Cochabamba, One week in...

I had breakfast and left strait away for the bus terminal at around 8:15am from my hostel in La Paz (Wednesday Oct. 3rd). Has soon as I got there I found a bus that was leaving in 15 minutes with semi-cama seats for only 20Bs (2.83$ Can.) for a drive of 380km that will take 8 hours. A very good deal. We finally leave at around 9:15, as usual it's late. We get to Cochabamba around 5 pm. I head to ''Residencial Familiar'' where the rooms are a little more expensive for 50Bs, but I soon find out that everything is a little more expensive in Cochabamba. I take a quick shower and go back in town take a walk to find supper. I find a small place where I have a Sillpancho for 12Bs, but a very big plate that I was not expecting at all. I meet Élise, with whom I went to Rurrenabaque and La Paz, She is also in the same hotel. We spend the evening chatting about what we have both done over the last week. I also meet another friend for a few minutes that I knew she was in the same hotel also.

Cochabamba

Thursday Oct. 4th, I leave for breakfast with a friend at 8h30, little walk around and back at the hotel at around 10h30. I meet with Susanne later in the morning and leave for lunch a little later. After eating we decide to go to the statue ''Christo de la Concordia'' all the way up the mountain. The cost of the cable car is 8Bs for the round trip. We spend around one hour at the top before coming back down and walk towards the hotel. We spend a bit of time in the hamocks and she has to leave for Potosi at around 6h30. We will surely see again in Sucre in a week. I then leave for supper and back to the hotel for a little evening of internet research.

View from the Mirador

 

Christo de la Concordia

Cable Car to the Mirador

I spend a little easy day on friday Oct. 5th. Late breakfast and in the afternoon I go to ''Palacio Portales'' with Élise, where we can see the garden and a big house of french style, that was built between 1915 and 1927, for Simon Patino a metal baron of that era. Other than the bricks used to built the house, everything else was imported from Europe. It is now used as a centrer for arts and cultural complexe. Only guided tours are available but the cost is only 10Bs. Back at the hotal a bit later and a little evening of movies for me.

 

Palacio Portales

Palacio Portales Garden

Palacio Portales Garden

I change hotel in the morning to go to the Hostal Colonial (Saturday Oct. 6th). The bed is not so good and the noisy mornings pushes me to change places. At the Colonial, the room and beds are quite better. The normal rooms are 60Bs, but by saying I would stay for three days I as able to get it for 50Bs, a little rebate, but very good. I spend a very easy day with a little walk in the streets of the city and around. I go by the markets a little later to get some fruits.

Cochabamba

Cochabamba

Sunday Oct. 7th, I have an excellent night of sleep, I get up at 10am. Wow, there was a while that I needed that. I stay around until 12h30 and then leave for the Dr. Martin Cardenas botanical garden. We ask for my passport at the entrance, but there is no cost to get in, so it's free. I spend around an hour and then leave to go to the south part of town markets. There are a few markets all in the same parts. (Little extra point, Lonely Planet says to not venture too much, but I find this a bit too much. In no moment have I felt that there could be any danger whatsoever. Naturally you must have eyes in your back in any places of the kind where pickpockets might try to steal from you, no problem at all in my case) I walk around the place for quite a while and at a certain point I realize that I have no clue where I'm at anymore. These markets can be real labyrinths, but I look around and find some places I can remember and find my way to get back into city center. Back at the hotel around 4h30pm. I still had some pastas that I was carrying since Peru so I bought a pouch of bolognese sauce and cook myself a cheap supper directly in my room.

 

Dr. Martin Cardenas Botanical Garden

Dr. Martin Cardenas Botanical Garden

Dr. Martin Cardenas Botanical Garden

Dr. Martin Cardenas Botanical Garden

I leave again at around 12h30pm to go find the Immigration office to get my visa extended from 30 days to 90 days (Monday Oct. 8th). According to Lonely Planet the office should be at the corner of Gallindo and Torrez. I walk for a long time, asking people on the way but no one seems to know about this office. I decide to get back to the center and take a minibus for 2Bs to get back the 3km that I already walkied in one way. In the center I ask a few people and they tell me to go to the tourist information, the one place I should have done in the first place. They tell me to get at the intersection of La Paz et El Prado streets. So if you ever look for ''migration officina'' in Cochabamba, get to that intersection and ask for the office since I do not have the exact address, but it's on El Prado street only a few steps away from the street corner. I then head to the Paraguay consulate office, but they can't help me. The lady gives me a piece of paper with the phone numbers for La Paz and Santa Cruz and she confirms that I will be able to get my documents in Santa Cruz. At least it's one good thing done today, so I start packing my bag in the evening to leave in the morning to go to Totora for a few days.

They are every where !!!!!

Click picture to see full "Cochabamba" album

Cochabamba

Tuesday Oct. 9th, impossible to leave today because of a strike of driver and the town is blocked in many places in town, so I will have to leave in one more day. The only thing I did this day was to get to the bus station and a bit farther to know the times and prices for buses going to Totora. There is only one company, that I found anyways.

 

DVD Stand, Cochabamba

 

Central Plaza Cochabamba

 

Wednesday Oct. 10th. I leave the hotel at around 7h30 to go to the bus terminal. I decided to go strait to Sucre instead if Totora. I had only checked for buses for Totora the day before, I quickly realize that there are no buses for Sucre in the morning. I must take a ticket for the evening at 7h30pm for a bus that should take about 8 to 9h, so I will get there in the middle of the night. I hate the idea, but it's the first time on my trip that it happens, so I will deal with it. I go back to the city center and go about in town all day long. I go back to the terminal at around 6h30pm and go wait for the bus where I was told to. 7h30 arrives and still no buses so I go ask the lady and she has no clue where the bus is, it's late. 8h, 8h30, finally it arrives bt not at the door it was supposed to, they tell me to go look in the parking, he is a bit farther because the place he was supposed to take is now taken by other buses. I finally find it and get in, in total confusion but I confirm with another passenger that it is the bus for Sucre. We finally leave the terminal at 9pm. I was impatient while waiting but I realize that it's in my advantage because we will noe get there in the early morning, do it's a good thing in a way.