Where Is Ron?

Latin America, 10 November 2008 - 3 March 2009


Ron in Sipascancha, Peru

Ron in Sipascancha, Peru, November 2008


Bolivia, December 2008


20 December 2008
Afton, Virginia, USA

Dear family and friends,

I'm happy to report that I finally got through the two large cartons of mail. Approximately 90% went into the recycling bin, and the remainder is now in two folders, one for Ron and one for me, with just a few items requiring immediate action. And I've caught up on laundry. It has been gray and rainy ever since I got home, but other than disappointment in the weather, I'm reoriented to life at home. It is a lot easier to reorient when there is no time zone change!

Ron is now working his way across Bolivia, moving towards Paraguay. See his messages below. The reference in the subject line of his second message has to do with the fact that the whole time we were at 11,000 feet in Cusco he complained about being out of breath every time he bent over to tie his shoes.

Love to all,

Ellen


Ron has only sent one photo taken in Bolivia; to see it, click on the thumbnail at the left.

 
Some progress, some setbacks
19 December 2008
La Paz, Bolivia

Hello, my dear,

There has been some progress and some setbacks on my future travel plans.

The latest setback was the computer shut down in the middle of the message and I now have to recreate it.

The extra pages have been added to my passport by the American Embassy. I have been given a visa to Paraguay from their embassy. And this morning I talked to the Brazilian Embassy and met a snag.

  • 1) They require the original and a copy of my yellow fever vaccination card. No problem.
  • 2) They want a color photo 2X4 inches or 5X7 cm. Mine are 4X4 cm. OK I can get them trimmed.
  • 3) They want $130, nonrefundable if an error or denied or missing something. OK
  • 4) They want a copy of my return ticket from Brazil. OK but mine is an electronic ticket and may be tricky. I have copies of the electronic messages on my thumb drive. Looking now on my thumb drive to be sure all the papers are there.
  • 5)The most difficult requirement is the evidence of means to finance the stay in Brazil. They want copies of the last three months of my credit card statement or the last three months of my bank statements. I meant to put them on my thumb drive before I left and forgot about this requirement. I tried a bit to access and print them from the web but had some difficulties and will not make the 12:30 deadline today.
There is a note on the bottom of the Brazilian Tourist Visa Application Requirements page that says: "The visa for U.S. passport holders is free of charge. A processing fee of $US130 is being charged in reciprocity for a $US130 fee paid by Brazilian Citizens who apply for visa to the United States of America." I suspect some of the other requirements are similar. Maybe in the future they will require the application to be completed in Portuguese [US visa applications have to be completed in English].

So - my plan as of this moment is to go to the bus station and find out when buses are leaving today or tomorrow for Cochabama (about 7 hours) and continue to work my way east to Paraguay where I will apply for my Brazilian visa. Perhaps from another computer terminal I can solve my download and printing of my three months bank statements. [Note from Ellen: in another message he said he thought the problem was that the Internet computer he was using at his hotel would not recognize pdf files -- kept trying to open them in Word].

I am ready for some level ground and a lower elevation.

Love and miss you,

Ron


Breathing again when I tie my shoes
20 December 2008
Cochabamba, Bolivia

Hello, my dear -

For my last night in El Arriero (Argentina style) restaurant and had a large steak and salad buffet. The steak was large and the salad bar had some wonderful tomato slices and some eggplant slices prepared as ceviche. Wonderful meal and I was stuffed. After the late dinner I went back to the hotel and started packing for my 11:15 pm bus to Cochabamba. I also ate the large mango that purchased earlier in the day.

While packing I had a tourista attack and passed on all that good steak and salad. It was only an 1.5 hrs since dinner and 5 minutes after the mango, and I had eaten no lunch so it had to be the scrambled eggs at breakfast in the hotel about 12 - 12.5 hours earlier. I thought they tasted a little odd, like burnt. Maybe the pan was not washed correctly.

The Hotel Milton was pleasing to me. Elizabeth, the person that I communicated with to make the reservation and then to change it for earlier arrival was wonderful - she was not present when I checked in and when she arrived she moved me into a much better room. The rate was $14 since this is the slow season. The staff was very friendly - one guy has worked there for 25 years another 18. So I forgave them for the eggs.

Remembering how tightly I managed my finances when I traveled in South America before [in 1971!], this time I feel extravagant. Paid for my hotel room for Friday night at Milton and also bought a night bus ticket to Cochabamba for slightly less. Seats only three across, a row of single seats and a row of double seats. All bed seats and yes, the seat goes way back an almost flat with something that is to help support your lower legs and feet. Left La Paz at 11:15 pm and arrived in Chocabamba about 7:30 am. I woke at daylight and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of mountains and farms. This area was a major source of food for the region in the earlier times and probably still is.

BuT what I really like is the ability to breath easy when I put on my shoes - altitude is 9,000 feet. And the city is flat!!! Wish I had my bike. Traffic is bad but not as bad as La Paz. Here they seem to have some traffic rules that mean something. And I can find addresses because they have a reasonable grid system, the street corners have signs with the street name and direction (N S E W), and the numbers start from the grid of two main streets. Sensible. So far I like being here more than La Paz - But I still intend to catch a bus tomorrow night for Santa Cruz.

I considered a bus from La Paz to Asuncion, Paraguay but it would have been days on the bus. So I opted to split it up into parts and will spend the night and a day in a few places along the way to get the flavor of the various cities. This is not my favorite way to travel - too fast - but is a trade off.

In La Paz I got the additional pages added to my passport and also got the visa for Paraguay. The requirements for the Brazilian visa were more complicated and I was not sure how long it would take so I will get it in Asuncion.

George has written and said he changed his mind and will now meet me in Salvadore, Brazil, on Jan 15 and stay until the 25th. It will be good to be able to travel with George, Barbara, and her friend around the Salvadore region.

I have checked the buses to Santa Cruz and cannot buy my ticket or make a reservation until tomorrow morning. Again it will be three across, two levels and cama (bed) seats. Leaving around 8:00 PM and arriving around 7:00 AM. So I will check out of my hotel and use the bus as my hotel.

Now I am off to find Buffalo's Rodizio - an all-you-can-eat Brazilian-style grill designed for carnivores. Believe it or not - I am losing weight. I know because I found a scale on the streets today and weighed myself and I also need to make another half notch in my new belt.

Thanks for the news about the grandkids in St. George. I am lucky to have such a wonderful support and news staff at home to take care of things and me.

Love and miss you,

Ron



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Last updated: 3 January 2009