Now that my cold is getting better, I am trying to plan my next steps. The last two robberies really set me back emotionally and made me feel unsafe, so I’ve been laying low in Viacha and occasionally getting out to see some of the small villages surrounding it. However, I’m feeling the urge to move forward again.
Before I do, though, I have a couple of things I need to do. One is the blog that I am setting up for the location of CHOICE that Maxima and Willy oversee here in Bolivia. I’ve got a good start on it, however I need to sit down with them and go over it. We need to talk about colour, images, layout and then I need to teach them how do manage it themselves. Then, two, I will do a write-up on their efforts with CHOICE.
Maxima and Willy are extremely generous people and have really looked after me here. They won’t let me pay for anything! Not even the cold medicine I needed or the tooth paste, face cream and special hand cream that I tried to buy. After I handed the cashier a 100 Boliviano bill, Maxima said something to her in Spanish and then she handed my bill back. Then Maxima paid. So, I want to repay them. The blog will be part of that. I will continue to pay for their domain and hosting as time goes on and I think I will buy a huge cake for dessert one night.
I think they understand that I have been feeling scared since my bad luck began to occur near Puno, so they have been locking the iron gates to the place. Additionally, with Butchy, the intimidating and gigantic Saint Bernard and Speedy the fast, furious and yappy pooch, I’m feeling pretty safe at night.
However, during the day, now that my fear is easing, I can’t get out and they are gone for much of the day.
But, yes, it’s time to move on again. My plan has turned to going home in mid-December, so I want to get in as much as I can before then like cycling the death road, seeing the salt flats, exploring the Isla del Sol (my second attempt), hiking the Colca Canyon in Ariquipa and then possibly surfing the sand dunes in Huacachina before heading to Lima for my flight back. Time is running out though and since Maxima and Willy are always on the go it is difficult to find the time to sit down to go over the blog. I can’t stick around too much longer if I want to do all of these things.
So, today, since I am locked in, I will load some more images into Drop Box so I can clear up some space on my remaining camera card, do some more work on the blog and then begin my write-up. Hopefully I can book my death road and salt flat tour’s today. Maxima knows a good tour agent, so I would like to go through her. It would be good to know the tours are scheduled.
