Locked

Bolivia is one of only two countries in South America without the access to the ocean. Not only however Bolivia is land-locked, but despite its very central location and borders with Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru, it also seems to be very inward-looking, sort of mentality-locked.

In mid-May I got stuck for a few hours in Quijarro, Bolivia’s main border town with Brazil. I was unfortunate to get there in the middle of the strike affecting local immigration office and was refused an exit stamp in my passport. No exit stamp by Bolivians means no entry stamp from Brazilians. I was accompanied in my misfortune by two young English lads (hilariously dressed in a style resembling messieurs John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson in the final scenes of Pulp Fiction), who had by then visited most of the countries in the Amazon basin. The guys were not particularly bright, but made an interesting observation – the only two countries they had visited where there was “something seriously wrong” were Venezuela and Bolivia.

I took a liberty of interpreting their observation as a critique towards political system in both countries, which are embodied by populist leaders (Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales) claiming to be political heirs of South America’s greatest independence hero Simon Bolivar. Neither of them believes in market economy and both try to promote home-grown forms of socialist utopia.

Chavez can finance his ideas with money from oil, but Evo is in a much worse position. Although Bolivia apparently has a lot of valuable mineral resources which could contribute to the economic growth of the country, the government’s ideological lack of trust towards foreign investors makes any extraction on large scale quite a difficult task - the country lacks financial resources and know-how to make use of what it has. The other potential source of income for Bolivians could be tourism. It seems to have it all – really high mountains, large part of the country in Amazon basin, picturesque salt flats, lake Titicaca and most importantly – it is really cheap. I have not however noticed any effort from the authorities to invest in touristy areas and make travelling a good experience, like they do quite well in Peru. Backpackers will always come, but they are not the ones who are the most valuable tourists (in money terms).

The Bolivian government promotes co-operatives as the best form of enterprise. This is the case in such industries as mining and transportation. It gives people job security but does not encourage growth neither leads to improvements in standards, efficiency or service levels. Bolivia’s largest border is with the biggest regional economic success story – Brazil, which until recently was run by a very socialist in his youth Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva. Current Bolivian president Evo Morales used to be a coca grower and local trade union leader, just like Lula. This is where the similarities end - the Brazilian president led his country from one success to another, the Bolivian is not giving his country even the slightest chance. 

Travelling routines

I think a large number of readers of this blog know what it means to travel independently, but for those who are not familiar with the experience (i.e. who do not travel too much or prefer to buy organised trips) I will try to explain what it entails, based on my average day in a new place (basically every 2-3 days).

 Arrival

I travel mainly by bus – it is the cheapest way and the bonus is that I get to see nice, sometimes spectacular, views. South America is however a huge continent and a journey from one place to another often takes more than 12 hours. The solution is an overnight bus – a very pleasant and affordable option in Argentina and Chile (flat beds in Flecha bus below – 10 hours from Cordoba to Tucuman), a cheap and painful one in Bolivia, which has a lot of unpaved roads (e.g. 12 hours of bumps between Sucre and Santa Cruz). In the last six weeks I spent at least 150 hours just travelling.

Accommodation

Before the arrival I check hotels recommended by Lonely Planet and pick one in the centre. If the price is OK (max 30 pounds, usually much less, a few times more) and the room looks good value for money (I always see the room before deciding), I take it. I am not too picky – just need a clean place with a bathroom and some daylight; I usually don’t stay much in the room anyway. Also, I do not need to feel that I got the best possible deal in town – I am on holidays and not in a competition for the most efficient traveller.

I usually choose hostels (best are family run) or B&Bs, but opt for single room rather than a dorm shared with other 3-20 (depending on the hostel) random people. I need my space. The difference in price is often quite significant in local currency (threefold), but counting in pounds it is not that great. However, if I was travelling longer I would be definitely spending my time in dorms, particularly in more expensive countries.

Since I travel in low season there is no need to book anything in advance. Haggling unfortunately is not a custom in South America, but I would do that (have done) in Asia and Africa.

Sometimes the accommodation is not a hotel, as I use Couch Surfing. I will write more about this in a separate post.

