Saturday the 20th of Novenmber; ALWAYS A NEW BEGINNING...

Back to blasting Potosi, leaving before most people woke up. Actually no idea where to go, but the Potosi bus was the only bus that left this time. A day on my own seems to be really good :-) Do my own thing, stroll down the city, having a few jokes with school kids, visit a bustling market and do some shopping, try to communicate with locals. Playing table soccer, eating weird icecreamish stuff with some locals. The hostal is surprisingly dead so a night out on my own. Huge Pique Macho, a movie, large Pacena's and it's all good. Before sleeping jsut walk in to a basement Whiskyeria, weird and dark place with those drunk kids

Sunday the 21st of November; RELAX RELAX AND RELAX, NO ROBLEMS WITH ANYONE

Ready to leavy the highest city with the strongest alcohol and bags full of Coca. Just relax, hang around some cafe's, have some snacks, talk with some friends back home and realize how fucking lucky I am. Meeting loads of people today who are going the same way up. So get the chocolate cakes! Marlies, Nadia and the Ozzies were some of the funny travellers. I take a nightbus to La Paz, again on my own. Not travelling with my personal human pillow anymore. To be honest it's fun agin to be on your own, experiencing so much more and meeting more people :-) Today I booked a 2-day trip full of adrenaline; mountainbiking Deathroad and Ziplining, can't wait till tomorow!

Monday the 22nd of November; WELCOME IN THE 'ZOO' OF LA PAZ

Okay, travelling on your own without guidebooks from someone is more exploring. The Point Partyhostel should be 5 minutes from the main busterminal... it took me 45 minutes climbing and descending with heavy backpacks to find it. So just in time for the pick-up for my adrenaline stuff. 06:30 nobody, 07:30 nobody, 08;30 nobody! The reception told me that's Bolivian time, my ass! Downhill Madness didn't even respond on the phonecalls. So get a short nap Vince and book a room. A afternoon confrontation with those Madness people; 'oh yeah we didn't pick you up because we needed 4 people'. Thanks for informing me guys... So talk to the recommended company then, everything was possible, just a shitload of money extra. What the hell, I need some action :-) And also a place where I can fix my camera, perfect, My favorite Chili Con Carne restaurant Palmeras and this city is funny...The busiest road in the city was filled with big demonstrations this morning, but taken over by zebra's and donkeys now. Hilarious! Instead of traffic lights they use human zebra's and donkeys with funny dance moves. So people can crss the road. AGin being on your own is perfect, walking in the busiest and most crappy looking food place; the owner puts you on a table with a Bolivian and you are forced to communicate in Castellano. No menu, you get the 'WAT DE POT SCHAFT' (some Dutch expression). But perfect filling meals for the 'big' bill of 9 Bolivianas. I walked around La Paz, joining 2 old Bolivians in their street performance act playing Samba, met some cool Latina's and joined more strangers for a drink. Check out the party hostel? Well not a big party at all tonight. Instead of that it was a laidback night with Ozzies. Yeah, everyone is easy here. Happy hour, cheap Cuba Libres and a night long of playing Djenga with everyone. Oh, never played this before but I found out that there are some games where I don't lose all the time :-) And if you lose? You have to give evryone a shot...many people joined in, but if the shots are just 2 Blv who cares?...

Tuesday the 23rd of November; THE WORLD FAMOUS DEATH ROAD, WE KEEP ON RIDIN'

THis morning I'm gonna be at the office and not being picked up :-) First some lunch with some other bikers, finding out that B-Side is the most expensive company to ride with...and that means a small group of just 3 people. Whohoo perfect! Guide Xavier, and fellow team members Daniella and Joachim from Austria (NOT Australia! there is a difference). Raining season, so it is alittle bit cloudy. The start point and observating the other groups and their skills...well, if some people don't kill themselves today it's a miracle! Some of them had never ride a bike before and they are going to cycle downhill the Death Road hahhaaaa. The Death Road is a downhill descend of 3500 meters in 64 km. The 1st 32kmis on asfalt, the speed can go up to 60-70km per hour, making yourself as small as possible to go even faster. But be carefull with some sharp curves, stones on the road and big holes in the asfalt. The best part is the 2nd half, a 32km long dirtroad, maximum 3 meters wide and with steep parts. Drifting down fast with your full suspencion MTB, mostly using your rear break a little bit. Guide Xavier went fast, try to follow him...You get used to the speed, looking down the 600mtr cliffs sometimes, making jumps when there are big rocks on the road. This is wicked shit! Joachim could follow, Daniella was a little bit slower ;-) We couldn't stop laughing when she did here posing stuff with her bike, seems to be heavy huh? :-P

