No Fishing with Dynamite in Bolivia

Are you planning to go fishing this weekend? How do you do that, still the old fashioned way with a fishing pole and such? - In Bolivia it must have been established to do that much more efficient. So efficent that it is nowadays not allowed any more. "Fishing with Explosives Prohibited". 

Would you like to see more pictures of Bolivia? The Bolivia galleries are nearly complete. Check out Bolivia and Bolivia Salares y Lagunas, the two galleries of the beautiful country.

FARGO Trucks

The Fargo Motor Company was founded 1913 in Chicago, USA. As an independent company they have produced their own trucks until Chrysler bought the business.

Soon Chrysler bought the business of the Dodge Brothers as well as of the Graham Brothers and Fargo trucks were no langer independent vehicles but became...

Chrysler products with a FARGO badge. I do not know what year this model here is but I assume it is probably from the late...

...1940ties. It is in excellent, restored condition and was parked a long Calle Calvo in Sucre, Bolivia last Sunday. 

Visit my Road Warrior I and II photo galleries for more pictures of classic and many other vehicles. 

Do You Remember FARGO Trucks?

I almost didn't either, until I ran into one here in Bolivia. Check back tomorrow and find out about a beautifully restored truck born in the USA, rolling on the streets of Bolivia some 50 years later. 

Talking about extinct truck brands, did you know in Switzerland we had an active truck industry as far as into the 80ties? Even produced under licence in the USA. And guess where I ran into one of those, check on my Swiss German blog, HERE and find all about it.

More about Fargo trucks mañana!

La Recoleta, Sucre

The blue truck gets a rest. Attending Spanish-School otra vez, this time in Sucre Bolivia, check out the view from our room at Casa al Tronco in La Recoleta, Sucre.

If you want to see more pictures of Boliva have a look at the Photo Galleries. There are two Bolivia Galleries so far. 

Have a gret weekend with even greater views.

Always Those Landings!

"O.k., gear's out... what's next?"

"...I think I can do that!"

"Or should I perhaps just touch and go?"

"No! I think I can handle this one - this time it'll work!"

"Boaaa, and now those trust reversers - and I'm almost done!"

"Here we go, getting parked exactly where ground control told me to..."

"Hey, I tell you landing is a piece of cake for a pilot like me" 

"But now check out those fellows: That's never gonna work - hehe!"

"Crosswinds, that's not gonna work..."

"...told you buddy, touch and go!"

"And you? Way too much speed! Gotta slow that Baby down, you gonna crash it!"

For Aviation Nuts only, those landings and much more about Aviation HERE!

Happy Landings!

For the Overlanders: One Sucre Campspot Gone Missing

Hello fellow Overlanders. Typically I like to share some good campspots here that you won't find already on everybody and their brother's websites. This time I want to spare you from knocking at a door where you expect to spend your night behind, and than getting send away. 

I have gotten the coordinates for this location from other blogs and it is also listed as a POI "Campground" on the current OSM database for Bolivia. The coordinates of three different sources plus OSM POI were matching, so I suppose I really knocked at the right, brown door. 

The campground information I had was: 

• Alberto & Felicidad (no sign, look for brown door and knock)
• Coordinates: S 19°02.580'   W 065°15.303'

I was there, knocked at the door, a young local gentlemen opened the  door, it was obviously where it used to be since the door opened to a mas o menos large grassy courtyard. He was obviously working on his car, he was friendly but did not know anything about camping nor about Alberto or Felicidad. I have questioned some other folks in the street that did not know anything about it but mentioned some Hostals that would allow camping. So depending on the size of your vehicle you might find a courtyard of a Hostal or Hotel where you can camp. I have also met travellers that could camp on the parking of the more or less high end Hotel Kolping above the City Center. Or just check into one of the many Hotels or Hostals that offer rooms at very moderate rates in Sucre (as I did).

Hope that helps. Enjoy Surce! - Happy Camping! 

Market Days Are Hard Work...

...just need to get a rest!

Click HERE for more pictures of Bolivia.

Have a great, restful weekend!

More To See of Bolivia

The Photo Gallery Bolivia...

