finally I did... and when I turned back, just for inertia, i saw the guy putting the 25 boliviano bill into his pocket. Bah.. I couldn't bother any longer, just wanted to rest on a decent bed so I said to myself: "hey, at least I bought the guy a lunch." Bah.. that's the way the cookie crumbles in these countries.


as for Paraguay...

I don't even know how to start talking about Paraguay. I spend less than 24 hours in this country and I felt like leaving from the moment I arrived.

Paraguay is like this South American favela-like neighbourhood but bigger, nastier and filthier. Yet, I did have fun talking to some -not all- Paraguayans. Paraguay is the country of corruption. Things here are managed with money, which gives you power to do whatever you want. There is not such thing as "the law", this is Darwin al over again... survival of the fittest to the fullest. It is completely normal to bride whoever crosses by, specially if they are foreigners, not to mention Bolivians.

Ciudad del este is this "Sanandrecito-like" city. Sanandrecito is a shopping centre with only merchandise which has come through the black market, this makes things way cheaper but with no warranty at all. People from all over south america come to this place to buy from cameras, to laptops, from hair dryers, to car batteries. You can even sell your soul here to the devil... it wouldn't surprise me if you could...Once you arrive, there are people everywhere pushing you to come to the best, cheapiest store in town in the hope you'll fall in the trap and buy some crappy electronic device and never come back to complain about it.

ciudad del este, Paraguay



Photo from the bus. sunrise
Paraguay



Leaving Bolivia

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Blame it on my youth

No need for words.

Santa Crúz de la Sierra, Bolivia







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Bolivia's soul

If this is really happening, then I should keep my eyes open....


From La Paz to Santa Crúz de la Sierra
Bolivia




Adiós La Paz






It all happened at a café...






Enjoy emptiness





Museo de Arte, La Paz





My Love for windows







Untitled






Window

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