Daily activities

So far I have spent most of my time in the Andes and tried to avoid cities. I like doing adventure based activities such as mountain biking, trekking, rock climbing, rafting, etc. These however usually require a guide, proper equipment and as a result need to be organised by an agency. I usually check 2-3 agencies and if the price and itinerary are fairly similar, I decide on the one looking the most professional. Sometimes it is more of a hunch, but it has not let me down so far. If I have a good experience I book with them again in the evening (in most places the offer in agencies is very similar and the choice is too great for me to bother looking for the absolutely best deal).

Obviously I use agencies only when it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise I would e.g. take a map from local tourist office, rent a bike or take a walk to a nearby mountain, lake, vineyard, visit a city, take pictures, etc.

Eating

I don’t use kitchen facilities in hostels to cook, because eating out is for me a part of a cultural experience in a country. Basically, I would rather have a terrible cheap room than a terrible cheap meal. Having said that, there are ways to have good meal at reasonable price - that would be empanadas in Argentina or going for menu of the day in Chile. Following the locals and not the tourists (I avoid eating near main squares) is the way to go. The highlight for me has been Bolivia, where I always visit local market to have a home-type made meal cooked by local women. It is seriously basic stuff, but genuine and tasty. I rarely see gringos eating there as opposed to many locals, which is a great recommendation and adds to the cultural experience.

Departure

The most efficient way is to buy the next ticket upon the arrival, but I usually do not know how long I will stay in each place. I am quite flexible with my plans and have e.g. spent three more days than initially predicted in Villa La Angostura and two fewer in Cordoba or Salta. All depends on my mood, weather, activities on offer, etc. One time I had to shorten my stay because of heavy pollution (Sucre, Bolivia), which gave me headaches. Anyway, most of places I visit are fairly small, so walking to the bus terminal is an easy option during the day. In bigger places you can often buy a ticket in the city centre via a travel company – it does not cost much more and saves a lot of hassle.

For the journeys up to seven hours I prefer to take morning buses (usually they depart at 6-7am), for longer ones I would take an overnight bus. My longest journey so far was 22 hours from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. However, with almost flat bed it was also the most comfortable. The worst one was from Uyuni to Tupiza (both in Bolivia) – bumpy ride in very high mountains in a small bus older than myself, three hours late and crammed with crying babies, lots of stuff that did not fit into the trunk and three drunken miners.

If the departure is late, I usually ask in my hostel if I can check-out a bit later. Usually it works and I was always able to leave my backpack, use internet, a toilet (sometimes a shower) and spend some time in a common room before the departure.

To sum it up, travelling independently (and even more – solo) is often a lot of work, takes an effort, lots of planning and requires good organisation skills (these improve with experience). It is however very rewarding, a great learning experience and I cannot imagine travelling in a different way.  

Of dogs and men

Choosing a dog is often a statement, but its behaviour can tell you much more about the owner - this reflection occurred to me while wandering the hills of Valparaiso, Chile. In the previous post I state my observations about Chilean psyche in comparison to their Argentinian neighbours. I think my dog/men theory only reinforces them.

Dogs in Argentina are as friendly as one can imagine and the sample I base my observation on goes in hundreds. Parks in Buenos Aires during the day are full of dog walkers – each of them with at least four dogs, but often with as many as nine. In my three months in the city I never saw any fight between the dogs; on the contrary – they walk in harmony and enjoy the day together. Same goes for homeless dogs – they approach people in a very friendly and trustful way, without fear and almost always wagging their tails. I will write a separate post about Argentinians, but safe to say for now that they are the most relaxed and easy-going people I have ever met in my travels. However, on a related topic, here you can read why I think Buenos Aires is the coolest city on planet Earth.

My observations of Chilean dogs (in Santiago and Valparaiso) are based on a much smaller sample, but the difference was striking. I was usually barked at or approached cautiously. I have also seen dogs chasing and barking at cars and cyclists – not something happening much across the Andes. I do not intend to draw any far-fetched conclusions from these, only, observations. Neither I am suggesting that Chileans are unfriendly or not to be trusted – dogs in Poland behave much more like dogs in Valparaiso, if not worse. I just think that the life of Chileans is more stressful than that of their eastern neighbours and the dogs end up affected.

