Day 447: 2011年10月15日

Sucre to Oruro, Oruro to Pisiga
41,131km

スクレからオルロまでバスで9時間。9時半に出発し6時過ぎに到着。カマ(寝台)だったのでスペースは十分で快適でしたが、毛布がなかったので寒いこと寒いこと。

さて、オルロに到着しましたが、イキケへのバスは12時出発なので時間が有余ります。

待ち合い所で若者がジュークボックスで米のヒップポップをかけて楽しんでましたが、警察が来て補導されてました。何かやらかしたんか??

12時になってもバスが来ないので、他の乗客とチケット売り場に行くと、どうやらバスはキャンセルされたとのこと!しかも2つのバス会社が! 結局もう1つのバス会社に振替になり、満員状態で出発。1時前。

オルロをでて西に向かうともうダート。流石ボリビア。砂漠の中を走っていきます。
国境に到着したのは5時過ぎ。皆降りて入国審査と荷物の検査。皆無事に通過。この旅で15国目チリに入国。それにしても風が強い。

チリ側はキレイに舗装されています。流石は先進国、と思ったら直ぐにダート道に入りました(舗装炉は工事中のため)。しばらく走ると、バスが停車。どうやら故障した模様。ありゃりゃ。何とかエンジンがかかり、ダートを抜け本線へ。そこで修理を試みましたが、駄目みたいで、国境まで戻ることに。

しかし、戻る途中ダートで完全に故障。もう動けません。どうやら、代わりのバスも来ないらしく、皆で、"どうする?"と相談。日はもう暮れて、辺は真暗。バスで一晩過ごしたら凍死してしまいます。

隣のディエゴと斜め前のディエゴはヒッチハイクし国境まで戻り宿で一晩過ごすといいます。彼らに着いていくことに。その他女性が3人と男性が1人の計7人。

ユンボを運んでいるトラックが来たのでヒッチ。荷台に乗ったのでダートのガタガタは辛かった。尻が割れるかと思った位ケリ返しが凄かった。

ようやく舗装路に入りほっとしたら国境を越えてました! えっ、出入国審査してないよ。

しかしディエゴたちは、"問題ない"、と。彼らはボリビア人ですからねぇ。ボリビア人がボリビアに戻ってもお咎めは無いでしょうけど、ワシは外国人。明日の国境超が心配です。

宿は1人30ボリ。夕メシを食べてそのまま寝ました。

さて、明日は国境でイキケ行きのバスを探して、国境を越えなければ行けません。どうなることやら。


Day 447: 15 OCT 2011

Sucre to Oruro, Oruro to Pisiga
41,131km

From Sucre to Oruro, it took about 9 hours, left Sucre around 9:30pm and got to Oruro around 6am. It was a Cama (bed) seat, so the space was prentty. But because there was no blanket provided, it was really cold at night.

The bus to Iquique (Chile) was scheduled to leave at 12noon, so I had to kill the time there.

Those teenagers were playing hip-hop musics on a jukebox, but policemen came and arrested them! I did not know what they had done!!

I waited after 12 noon, but no bus came. With other passengers I went back to the ticket office, and found out the bus was cancelled... Not only the company I bought the ticket from, but another bus was cancelled.

But luckily there was another bus company still doing the route, so I could get the ticket for the bus. As 2 buses were cancelled, the bus was full. We left Oruro around 1pm.

As soon as we left Oruro to the west, the road became a dirt road. The bus went through middle of the desert. I could see trushes everywhere on the "road" side. A typical Bolivian view.

We got to the border around 5pm. Everyone got off the bus and went through Immigration and custom check. It was very proper border crossing. The facility was very modern and the staffs were friendly but very professional. Everyone went through the border without a problem. It was very windy and dusty though.

The road of Chilean side was beautifully paved. But soon we had to make a detour to a dirt road as a section was closed due to under construction.

In the middle of nowhere, the bus stopped. It seemed the bus had a problem. A few minutes late, the bus started and we made to the main road. But the bus stopped at the road side again. The driver and the staff tried to fix it, but they decided to go back to the border.

We went back to the dirt road and the bus stopped again. This time, the engine was completely dead. They were saying, there would not be any replacement bus coming...

With Diego next to me and Diego in front of me, we discussed what to do. If we stay for a night in the bus, we will freeze to death. They reconed it would be better to hitch hike a car to get back to the border town in Bolivian side and stay one night there.

It was already dark and very windy and dusty. Finally we caught a truck carrying a shavel car. There were 3 ladies and 4 guys including myself. 4 guys stayed on the carrier, so it was very, very uncomfortable to ride on the dirt. I thought my ass would be broken...

Finally we got to the paved road, then the truck went passed the border, without going through the immigration process! I was anxious but 2 Diegos said, "No problem!" Well, they were Bolivians, so it would not be uch problem for them coming back to Bolivia without a proper immigration process. But I was only foreginer, so I could be in trouble tomorrow, when we are crossing the border back to Chile.

We found an accomodation, 30Bs each person. We had dinner there and went to sleep after that.

Hopefully we can find a transport to Iquique tomorrow and can cross the border without any problem.

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