3 Days later..............Back to the Border
Darn it, they were right......
Today we went back to the border to get legal. We checked online to see if it was possible to get out of Bolivia without an entrance stamp on our passports but unfortunately it was not (unless you do it illegally and we were not up to the challenge ;). Online it said that a new law was just passed and all Americans must pay an entrance fee and failure to do so will result in a fine of up to $500 and maybe jail sentence. This was enough to scare the crap out of us so back to the boarder we went.
We spent the day getting legal and walking around all the little shops around the entrance. The Bolivians have such a distinct look to them. They are much darker and shorter in stature. There is so much character in their faces. The women wear skirts about knee length with aprons over top, a black top hat, and two long braids tied at the bottom with a little décor.
The children are adorable and so innocent. They stare at us with wide eyes and questionable faces. Yes, Mike’s beard is still quite an attraction.
Altitude sickness (nausea, headaches, stomachaches, diarrhea, and lack of appetite) is something that both Mike and I have suffered with upon arriving in Bolivia. Lucky I don’t have it as bad as Mike. Because of the high altitude (approximately 16,404 feet high) and altitude sickness the locals chew/suck on coca leaves. The juices released help fight off the side effects of the altitude.
Tip for travels - buy sorochi (altitude sickness medicine) it's a miracle drug.
Tip for travels - buy sorochi (altitude sickness medicine) it's a miracle drug.
They have these huge bags in the streets where they sell coca leaves, anyone can but them. Just in case you're wondering NO it's not illegal to buy the leaves and NO it's not cocaine.
Fresh squeezed juices = Delicious
Corn = main staple for Bolivians
The kernels are gigantic and they sell it with a huge hunk of cheese!!!
Lesson learned: Do research about entering a country before you get there so you don't waste time traveling back to a city (2 hours each way in a hot crappy bus where we had to stand the whole time) to become legal.
gosh nichole, you are so dang beautiful. i just adore you. miss you heaps. i appreciate this post! gives me a heads up on what to do when i have altitude sickness! i have had many warnings so it'll be interesting to see how it affects us when we get there... hope it's not too bad. but i'll get some of that medicine and chew some non-cocaine leaves haha. love you so much. feel better and have FUN!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are so awesome. Looks like a blast...aside from fines and sickness :) All part of the journey right?? Have fun! Be safe!
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