I had some more activities planned today, ziplining the valleys of the Death Road. Anyone else in? Nope, just me. This Bolivian dude couldn't speak any English and I'm no Latino so what's so difficult about ziplining? WTF just 3 ziplines and he wants to do a tandem. I told him I didn't want him on my back. Ok, let's go...200mtr high, 85km per hour but a tandem...no opportunity for stunts...shit! The 2nd line again a tandem? Fuck off dude! The last line was finally for my own, going much faster with my Laos ziplining skills. The views are chill, but dpoing 3 ziplines in 5 minutes with a guy on your back for 200 Blv? Well, I respect Laos even more now :-)

We were the fastest group of today, before 12 we were already on our way back to La Paz (on the old Death Road). We were finished for an hour when we saw the 2nd group coming. On our way back we saw many groups having some problems with the slow peepz. Damn, a group of 16 bikers is too much! Driving back in the bus on the same road just covered in white clouds and mist, trying not to hit the other bikers...even this is fun. Back in La Paz 3 hours earlier than expected. Picking up our shirts and cd's and let's go out. Damn, they know how to choose touristy restaurants! But Joachim, that Flor de Cana old Ron is the shit! Mexican food and Ron, good combination. Some of the Ozzies joined us, ofcourse evryone had to buy the same Alpaca sweaters in different colors. A few more drinks at Oli's Travels Pub. Joachim was pretty wasted and disappeared at some point, just like my act in Sucre :-) But nobody has problems with that here. The English barman was so kind to call the hostel and check out if he had arrived. Funny bloke... Daniella and I had a long night in La Paz before evryone went to their own place. My way back home was one not to forget. Seeing crazy fights outside discothecas, beating the shit out of eachother. Walking in some private party's, loud western music coming out of houses...just walk inside to see what's happening...it was an early morning for me :-)

Wednesday the 24th of November; DUTCHIES DON'T RIP OFF OTHER DUTCHIES! GRRR...AND LOSING FROM GIRLS AFTER A HOT CONTEST

Meeting early in the morning? Everyone seems to have something going on with a hangover.So if nobody shows up I'm going to that San Pedro Prison on my own. During the week no 'tours'...yeah it's not offical, it's illegal. But I met the same chick as last week, got a number, had to call her later, got a number of a Dutch prisoner inside, contacted his contact, met onj Plaza Murillo, copy of passport and 300 Blv to get permission to get in... Feel it? YEs, it's a fuckin scam! I tried to get in myself with talking to the guards...almost, but no. The contactperson of the prisoner should pick me up at the hostel, nothing happened. I was in phone contact with the prisoner inside. So a Dutch is ripped off by another Dutch, that's bad! An uninteresting day, the city was full of political demonstrations again...gun shots? No, that is just fireworks. Got my fixed camera back, but is just worked for 5 minutes before it broke again (I found that out the next day). So join the Ozzies for some drinking and eating. Sol & Luna Bar first....YEAH! This is the Dutch place with kroketten, bitterballen, broodje bal etc! Yummie for my tummie! Next stop; the Indian. A contest; survive the world strongest and hottest Vindaloo. The competitors; Ozzie girl, English girl, Danish bloke and me. All the Ozzie guys were to scared to join?! Whimps :-) It was fuckin spicy, but that was not my problem... I had too much bitterballen before. It was the amount of food, I was stuffed. SHIT! Ozzie won, Denmark gave up fast, England was sweating and red but finished it. They got some help with other next to them and nobody had eaten the chili pepper. Well, I couldn't finish it....but at least I chewed the whole chili pepper. Losing from 2 vegetarian girls...this day is one to forget soon :-)

Today I talked with one of my special friends from Fiji after a long time. This conversation opened my eyes and realised what to do. I made my decision, another episode of this dream. It's a big surpise...maybe tell you all later :-)

Thursday the 25th of November; GET OUT OF HERE!

