unforeseen-delays

trigger warning!!!bureaucracy!!!

I knew that this path would come with many surprises, just as any direction one chooses to follow.

But, I have to admit I was underestimating the enigmatic way that Bolivian society is run.

First, everyone got sick. And to be honest we have all been on and off sick during these two months that we have been in La Paz.

Second, finding a car has been a test of patience. Since Bolivia is landlocked, imported goods can be complicated. Importation rules, taxes and corruption add to the picture. Although, the main hub to buy a car is in La Paz/El Alto because of the population size and the dry climate make the cars be exposed to less corrosion damage, the right one was nowhere to be seen. In short, we cannot afford a new car and the cars in the second hand market are almost exclusively 25 years old and VERY worn.

Third, the Bolivian consulate in Stockholm sold us unnecessary visas upon several consultations with them about which visas was the appropriate ones for our situation. Normally we have 90 day visa for free, but because of the faulty visas we had, we had to sort out our migratory situation as soon as we were healthy enough and pay penalty on top of everything...

We have international driver licences, but to avoid problems with the police on the countryside we have also gotten Bolivian driver licences.

The hardest thing has been, driving with a big car in La Paz. Today I got kind of a nervous breakdown. It was looong ago that I felt so out of options in a situation. The GPS suggests roads that are one-way-streets, markets close several streets, cars parked EVERYWHERE and last but not the least, many streets are REALLY steep.

Another hard thing is more of an existential aspect. But maybe the most important lesson that I am still trying to figure out. How to live fully, thankfully and joyfully admist these challenges and steps of preparation?

(good that the moutainspirits the "Apus" are with us)