kleton

Hey folks!

Back with some new interesting stories. A bit hung over at the moment, we went to a club called Traffic in La Paz, gonzo was supposed to play...but he never turned up. We had a good time anyways, good vibe, good pumping beats, cheap white russians.

We bumped into this guy who tried to sell us coke, he was from south africa and had been in jail in Brasil for 5 years. He was a sad soul, and he couldn´t go home he said. None of his stories made sense, he said he´d been awake for 72 hours...so maybe that played a part. We did not buy any coke by the way, I told him I thought it was a pretty destructive drug...he didn´t listen.

So, what else have we been up to? A few days ago we set off for El Alto which is the area situated on a plateu 4000m above sea level to visit a market. I came back with a guitar, so I´m well pleased now that I can play all the time. Victor also bought himself a guitar.

Kolbjorn bought an enormous drum and went down beating it along the streets of La Paz. People were sort of staring at us. The taxi driver got a bit annoyed with the drum and eventually told him to stop.

 

El Alto market, La Paz in the background. BAÑO PUBLICO means public toilets, I think that toilet must be one of the worst on planet earth. If you gotta go, you gotta go...

 

Me and Victor with La Paz in the background.

The last thing we did in La Paz before heading back down to Calacoto was buying tickets for death road mountainbiking.

The next morning we left home at 6am to head up to La Paz again to join the rest of the grooup at 7am for breakfast, then we were handed clothes, helmet, gloves and got into minibuses and headed up into the mountains.

My head started spinning again when we got out at 4.700m, clouds were sweeping across the road, it was like a twilight zone. But the good news was that the first section of the trip was tarmac road, down hill.

It was amazing the speed we went down, I felt a rush of joy, it was amazing. I´ve been looking forward to this for so long!

Kalbjorn at 4700m above sea level.

We kept stopping to gather the group, everyone weren´t that fast. I was ofcourse straight behind the guide nicknamed "speedy gonzales", he was impossible to keep up with. This dude from Argentina was really annoying, he acted like he was 6 years old all the time, throwing rocks off cliffs and stuff.

The next part of the road is more rought and dangerous, you really had to concentrate on the rocky roads and the vertical drops of up to 600m without any railings. We passed loads of crosses where people had lost their lives. It was really wierd.

One of the cliffs you didn´t want to make a wrong turn at.

Eventually me, Victor and Kalbjorn decided to go slower to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The tempurature started getting hotter and hotter.

Me looking really pleased. I was really pleased, I´d been looking forward to this for so long!

This I didn´t expect to see coming going up death road. An ex-swedish truck from Olles Akeri. Cool.

Eventually we were down in the tropics, it was like 35 celcius and we were trying to avoid hitting mangos that had fallen on to the road.

When we finally got down to Coroico I was roasting, we had shell suits on us so it was literally baking. We had ridden through waterfalls to, so the clothes were a bit damp and the air really humid.

Releived to let my jeans down and feel a bit of fresh air again.

So after 80kms of downhill mountainbiking we felt we needed more adventure before having our meal. The others went to swim in a swimming pool with green slimey water, but we could hear a rushing river behind the jungle.

We hacked our way through it, and fell down slopes and got covered in sticky green things from some plant. Finally we made it to the river, and took all clothes of and went for a refreshing dip. It was a bliss to get rid of the sweat and cool down. The currants in the water were pretty strong, so you had to be careful. I risked dropping my camera climbing out onto a tree that had fallen into the river to take pictures.

Bathing in paradise.

Bliss!

Later we had some food, talked to some other swedes, got bitten by bugs, got into the minibus and went back home.

No Victor has asked me three times to go and eat Salteñes, I´ve hogged the computer for hours now...

Gonzos birthday tomorrow, so having some dinner. Later thisafternoon were headning up some mountain where some activities are taking place. What on earth that means I do not know...

Adios!

Me with one of my four new pairs of sunglasses. Now, just waiting for sunshine.

Hi! I'm back, and we've been back to La Paz. It feels like everything we've done at the moment, has already been done. We had saltenes again...they're good, but not as good as the first time.

La paz street scene, hills, and lots of houses in the background. Lots!

Chicken is no fun either. I think I might have gone into a negative rut, because at the moment I'm a bit bored. Seen La Paz, seen Calacoto (The suburb we are staying in.) We've walked the streets, and sure it's different, but still it's the same. People selling stuff...everywhere. Just like in many other countries I've visited.

We need to make a move soon. Restlessness is making itselft known.

La Paz seen from Calacoto where we are staying.