The Ozzies going to try in the prison. I heard their stories, sounds excactly the same as my scam. I warned them. I spoke to the Dutch prisoner again on the phone. The story? The contact is arrested and the police is looking for me and the have my passport details. Whahahaa! Well no matter if it's true or not, I'm leaving the Zoo of La Paz. Goodbye everyone, had a great time in La Paz! Bus to Copacabana, a 3.5 hour drive, talking with a nice couple that is cycling around South America. Copacabana is nice to walk around, climbing up the steep stairs of a mountain to see a sunset, uhm more a set of clouds. Loads of restaurants that want you inside. Travellers here are not the most talkative, so better leave to Peru tomorrow.

Friday the 26th of November; ISLA DEL SOL, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY...IIIIE AAAH!

Sleep in...not much to see around Copacabana. Get a half day trip to Isla del Sol? No some people didn't recommend that. So let's stay overnight. Hm, maybe I need some extra money? Well, there is an ATM, but this one is not working... Oops, the only bank in town has a Siesta. So I have 70 Bolivianos for the next 2 days whahahaa. The boat trip to the Island of the Sun is probably the slowest I've ever done. Arriving there, being attacked by greedy Cholita's who want money for their so called entrance tickets to the island. I met a few people on the boat (German Robert and Swedisch Frederick and Frederick). Robert was here before and said it was a good idea to hike from parte Sur to parte Norte. Why not, a 3 hour hike in a nice burning sun. I was not that stupid to bring all my stuff to the island. On our way hiking through the fields, donkeys, small villages and lost travellers we were constantly approached by men with colorful tickets and asking us to pay for walking there. Yep, they know how to earn a living. Some others tried to avoid them but were caught later on. This is not good when you just have a small budget :-) After a long hike we hit our last spot to get a tan, the ruinas in parte Norte. Another 45 minute hike to get to the beach town where we will stay. I expected something extremely touristy, but no. Just a village like many other in Bolivia (it looks like they just started building it). So crash in a cheap place with the most sqeeuky beds ever. No bars, no nightlive, no lights no .... oh, there is a so called restaurant. 8 Boliviano's left to spend so I could take a sandwich :-)

Saturday the 27th of November; OINK OINK ISLA DEL SOL AND PARTY TIME IN THE NIGHTBUS

Me huuuuuungry, me no money! Robert was so kind to give a few Bolivianos for another sandwich. We have some time so back to the ruinas and the beaches for a cold swim. Not me. The beaches look nice from a distance. Don't be surprised when you're chilling on your towel on a quiet beach, when all of a sudden a few pigs are nibbeling on your toes. The donkeys are also in the partymood and like to let you know in their funny language that it's their island. The ticketsellers woke up early and want to sell more tickets for walking, no way we paid for everything. But they say tickets bought with someone else are not valid because nobody cooporates whahaha, crazy bastards. So ignore them, no hablar Castellano! Actually it's getting fucking hot on this island, walking around only in shorts. Still don't understand why this new load of tourist on the island today is walking around like doing a Northpole expedition. So the boat back to Copacabana, a one hour break at parte Sur and again ticketsellers. Fuck off Cholita, we have these tickets already and we are not going to pay because mr Captain wants to have a break! More people were thinking the same and some fists were shown. The return to Copacabana was not boring, funny talks with Dutchies, seeing other couples having their travel issues (always fun to see) and mr Captain wants to throw mr illegal ticketseller overboard.

The nightbus to Peru, the Swedish guys were in front and I ended up in the back. This was definately a ride not to forget...(see the Peru story)