#85 - Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl

27/04/2011 (posted 29/04/2011)

Got up quite early to get a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia (the beach in Brazil stole the name).

The journey was ok until we got to the border of Peru and Bolivia - I had to queue up twice just to formally leave Peru and THEN go through Bolivian customs. So I queued up for about fifteen minutes, got to the single person stamping people through and was told I needed the tiny piece of paper I had received upon entry to Peru.
I didn't have it on me and all my documents were in my bigger bag in the luggage hold of the bus - rookie error, note to self to always carry major documents with me from now on. So I had to go to a separate place, fill out a form, pay to get it stamped and then queue up again. By this time, three more buses had arrived so I was queued behind all the people from those buses.
I was frustrated.

I eventually got to the front, got it stamped, queued up in the next queue for maybe twenty minutes, paid more money and was then finally officially out of Peru. By this time, all of the rest of the people from my bus were long gone through the process.

I then quickly went through Bolivian customs, by this time very very annoyed.
By the time I got to the bus, everyone had been waiting about half an hour for me.
But I didn't care about that, I was angry at the inefficient and unclear system I had battled through against the odds. Nowhere on the little piece of white paper does it stress how important it is to keep for leaving the country.

I eventually got to Copacabana and found a hostel for about 3pounds a night and upon an immediate inspection, it has a decent shower with very hot water.
Score.

I found a bar to watch Real Madrid V Barcelona and Messi was insane. I had a Heineken which I must say is better than the beers over here.
In the bar I met an Australian couple and was talking about the missionary work I was doing in Panama and it transpires they are also Christians. I had a great chat with them.

I then went to find an internet cafe to use Skype - firstly, Skype was out of the question as none of them even                      had headphones let alone webcam. I then used what can only be described as the slowest computer ever.

Dinner was a bacon salad in a very cheap place and the bacon wasn't cooked sufficiently for me but I ate it anyway. It was alright but had way too many olives.

I then went back to my hostel and booked a trip to Isla del Sol tomorrow for 2pounds. I love the prices here.

I then watched a bit of TV and Two and a Half Men was on -  it is fast becoming one of my favourite shows. Charlie Sheen is genius in it - it's a shame what's happening to him now.

JG