EC-Rider Travels

Today has been a travelling day with another 4.45 start! Lovely Fernanda had arranged a little packed breakfast for me – so sweet! Once again it was all very efficient and I flew from Foz dos Iguacu to Sao Paolo, which is the most enormous airport. After walking about five miles I arrived at the right gate for the flight to take me to Santa Cruz in Bolivia.

I have to confess, I felt a little tearful leaving Brazil; it really has shown me such a good time or certain Brazilians have. It is a very unique place and I experienced things not even I will forget.

Well as expected Bolivia is very different, not least because there is a Civil Protest going on and basically a ‘general strike’ in Santa Cruz. This has been going on for a week with no schools, public transport, rubbish collection, petrol stations, banks or shops, (except super-markets for a few hours in the morning) – the whole place has come to a grinding halt as they protest about a postponement of a government census and thus some payments they are owed (I think).

Somehow, sweet Cynthia was there to meet me at the airport but our twenty minute journey to the hotel took about an hour and a half, as many of the roads are blocked by protesters so we had to take to the back streets – which I was very happy about.

Needless to say everyone has jumped on the band-waggon, including, young, young children, who are blocking the side streets with tyres or just a piece of string and demanding payment to let you through! Our female driver was amazing and took us down every back street there is to try and avoid them, but still we must have had to pay up about 10 time! One adorable little fellow, in charge of a huge great branch across the road, could not have been more than five had obviously been left in charge of his station by his big brothers. As we approached he stood up to his full 3ft 6ins and demanded his 2p which we gave him. He then looked rather mournfully at the branch which there was no way he could move. So out I got and helped him move it. After we had been through he looked rather desperate again as he needed to move it back, otherwise his bros would demand his 2p. So out I got again and helped him move it back!

I certainly saw parts of Santa Cruz I would not have otherwise seen and eventually got to the Camino Real Hotel (a bit of a horror but comfortable), where the computers were not working so check-in took another hour with a mammoth queue building behind and one poor girl who was almost in tears. There are hardly any staff as they can’t get here. It could be an interesting week, though I am told it is not so bad in the other places I am heading ….. 🤞🤞🤞

No pics today, I am sorry