Day 378: 2011年8月6日

La Paz - Residencial Sucre to Hostel Lion Palac
38,899km to 38,907km = 8km

今日は朝8時半頃に起きて出発の準備です。移り先「ライオン・パレス(Hostel Lion Palace)」は直ぐそこなので11ぐらいまでジャケットを乾かしたりのんびりと。そうそう今日8月6日はボリビアの独立記念日なので（まぁ、我々日本人にとっては8月6日は広島の原爆で特別な日ですが）、店が殆ど閉まっていたので朝飯を食うのにも苦労。

11時ごろに出発。しようとしますが、エンジンがなかなかかからない!!　ガソリンの質が悪いせいか、直ぐに止まってしまいます。アクセルを開いて無理やり始動。ようやくエンジンがかかります。ふぅー。

行き先は直ぐそこなのですが、一方通行なので少し遠回り、と思ったら大渋滞。1ブロック進むのにもすごく時間がかかります。マーケットがやっているみたいで、それで大渋滞が起きてる模様。それを避けるために1回マリスカル・サンタ・クルス通り出て、そこから左折を試みました。ここからは急な坂を登ります。

車の後ろにクラッチを切ったり、入れたりして坂を登ると「カチカチカチカチ」とノッキングが・・・。これはやばい。マーケット付近では、歩道は出店で埋まっているので通行人が車道を殆ど選挙している状況。なので坂道を登るのにクラッチを切ったり、入れたり。ノッキングが「カチカチカチカチ」・・・。たまにエンスト。これはヤバイ。こんなところでエンジンを傷めたくないです。なかなか進まないのでオーバーヒート寸前。ようやく混雑を抜けて一旦エンジンを切りエンジンを休めます。通行人で道を訊き、ようやく自分の位置を確認。そして宿の前に。

グルグル廻ってしまったので歩きで5分の所を8キロも走ってしまいました。しかも50分くらい走って。レセプションに行くと既にイド氏がロビーで待ってました。部屋は清掃中。ガレージを開けてもらう事にしましたが、ガレージの中では家具(?)造りの作業中なのでバイクも自転車も入れられません・・・。昨日ガレージ使えると言ってたじゃん。

ガレージの横の店舗スペースはまだ空いているので、そこにバイクと自転車を停めさせてもらうことに。しかし段差が大きくてバイクは無理なような・・・。

大きな木の板の下に木ブロックとレンガを咬まして一気に段差を上りました。無事に暫定駐車スペースに入りましたが、板はバッコリと真っ二つに・・・。これじゃぁ、降りることも出来ないよ。宿の兄ちゃんに「スロープを作って」とお願い。一応「月曜日まで作る」と言ってくれましたが、明日は日曜日なので怪しいですね。

ガソリンのことも訊くと、「8月6日通り沿いにハイオク・ガソリンを置いているスタンドがある」と。あとで歩いて
行ってみましょう。

チェックインをして荷物を部屋に入れてメルカドへ昼飯。それからBin Bomで山盛りアイスをまた食べて「8月6日通り」へ。遠くに雪山も見えます。

結構歩いて（30分くらい）ようやくスタンドを発見。確かに「Premium」と書いてありますが、今日は売り切れ。来週月曜日か火曜日には来るそうですが。大都市ラパスでもハイオクを入手するのが大変なのでこの先苦労しそうです。ハイオク・ブースターとか手に入らないのですかね??






ふと、周りを見るとなかなかの風景。雪山を背景にすり鉢上の盆地に広がるラパスの市外。そして右手には荒々しい崖が露出する丘とかがあり、「凄いな、ラパス」と思わず言ってしまう風景です。

歩いて宿まで戻り、ネット、そして昼寝。夜はまたまた「ケンチャン」にて。今日は焼きそば、26ボリ。焼きそばは、まぁ、ちっとイマイチ。

明日はイド氏とティワナク遺跡に行ってきます。


Day 378: 06 AUG 2011

La Paz - Residencial Sucre to Hostel Lion Palac
38,899km to 38,907km = 8km

Today I moved to another hostel "Lion Palace".

In the morning, when I went out to have breakfast, almost all the shops were closed. Oh, it was the Indipendence Day of Bolivia, that's why. So it took time to find a shop selling foods...

It was a nice sunny day. My rider's jacket was still wet, so I put it out to dry completely. I got ready by 11am, and I tried to start the engine, but it did not start!!! It seemed the fuel I put in just before I came to La Paz (I asked if it was "Premium" before I put in!!) was low octane... I opened the throttle and finally I could start the engine. The manager told me it would be hard to get High-Octane petrol here in La Paz.... Then I left Residencial Sucre.

The hostel I am moving to was just there, 5 mins walk, but there was heavy traffic jam on the way... Just moving 1 block took 5mins or more!! I saw streets market going on on the way, so I took another route to the hostel. I went down to Av. Mariscal Santa Cruz once, then later took a left turn to uphill.

But there was a street market on the way as well and I was stuck behind cars. Uphill, slow traffic, and bad fuel, my GS started knocking "Kachi kachi kachi kachi..." It was't nice at all. As the stands occupying the foot paths, all pedestrians were walking on the street. So cars stuck there foreever (almost). Combination of uphill and bad feul, my GS constantly knocking and sometimes engine stalled. I did not want to damage the engine!! But I had to climbup the hill anyway to park my GS.

Finally I could go up the hill and got out of the crowd. I parked my GS and asked people where I was and how could I get to "Lion Palace". I took a few rest and headed to Lion Palace.

For a just 5-mins-walh distance, by motorbike, it took me mre than 45mins with 8kms ride!! When I got to Lion Palace, Jose was already waiting in the robby. He said the room was not ready yet (cleaning). 

I asked a receptionist to open the garage. She opened it but it was full of things and a gy was making furniture(?) So she told me to park my GS in one of offfice spaces on the building still empty. She and another guy from the hostel brought a piece of wood. IBut I was sure only with the wood piece, it would be broken once my GS was on. They got a wood block and a brick.

Now I had to try to go up the instant slope! As I guessed the wood piece was brioken in half but I managed to make my GS upon the room.  But How could I bring her down? I asked the guy to make a proper slope by this Monday. He said "Ok". So I expect it will be done by tuesday or so.

I asked him if there was any petrol station with "Gasolna Premium" and he said I could find one on Av. 6 de Agost.

After checked-in, Jose and I went out to the town. We had a huge served ice-ream @ Bin Bom again and went to Av. 6 de Agosto to find the petrol station with Gasolina Preium. We walked around 30 mins and finally found one.

It said on th sign "Premium" and I asked the staff if they had one. She said "Not today. May be next Monday or Tuesday"... Even in such a large city as La Paz, it was hard to find premium petrol... I wonder what would be outside La Paz. I might consider to find "octane booster".

We looked around and found that there was nice scenery sorrunding us. We could see a snow capped mountain and rugged mountains around the city of La Paz. We wondered why people made such a big city in this rugged terrerian. There were plenty of flat plains around La Paz.

We had dinner as Japanese Restaurant "Ken-cha" again. TOday I just had Japanese style stir fried noodle "Yakisoba" 26Bs.It wasn't that good as "Katsu-don".

Tomorrow we will visit "Tiwanaku", where I have been dreaming to visit for more than decade.

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