 

We went to get some stuff in central La Paz, so I got myself a sleeping bag, and we also got a tent. We took a normal radio cab with the coolest taxi driver ever, or at least one of the coolest. He just seemed very pleased with...everything.

Maestro, at ease with the world behind the wheel...

On the way down from La Paz you see some wierd stuff. Houses in the most amazing places, places where there used to be houses before the rain subsided the ground under them. We even passed a bridge that wasn't really finished...

In poor countries, it's sometimes hard to make ends meet...

Once we got home with our stuff, we just had to put the tent up in the living room. Hey, it's our first home we bought in south america!

Windproof, waterproof...sure it works!

In the evening we were invited to dinner at one of Gonzos friends house. They had a really cool house, which reminded me of how houses looked like in story books as a kid. I would like a house like that, all dark brown wood colours mixed with brick, small bricks. And they had a table made out of beautiful rock, and lots of nice plants.

Party animal...getting started.

Well, in the end we had lots of crisps and guacamole for dinner. It was tasty, but I think my stomache is beginning to have issues with our diet at the moment. The spanish isn't really sticking as good as I hoped it would. I mean, you cant really get into a conversation when you keep asking everyone if they are ok? Todo bien? Como estas? Itu? Bien bien...superbien.

So we pretty much observed other peoples conversations in spanish. It's like sitting in the middle of a documentary about latino social studies... I can now also understand why dogs usually are castrated, jeez what a wild and frisky dog at the party.

We've been sleepy all the time too, so I think we don't really have a reputation of being wild and crazy. we both kept falling asleep at the party until I was handed a guitar. I jammed for about an hour, then we had the last beer and called it a night.

A view from the houseparty...

Todays highlights: Having vegetables with pasta. The second someone told us the internet was working again. Otherwize, rain...and rain...and some saltenas.

 

Hopefully we'll get a move on soon, so I can bring some excting stories... good night!

Hiya!

So, back at the keyboard. What's happened since last time then? First of all, the altitude-sickness has pretty much disappeared. Or at least temporarily, you always seem to be reminded after like playing with Gonzo's dog and then you feel like you're gonna have a heart attack. Take it easy, don't rush, walk like a senior citizen is the trick.

Gonzos dog in the garden outside Gonzo´s house.

We've been for a few shorter walks these last days, been hanging out with Gonzo's mates and having a good time.

We wen't to this steak house restaurant which really had superb meat! But afterwards I sort of understood why all guide books advise NOT to have any heavy meals the first few days at this altitude.

Guess who turned all white and pale and stopped talking after the meal? It felt like I was going through the same experience as at the airport again. And I'm just thinking "Not here, not now!"

Eventually, everything felt fine again. The beer here is fantastic, very light colored but it still has flavour. You can't really get a lot down, think the height sends your head spinning pretty quick too.

In the mornings when I wake up, I've been reading Slash from Guns'n'roses autobiography. That's what I came back with after setting out to get a spanish dictionary by the way.

Me and Victor have sort of gone off the Yoghurt every day now, so we've tried a bit of the local food culture. Saltines, are like small pirogues filled with varios stuff. The cheese ones are really good! You have like 2 or three of them, and then get a cheap soda next door. Coca cola in small glass bottles you swig in a couple of moments.

Salteñes...the last of it.

Yesterday afternoon gonzo was busy, so we took a ride up to central La Paz. It was a 45min journey in something thats like a taxi but like a bus? It stopped and picked up people along the way, and it's cheap. 2,30Bs for that journey which is like 2.30kr.

We asked the driver to stop in what we thought was the centre of La Paz. Our guess turned out to be right. But at the same time, we didn't have a clue where we were. Everywhere in La Paz are steep streets, so we started walking down all the time. The lazy way. Eventually we had to walk up all the hills we came down. It was a bit of a challenge at some time. Later we had some deep fried chicken, and found a mini bus back to Calacoto where we're staying. They cram 16 people into a Toyota Hiace, it feels like the whole thing is going to break apart.

The minibuses that carry like 16 people.

Last night I played my new pan flute I got in La Paz...eventually gave up and went to bed. Now it's breakfast time, going out for saltines! Upload some pics later.

Ciao!

Finally, after months of planning and dreaming, we've finally arrived in La Paz 3.600m above sea-level. The journey felt like it could have took forever, we became so lost in time and space that we simply did'nt care about time any more. It feels like weeks ago, or even a different life when we left te snow and cold of Sweden.


