95. Bus Ride

Tuesday, 1/22/13

Today, Chad, Ali, and I had a memorable voyage to the border of Brazil.

Here are the highlights:

Janette. Janette, who is the super tiny 6-year-old that never laughs, smiled and laughed with Ali and I while we waited to leave for Rurre.

Punctuality. The bus came on time at 10:30! That never happens in Bolivia.

Our home for the next 19 hours

Me, the Hilarious Giant. We stopped 4 hours in at a bus stop for 20 minutes. After eating our pre-made bread and sweet rolls, Chad and I went into a store. As I bent through the door a girl on the other side started cracking up. She could not stop for a minute. My height had never affected anyone like this before.

Good Seats. We got the bench at the back of the bus, because the very front was taken.

Cool kids in the back of the bus!

Bumps. I fell asleep. Then I awoke when the bus felt like it jump off a cliff and I was totally airborne. I looked up and saw Ali hovering above me for what seemed like a second. We all landed safe and sound. The roads are so bad, and thankfully, that was the only bump the driver missed.

Beautiful Views.  At times, I felt like I was in the Great Plains of Africa. The sunsets were gorgeous.

Pirty

Really pirty

 Gators. We spotted about 20 crocodiles outside of our window. Some of them had to be about 10 feet long. I was snoozing, opened my eyes, and saw some agriculture ponds out the window. Sure enough, they were crawling with gators.

Dry Roads. The roads were supposed to be flooded and everyone at Familia Feliz thought we would get stuck in the mud and take 36 hours to get to Guayaramerin. Luck was on our side, however, and the roads were all dry and we arrived in a decent 19 hours.

Punching Chad. While Chad snoozed at the window seat, Ali and I wanted to close his window. She was closer and tried without avail. I was determined and pulled until my hand slipped and punched Chad squarely in the moustache. He woke up quite flustered. Ali and I could not breathe, as we were too busy laughing.

Confused Lady. Around midnight, I was snoozing a way with my legs stretched far into the isle. All of a sudden, I felt someone playing with my feet. A free massage without my permission? Nope. A lady was looking for a bag. I think she thought my feet were it and was trying to find the zipper. I just watched and said nothing. After giving up on the bag, she took her hat off and hung it on my knee as if I was a coat hanger. I was amused and never got to say thank you for the entertainment.

The best part is: all that fun was just the journey to vacation spot. I can only imagine the events to come.

Finally arriving in Guayaramerin, Bolivia slightly tired and goofy

**Keep adventurizing!...I know I will!**