To explore my dog/men theory further I reminded myself my experiences with the homeless dogs in Athens, which were roaming the parks in visible numbers before the Olympics. They were largely harmless and cautiously friendly but I was never quite sure how they might react – there seemed to be a dark side to them waiting to be unleashed in response to improper behaviour. Greeks, likewise, are really friendly people, but also very impulsive. At first, their way of speaking (voice and gestures) gave me the impression that they were always arguing and the exchange of punches was never far away. That made me feel uneasy, until I realised that this was just the way they converse. Coming back to Poland; it is mandatory to keep the dogs on leash and homeless dogs are captured and put in dog pounds – quite fitting for a country where the majority of people declare that a person they don't know should generally not be trusted. 

In pursuit of growth, or happiness

Recently I spent a few days in Chile – in Santiago, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. This is not enough time to draw sound conclusions about any country, but after having had spent almost four months in a neighbouring Argentina, I noticed quite significant differences, which I would like to share. 

For a start, Chileans seem to be much more stressed than their Argentinian neighbours. I saw mainly tired faces in Santiago’s metro on Easter Sunday – after three full days of holidays! The other difference is how generally well, if not excessively, things are organised. Take Santiago’s metro; it reminds me of the one in Singapore – very clean, modern, efficient and with omnipresent signs reminding about proper behaviour: don’t litter, don’t enter with a backpack on your back, let people step out first before boarding the train, etc. Buses display information to passengers about the current speed, reminders about fastening seatbelts and telephone numbers if someone would like to complain about the service.

Chileans are rightly proud of the excellent transportation system in Santiago as well as achievements of their economy (recent growth of Santiago’s business district is really impressive).  The symbol of the growing economic power of the country is soon to be the highest skyscraper in South America (on the picture below, obscured by Santiago’s smog). However, my impression was that in the pursuit of growth, development and perfection they somehow lost the ability to relax and enjoy life. When I shared my observation with a couple of Chileans I was staying with in Santiago (hurray for Couch Surfing!), they concurred without the slightest hesitation. However, they quickly pointed out the mess that is Argentinian politics and worse economic situation of their neighbour. I take the point, but somehow felt much better after seeing relaxed Argentinians upon my return to Mendoza a few days later.

About leadership

Argentinian politics, complicated as it is, has one feature that makes it distinct from the traditional Western political systems – divided broadly into social-democrats and conservatives, with all the variety of names and seasonal extremists. In Argentina, the political system is described using the last name of the leader of the governing party – in the last eight years it has been kirchnerismo (owing to late Nestor Kirchner and his widowed wife Cristina, the current president) and before that – duhaldismo (Eduardo Duhalde). It all started with a gentleman called Juan Peron. Such was his importance in the history of Argentina that all current major political movements claim to be descendants of peronismo, regardless if they are more to the left (like kirchnerismo) or right (the opposition).

The majority of North and South American countries (including Argentina) have presidential systems, with one person clearly in charge. Europe, on the other hand, seems to be more sceptical about strong leaders (the history of XX century has taught us a lesson) and trusts more in institutions. This is why it is difficult for a European to understand the rock star/ prophet following of some of the American leaders like Obama (before elections), Evo Morales in Bolivia, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela or Lula in Brazil – their personalities seem to overshadow the office they hold.  Cristina Kirchner does not have charisma of any of them, but the same rule applies to her as well; she is perceived to be personally responsible for everything that happens in the country. This is a double-edged sword, but her PR machine is in charge to make sure people hear more about the good stuff. Photo below shows her smiling face next to the information about the regeneration of the old football stadium in Mendoza - something nice to show to local football fans before October elections. 

Buenos Aires is not perfect

I have established in one of the previous posts that Buenos Aires is a really cool city, and more importantly achieves this without trying too hard. Porteños are however more sceptical about their city. Trying to fit in I decided to compile my list of things that would bother me had I lived/ worked in the city longer. Nowadays, being a short-term visitor, quite relaxed about life and with plenty of spare time – they simply don’t bother me too much. 