...has just been updated.

Click HERE and see more of...

...Bolivia.

And Coming soon:

Lagunas y Salares

Chile North

For now, enjoy Bolivia!

Beautiful Camp Spot in Coroico, Bolivia

Heading down to the Yungas? 

If you're vehicle is not too big and capable of climbing a short steep drive way, here is a beautiful place to camp. Hostal Sol y Luna, Coroico. The Hostal offers just a bed, rooms or cabañas as well as a beautiful tent camp site. It is nor really set up for vehicle camping but there is one more or less leveled spot to park a small overlander vehicle. Just before the main entrance to Sol y Luna is a relatively large flat spot where you could park a large truck size vehicle as well and just walkt up the short steep drive way to the Hostal. 

The Hostal is set up on a beautiful large hill side property with several walkways, two swimming pools, coffee and fruit trees all over and colorful plants, it includes a view point into the valleys and a nicely set up play ground for the kids.

There is a restaurant that offers food all day long, as well has homemade pastries and such. Hot water showers, recycling, all kind off tours and information for things to do in the Yungas. 10 minutes walk into the Center of Coroico where Sol y Luna also runs a Coffee Shop at the main plaza. 

Camping October 2013: 40 Bolivianos per Person

Coordinates: S16°11.904', W067°43.439'

Happy Camping!

They Call It Death Road, but...

...it is really not all...

...that bad.

Stay tuned for some more exciting road pics. 

How To Keep Bad Spirits Away

Are you in process of building your own house? - How can you keep luck on your side and bad spirits away. Here is the true bolivian solution:

Visit the witch market in La Paz, you'll find it along and around Calle Santa Cruz in the center of the city. Look out for a nice size Llama fetus. - Yes, no kidding. - Negotiate the price with the witch - eh, sorry - the sales person...

Take the dried creature home with you. Make sure it sits as much in the center as possible of the concrete foundation of your future home. Once as solidly covered in cement as the feet of disobedient Mafiosi in Siciliy before exploring the Mediterranean, it will protect you and your family and any one in your house from bad sprit and guarantee you luck as long as you live in that house. 

What are you waiting for?

Just A Few

...but soon it will be more. The first pictures...

...are now...

...in the Bolivia Photo Gallery.

Come back soon...

...for more.

Click HERE and...

...enjoy!

Being High And Still Taking-Off

The cabdriver that is bringing me back to Hotel Oberland from the Airport in El Alto, Bolivia proudly explains that this is not just the world's highst seat of a governement, here in La Paz but also the world's highest commercial Airport. Right here in El Alto at over 4'000 meters over sea level. I am not challenging Juan, my driver, a good man. But I am questioning if that really might be true. A couple of days later the question hits me again. Since the first flight to and from the highest Airport in the World makes it to the news. And it is not El Alto Airport, even though it's altitude of over 4'061 meters over sea level is impressive, the highest Airport in the world, that has just been opend is in Tibet, Daocheng Yang Airport at an even more impressive altitude of 4'411 meters or for my US american readers, 14'472 feet. 

But Daocheng Yang Airport was not just topping El Alto,  three other Chinese Airports are located a couple of hundred meters higher than El Alto is. But one thing El Alto is for sure, the highest commercial airport in the Americas. Neither topped by the US, who love to have the biggest, the newest, the best, neither by any Europeans who claim to be "the old world" and having discovered the rest of the planet. 

Maybe not the world's, Juan, but for sure the highest of the Americas.

More pictures for Aviation Nuts: HERE.

More pictures of Bolivia: HERE.

More information about the highest Airports of the world: HERE

Keep on Trucking

Interesting who you can meet on a flight from Lima, via Santa Cruz to La Paz. All in LAN's inflight magazine. Yes! I am back. After almost 2 months of Switzerland I am back in the Andes, back at the blue truck, for the time being back at Hotel Oberland. 

The quiet times on the blue truck blog are over. - Come back soon to read more about the trip through the Americas. And even if you're not the Kennedey's, even more so actually: Welcome Aboard! 

Some Days I Feel Kind Of Small