I was up early and had my breakfast at 4:30am as I knew Freddie (my new guide) would be collecting me at 5:30am in the taxi. He was actually early and when I met him at reception I could see the staff found it amusing that this guy would be looking after me over the next 7 days! Freddie was wearing scruffy suit trousers with even scruffier (worn out) training shoes and a cheap tracksuit top; he certainly did not look like your typical hiking guide! (He didn't exactly smell too good either!) I loaded my backpack into the waiting taxi and Freddie collected the two sacks of gear from the hotel and we set off for the bus station in El Alto.
When we reached the bus station in El Alto (actually it was just a side street!), we all jumped out of the taxi, and it was obvious Freddie had no intentions of paying the fare. I must admit I wasn't really surprised and I just shrugged my shoulders and showed him my receipt from the tour company which had Vincente's telephone number on it and I said 'call him'! In the end Freddie paid the taxi driver. It was a little later whilst we were waiting for the bus when Vincente called and Freddie passed his mobile to me after he had spoken with Vincente. I basically just told him I thought he swindled me and that if I’d travelled to Pelechuco myself I’d probably could have found a better guide and saved myself a couple of hundred dollars! I also explained that the money I had paid was enough to warrant an English speaking guide (which is what I was originally promised). He basically said I was getting my money's worth and that any other tour company in La Paz would have charged the same. I just passed the mobile phone back to Freddie as I’d had enough and couldn’t really be bothered to argue any more.
The bus eventually arrived at 7am, (I am not so sure why we had to arrive so early?) I don’t know how much the fare was as I just let Freddie buy the two tickets from a young girl who just opened up a door near where we were standing just before the bus arrived. I think Freddie had realised by now I had no intentions of paying!
It was slow going to begin with on the bus, working our way through the crazy La Paz traffic. We stopped around 9am somewhere for something to eat, I just followed Freddie into a restaurant and he ordered food for the both of us. We had soup which was nice and a pasta meal which wasn't so nice. After we had finished I watched Freddie pay for the food for the both of us, he had clearly chosen the cheapest place to eat in town!
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I left my room and went out in search of a restaurant but Freddie followed me out and took me to a restaurant across the road. I sat down for a while and had a look around and thought I didn't want to eat here, it was something about the place and the smell was awful, I just got up and left and told Freddie I was going for a walk. I walked around Pelechuco and soon realised that although it may be absolutely stunning arriving into this valley, Pelechuco is actually a very depressing place! I popped in some of the shops for some food but all I could find to eat were some packets of biscuits. When I later walked back to my hotel Freddie saw me and I think he felt a little sorry for me, (he clearly never bothered with the restaurant either).
Later I had a knock on the door and it was Freddie inviting me for some food (cooked by the hotel owner), I just turned him down and told him I wasn’t interested. Freddie told me breakfast would be at 7am in the morning in the hotel. I scoffed my biscuits and went to bed wondering what tomorrow would bring!?
When we reached the bus station in El Alto (actually it was just a side street!), we all jumped out of the taxi, and it was obvious Freddie had no intentions of paying the fare. I must admit I wasn't really surprised and I just shrugged my shoulders and showed him my receipt from the tour company which had Vincente's telephone number on it and I said 'call him'! In the end Freddie paid the taxi driver. It was a little later whilst we were waiting for the bus when Vincente called and Freddie passed his mobile to me after he had spoken with Vincente. I basically just told him I thought he swindled me and that if I’d travelled to Pelechuco myself I’d probably could have found a better guide and saved myself a couple of hundred dollars! I also explained that the money I had paid was enough to warrant an English speaking guide (which is what I was originally promised). He basically said I was getting my money's worth and that any other tour company in La Paz would have charged the same. I just passed the mobile phone back to Freddie as I’d had enough and couldn’t really be bothered to argue any more.
The bus eventually arrived at 7am, (I am not so sure why we had to arrive so early?) I don’t know how much the fare was as I just let Freddie buy the two tickets from a young girl who just opened up a door near where we were standing just before the bus arrived. I think Freddie had realised by now I had no intentions of paying!
It was slow going to begin with on the bus, working our way through the crazy La Paz traffic. We stopped around 9am somewhere for something to eat, I just followed Freddie into a restaurant and he ordered food for the both of us. We had soup which was nice and a pasta meal which wasn't so nice. After we had finished I watched Freddie pay for the food for the both of us, he had clearly chosen the cheapest place to eat in town!
Toilet break! - La Paz to Pelechuco
Back on the bus again, Freddie mentioned we would not stop again until we reached Pelechuco. The journey actually just got better and better in terms of the views and landscape etc, seeing lamas, alpacas, vicunas and viscachas roam around freely was amazing. We passed many traditional mud brick villages whilst watching the locals sitting around which was also wonderful to see. But it was the last couple of hours of our journey that were the best, with the Apolobamba mountains so close and especially as we started to descend into Pelechuco, it was breathtaking. I think this stretch of road should be classed as one of the most dangerous in the world, not the one in La Paz!
Views from bus - La Paz to Pelechuco
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Views from bus - La Paz to Pelechuco
It took us 11 hours to reach Pelechuco and when we did arrive I did wonder what Freddie was going to do first, as initially it was planned we would camp straight away as according to Vincente there were no hotels in Pelechuco, although I spotted two on arrival! I had already decided as it was 6pm (and with daylight fading) I really just wanted to find a hotel. Surprisingly Freddie agreed and he walked down the road a little to the first hotel and knocked on the door, however there was no answer. He suggested all would be fine and wondered off leaving all his gear with me.
It was here I began to think this whole thing was a joke, it was getting dark and I had nowhere to stay (the other hotel was closed apparently?) Eventually Freddie turned up with the hotel owner and I got the impression they knew each other? He showed me my room which was nothing special (the whole hotel was quite grubby) but I thought it would do, but then I realised Freddie was going to share it as well! I kicked off a fuss and then Freddie went off in search of the hotel owner to ask if he had another room for me. Obviously he did and I assume it was Vincente's way of saving a few Bolivianos! I picked the room that had 3 beds, hoping it was the most expensive! I had no intentions of paying for it in the morning; no doubt it will be another chapter in this ongoing saga!
Whilst sat in my rather depressing room I did start to feel a little sorry for myself, and I was kind of hoping this 7 day trek would end as soon as possible so I could head back to La Paz and find something else to do!
Later I had a knock on the door and it was Freddie inviting me for some food (cooked by the hotel owner), I just turned him down and told him I wasn’t interested. Freddie told me breakfast would be at 7am in the morning in the hotel. I scoffed my biscuits and went to bed wondering what tomorrow would bring!?
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