We stopped for some fish and chips and some beers at Heathrow at 9 in the morning, before getting on a nearly 10hr flight to Miami. I've never experienced so much turbulence on a flight, at points you start to wonder if the wings literally are going to snap off the plane. But at the same time I was to tired to be arsed to worry. If we're gonna die over tha Atlantic ocean, there's not much I can do about a Boeing 747 traveling at 850kmh that's snapped it wings off...so why worry?

Waiting and waiting and waiting...

The entertainment and the included beers and whisky was excellent on British Airways. I actually watched the same stand up show with Michael McIntyre twice, I just wanted to see Victor's reaction. I certaintly sort of LOL-ed the plane out. Victor spilled a beer over his crotch just like 30mins before landning, so it looked like he had been to lazy to visit the toilet.

Miami was sticky, we went through security which was chilled out and friendly for being USA, and went out side for some fresh air. The air outside was warmer than inside the airport and humid as hell...or maybe more humid as a indoor swimming-pool centre. You felt like - Open the window, but we were already outside.

After 24 hours of traveling...ridiciously tired in Miami.

Killed a few more hours before getting on our last flight for La Paz. The tiredness at this point was really challenging, we'd been on the move for 24 hours now. We did't get seats next to eachother, and unfortionatley the dude next to me stank of sweat...all the way. I fell asleep after teh meal. The next time I woke up, I saw that the sun was about to rise.

I sat and listened to coldplay and stared out the window, I had expected the flight to be another two hours or something. I was just so mushed up in the head now, I just wanted a drink. The sun was beatuiful as it shawn through the windows of the plane as folks began to wake up. The next time I look out we're heading down through the blanket of clouds, and suddenly the magical snow covered mountain summits of the andeas appeared. My body was struck with emotion, I felt a rush of life going through me. This magical landscape of sharp mountains that seemed to go on forever, that we we're heading down to. "-Cabin crew prepare for landing."

I quickly filled all imigration forms out, and the plane landed.

Now I was prepared to meet altitude sickness. On the tarmac of the airport the Bolivian army's band stood and waited with the red carpet rolled out...not for us ofcourse. Someone else.

I felt the fresh air of 4000m, it felt good. I was walking slow, even though I felt I could walk faster. Victor was like 20 rows behind me on the flight, so I was walking alone. Onve inside the building, I went to the toilet, and got in the queue. I started to sense a subtle tingeling and spinning sensation, and started giggling to myself. A police officer came down the queue to check peoples passports, before the real check. I saw him approaching me, and that's when I felt reality slipping away from me. My heart started racing, a ringing in my ears go louder, I became weaker at an intense rate. For one moment I thought I was going to die. I managed to hand my passport over before my stomache tried to make me throw up like 7 times in a row. I was sweating and I started to freeze. This must be like Heroin or something. Sweat was dripping from my face and I hear Victors voice farther down the line.

He's asking me what adress to put on the form, I have only enough energy to smile and shake my head. My body was literally going to log off and go offline, but I managed to stay calm and eventually I got through customs and could sit down. Jeez, I was in a state of shock! 4000m could be dangerous after traveling for 30 hours with lack of sleep I thought.

At last we met Gonzo, it was really good to see him again. He had arranged for his mate to take us down to La Paz. I was just in a daze, and couldn't really realize that we actually had set foot in South America.

The trip down was a releif, the altitude sickness calmed down a bit the lower we got. People seem happy here. The president here, who is a native Indian just got re-elected, so people here are in a good mood.

Add altitude sickness and jetlag to the tiredness and I feel like I look. Alive?

The rest of the day has been mainly just...rest. Drinking coco tea, made from coco leaves, yes the ones you make cocaine from. It helps the altitude sickness. I've been laying on gonzos bed all day looking out at the beautiful mountains and met many of his friends who have a really open and friendly attitude.

I'm finding it hard to breathe just writing this, it's just nothing I've ever felt before, and you feel it all the time, walking up the stairs, talking. Gasping after oxygene.

View from window in Gonzo's flat. Better pictures coming up when I can stand straight without feeling like passing out.

Anyways...that's the start of things, going to rest and adapt for a few days now. Upload a pic or two. Be back in a few days, or maybe sooner. Take care out there...

Cheers!

Han var bara så himla äkta och genuin. Verkligen en upplevelse att se honom! Inspirerande som fan. Resten av kvällen var också bra.

 

Fan vad härligt att det finns människor som är så pass medvetna och har modet att gå ut och göra såhär. Dessutom är det så bra gjort, en balans mellan sarkasm, allvar och riktigt skön humor med charm och takt.

 

Enjoy och sprid!