• Services are generally poor and really slow; this is something Porteños complain about as well. Public sector services, restaurants, supermarkets – service is not organised efficiently and, frankly, hardly anyone seems to really care. On the positive note and to my great relief, broadband provider’s helpline turned out to be actually… helpful
• Bs As is a city for cars and nothing illustrates it better than thirteen one way lanes of Avenida Libertador (not a circular of any sort). Pedestrians are tolerated as long as they stay on the pavements. Pedestrian crossings are numerous but seem to be invisible for drivers, so one needs to be very careful crossing.
• The city is very green, but environmental awareness is low. There is no real recycling, unless you count as such poor cartoneros, who go through rubbish on the street and take away anything that can be sold. The most annoying thing however is the amount of plastic bags given with your shopping in the supermarket – they are really small and of poor quality so it is not uncommon for the shop assistant to put only two/three items in each.
• As much as I love the night life in Buenos Aires, the parties simply start too late. I attended a birthday party that started at midnight, although obviously nobody showed up that early. Also, there is no point going to a disco (boliche) before 2am – dancing does not start until 3am anyway.
• Subte, as the local metro system is called, is quite old and its air conditioning system is highly inefficient. I cannot imagine using it to go to work wearing a suit.
• Holidays. This is not very Bs As specific, but far the most important/ annoying if you happen to work here - you only get 15 days of vacation during your first five years of employment in the same company. If you change your employer, the clock starts to tick from the beginning. In some cases, if you take all 15 days in one go, they include weekends! This is pure capitalist exploitation; I did not expect this from a country that gave the world Ernesto Che Guevara.

This is it. Only the last point is a big deal for me; combined with the distance to other parts of the world it makes travelling a real luxury. The rest is just nuisance and I still stand by my statement that Buenos Aires is a very pleasant city to live. A similar list for any of the other seven cities I have lived in to date would be longer. Buenos Aires may not be perfect, but at least it is not trying too hard. Cool. 

In their heads

Sihanoukville, Cambodia. April 2010.
Khmer New Year! I love this time of the year – fireworks, swimming in the see, all my family is here, eating fresh scallops. And I love my new dress and I know he likes it too. Life is great!

New York, USA. September 2009.
Who are all those people and why they are here? I bet my mum will know. Wow, that’s a cool hat – like a cowboy. And that girl, she looks nice. I wonder where she lives now…

Phnom Penh, Cambodia. April 2010.
Great, I mixed red and white clothes again. The guys are a peaceful bunch, but they will not like this. I told them we should stick to red only; changes should not be rushed!

Mariano Ferreyra, presente

24 March 2011 marks a 35^th anniversary of the military coup in Argentina. It is now a remembrance day throughout the country and a public holiday. The biggest celebrations, organised by human rights activists, took part in central Buenos Aires on Plaza de Mayo. This is a traditional place for demonstrations and closely linked with the protests against military dictatorship through Madres de Plaza de Mayo. I wrote about them in one of the earlier posts.

I went to the square to take pictures for my article about Madres. It turned out they attended a separate event in another part of the city, but I did not regret missing it at all. What I saw on the square instead was quite a remarkable experience, one I am still trying to comprehend. Plaza de Mayo, which has a capacity similar to Trafalgar Square in London, was full of people – they were waving flags, shouting slogans, banging drums, but also eating hot dogs or sipping mate (traditional tea) on the pavement. It felt the day was important and it was obvious that many came especially for the occasion from outside of Buenos Aires.

Suddenly a group of youths with covered faces started banging thick sticks against a tall fence protecting the presidential palace. They seemed enraged. I got there quickly with my camera expecting trouble. My initial war-correspondent type of excitement luckily went away quite quickly after seeing that the police on the other side of the fence was observing the protesters with calm. This was just a show-off, but directed my attention to the manner in which people expressed themselves that day. In Poland, an event of this type would certainly start with a mass celebrated by the archbishop and attended by important dignitaries. Names of the regime victims would be read aloud. After the service people would march in silence with expressions of grief on their faces – celebrating the martyrdom of the departed. How is it done in Buenos Aires? Take a look by yourselves. 

The second interesting thing was the revolutionary flavour of the event. There were plenty flags with Che Guevara, occasional portrait of Lenin and lots of leftist slogans from loudspeakers – justice for workers, no to capitalist exploitation, no to the imperialist assault on Libya, etc. For many on the square the fight for justice is still on. They even has modern-day martyrs – Labourer’s Party (Partido Obrero) were remembering the figure of Mariano Ferreyra, who was shot dead in October last year during a protest against poor treatment of railway contract workers. You can hear the song about him in the clip above and see his face on the poster, below.