EZE-VVI-LPB

This morning enroute to the airport, Charlie told me that he hadn't slept last night as he was helping some passengers who were having great difficulties. Between his english and my spanish, I ascertained that the man passenger had a serious health problem, a swollen testicle...a very swollen testicle I think, by the gestures that Charlie was making. (Now, Charlie wasn't being being provocative - he really is a very nice man.) The lady passenger was constantly fighting with the man passanger - not clear if the testicle had anything to do with that. The man passanger had bought four nice clocks in Brazil, very special clocks - one for each of his sons but they only had three when they got to the hotel but then they had to go to the hospital because of the testicle. I think the swollen testicle had interupted their holiday plans quite a bit, maybe this is why the lady passenger was angry. They called Charlie to relay querries to the airline and the hotel - perhaps because Charlie speaks english, spanish and portuguese and answers his phone 24/7. I understand that the missing clock was found but no word on the testicle. In any case, Charlie had been parked out front of my hotel since about 5a playing some very nice soft jazz for the neighbourhood. It really suited the lovely morning light and the faded colonial buildings.

Later when Charlie dropped me off at the airport he told me that for some reason he feels a great deal of resonance with Canadians. He gave me a hug and several more business cards...

My flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra was almost 2 hours late no doubt because I made a point of leaving for the airport at 6a. I was about giving up on getting to La Paz but fortunately, in Bolivia schedules seem to be a suggestion only so all was well.

I did discover from flying Aero Sur from Santa Cruz to La Paz that old jets never die they just get sold to other countries who can't afford new ones. The french and english writing near the cockpit door tipped me off that this AeroSur 737 may once have flown the Canadian skies. The Air Transat logo at the back galley pretty much clinched it. The seat  arms still had ashtrays that had been used but now were bolted shut. It was one shakey ride and I was all tingly from the Diamox. I distracted myself by finding all the baby elephant seal shaped clouds.

The La Paz airport is at 4050 meters above sea level - now the second highest in the world having lost the title to a new Chinese airport a few meters higher.  My old colleague Alvaro who used to work in La Paz once said that the planes don't land here they merely stop. I, of course, forgot that we were at 4050 meters above sea as soon as I got on the ground and tried to walk quickly to get away from the diesel smell. Reality set in and I stopped walking altogether for a bit. I had to sit in the luggage area and of course, for once, my suitcase was the first on the belt. The taxi ride in was a bit of blur but the city certainly looks like a lively and colourful place - and safe enough...but I think I'll leave my expensive camera locked up. My hotel is lovely. It's in a great central location the staff are very sweet. The Bolivian spanish accent is much easier for me to understand - yeah!