MUNGO EATS Latin America

We continued on to La Paz today, well, just a tiny bit south.  Most of the drive was quite easy, although, we did have to go quite slow as we climbed a steady hill for the greater part of an hour.  By going to Copacabana, we were committed to cross the strait of Tiquina.  To do this we had to take a small ferry across the strait.  Only two vehicles at a time can fit on any one ferry, but there are at least 2 or 3 dozen ferries lined up to take you across. 

Once across the strait, it was a nice easy drive…until we got into La Paz.  Actually, I am not sure we even got into La Paz.  There are  a series of at least 3 or 4 interconnected cities/towns, so I am not sure if we ever got into La Paz proper.  All I know is that one minute we were on a HUGE 6 lane highway, and the next, the road just narrowed to a one lane road.  There were no signs telling us to turn this way or that, just the end of the road.  We tried to turn around, thinking we may see a sign of some sort from the other side, but got stopped by two traffic cops telling us that we could not proceed on this road.  One of them kept asking us why we turned the way we did…..umm, because we are lost!!  They pointed us in the right direction and told us if we tried to go down this road again, they would give us a ticket.  Okey-dokey!

Somehow, I really do not know how, we found the right way to the campsite we were heading for.  This is basically a parking lot, next to a hotel, where many overland travellers stop.  You can use the showers and bathrooms, fill up with water, plug in to electricity, if you need to.   Just as we were driving into the campsite, we ran into a family that we had briefly met in Cuzco.  They are a family from South Africa that have actually been travelling  for 3 years, and have been all over the world (see, some people are crazier than us!)  They have kids the same age as ours, but unfortunately, they are always on their way out of a campground when we are coming in.  So was the case again.  They are on their way south to the salt flats. 

In any case, we got to the campground and found it PACKED with large motor homes.  There are 15 motor homes from Germany, travelling as a caravan, from Ushuaia, Argentina to Alaska.  So we SQUEEZED in to the small place that the South African family kindly vacated for us.  I’m not really sure if we will stay here long.  We will likely check out La Paz at least one day.  Maybe it just depends on how long we feel like being one of the sardines in the tin.  Let you know!