Even though my last entry has the same toppic, I have to grouse and crab about Uyuni.
Looking back there was just one free night in Uyuni...
▣Rusty iron sculpture in Uyuni
Rusty iron sculpture in UyuniThis sculpture of rusty iron is a perfect metaphor for Uyunis soul
...The night of the arrival. Next day they where already starting to build up the blockades around Uyuni and between Uyuni and Potosi, where I wanted to go to after visiting the salar.
I picked up to Bolivian hitchhikers and that – combined with the great off-road skills of El Trol, was great luck, as they guided me past the blockades.
Next day on my way out I completely bypassed Colchani, a dirty little cluster of some adobe huts at the border of the salar. Back on the road to Uyuni and nearly out of sight of that village miners showed up and started to throw stones in front of El Trol. It was obvious, that they will start to throw stones at me, if I would try to pass the blockade, so I stopped and tried to argue, gave up and drove to the police station at the center of the city.
And there I started to understand that I am in deep trouble. Untill early afternoon I was the only European in the city. The people where all friendly and nice but very strickt about the blockade. I was not allowed to move to Uyuni and not allowed to move back to the salar.
Lateron more and more Jeeps from the Salar got stuck at the center.
▣Vehicles stuck at Colchani blockade with rocks
Vehicles stuck at Colchani blockade with rocks
▣Makeshift police station - pipes and rubble
Makeshift police station - pipes and rubble
▣People climbing on truck to get phone signal
People climbing on truck to get phone signal
The police stationThe local telephone cell – yes you have to climb up there to get, with some luck, a network connection.
I tried hard to be kind to be released first:
▣Street scenes in Colchani during blockade
Street scenes in Colchani during blockade
▣Bolivian man in traditional clothing
Bolivian man in traditional clothing
▣Adobe buildings in Colchani
Adobe buildings in Colchani
▣Old woman sitting by adobe wall
Old woman sitting by adobe wall
▣Kurt with horde of children showing map of his travels
Kurt with horde of children showing map of his travels
Me with a horde of children showing where I already have been – it was really hard to get rid of them...
After sunset the citizens realised they will have a problem with us at night. I was the only one with a place to sleep, all others would have had to sleep in their Jeep and there was also no restaurant around. So they decided, we may try to pass to Uyuni for some money and so we bribed them.
With a convoi of about 6 vehicles we started toward Uyuni and passed several other blockades with burning tyres and angry Bolivians. Finally 3km away from Uyuni all drivers had to disembark to listen to the speech of the local blockade commander. We were "free" to move by foot to the city, but the vehicles had to stay outside.
▣Walking through desert at night toward Uyuni lights
Walking through desert at night toward Uyuni lights
To get some food we headed through the desert to the city... Lateron at night when I came back to sleep the guards agreed that I can also be stuck inside the city without any difference for their case.
I tried the whole day to get exactly this into their minds and finally... I started to live the life of a hostage in Uyuni. Afterall that was a great upgrade compared to Colchani, as Uyuni had atleast shops and restaurants. However those were kept close and only from time to time people where allowed to sneak in.
On the fourth day they told us that today the prefect of Potosi will come to sign the contract to pave the road – paved roads is what they where fighting for for over an decade. However it was the same story as the other days before. I was preparing for a longer stay. I contacted my ambassy that was not aware of the situation – anyway they could not do anything.
I wanted to know why the Prefect should come and what would happen if he would come but could not sign. Well, then we keep him as long as he takes to sign.
Know I knew: Big Trouble!
▣Town hall and military vehicles in Uyuni
Town hall and military vehicles in Uyuni
▣Bicycles and buildings in Uyuni during standoff
Bicycles and buildings in Uyuni during standoff
So as the military showed up and the prefect was really about to arrive, I thought now it's time to get out of sight and sneaked into the upper level of an inoficcaly opend restaurant. By the way, the room inside was as cold as outside (zero degrees), as they where short on gas and used everything to cook.
We were able to see what was going on in the town hall throug a life transmission and guess what: the prefect was explaining why he was not resonsible and could not sign. Instead he was presenting a paper where the current state of the revie process of the contract signing process was explained.
It was getting later and later and I sneaked back into the non-bulletproof habitat of El Trol surrounded by angry citizen sounds.
In the morning I had a sad record. Minus three degrees. Totally empty battery and no way to get a nice warm shower...
But: the blockade was over. Somehow they decided to claim it as an victory and everybody was on a rush to get out of the city and out of Bolivia itself...
Right now I am in La Paz and relaxed a little. La Paz is really a great crazy upsidedown city.
Reconstructed CommentsGustyC (#1, 9. June 2009, 07:53):
Hello, Beachtlich das du in voraus Gedanken gemacht hast: was wird es passieren wenn ich weiter fahre: Bestimmt werden die Leute mit Steinen an dein Auto werfen.