70 hours

Thursday, 6/9, 11.31am I received an email with the transaction code from western union, as my mother sent me money to return to Argentina.

I said goodbye to Liseth and Paulina and set of to the DHL/WU office.

At 11.57 I walked out of there with 157 dollars in my wallet ... together with the 16 soles I had left. From there straight to the bus station, as afternoons are not the best for hitch-hiking long distances and some of the peruvian busses are cheap anyway.
Found a bus for 20 soles to Desaguadero, bordertown with Bolivia. When asking for the arrivaltime, I was told that I would be there at 20.30, sounds logical and thus I plan to go straight to La Paz same day and spend the night there.
Since the bus wasn't leaving until 14.00, I had lunch - 3.5 soles - in the terminal.

After a not too comfortable busride, I found out that the migrations office closes at 22.00 in Desaguadero, and it being about ten o'clock, I was forced to spend the night in Peru. I decided against a hostel, reasons: I had no peruvian money left, and I would better be in the queue very early in the morning. After a couple of hours in the cold, close to 4.000m it does get cold at night, I decided to change 2 dollars for 6 soles and have a soup (caldo the cordero) and a mug of coffee. By 3am the first people arrive at the office door, so I join the front of what would become a hugue line of people. At 7.30 - shouting very loud that it's not yet opening time, but the people are in a hurry so they start working - something start to move and we all get our migration slip. When I offer my passport for a stamp, I also get a fine of 88 dollars and 28 soles for having overstayed my visa. Not being peruvian I don't try to bribe the good man, so I have to pay.

Now 09.45 and most of the money gone I happily cross into Bolivia. Because my passport contains a helluva lot of their stamps, and the peruvians stamped mine saying they were throwing me out of their country, they at first don't want to let me in. Declaring that I only was on my way to Argentina and after consulting the supervisor they stamp my passport for 30 days with a hughe sigh and off I go. With the soles I still had left I drink a carrot juice. I decide to change as many as 30 dollars in bolivianos, you never know, and start walking.

For ten bolivianos I get on a bus to La Paz, amazing city, the day the rugby worldcup starts in France.
Being dropped off way out of the centre of the city, I walk towards were I think I can find the busstation. All ok, just miscalculated a tiny little bit. In there I meet Melissa, Shirley and Cecilia, 3 peruvian girls on their way to a better life in Buenos Aires (even further than Salta)I'd met them before in Desaguadero, peruvian side in the queue and apparently thay had some with the same bus from Arequipa.

I buy a ticket to Villazon for the enourmous amount of 100 bolivianos, spend some money on beer, go to an english pub - Oliver's Travels - to find out about the rugby and all the Irish in there are shouting out their joy for Argentina's victory over France. They didn't seem to realise that now Ireland will have to do the same if they want to qualify for the knock-out stages. I have some more beers and hurry back to catch my bus for a 19.00h departure. I was told the ride would take 17 hours ... (have you ever taken a bus in Bolivia?)

Well, because the beers, I managed to sleep an hour or to, before the first stop, but from there it was all suffering. Luckily there was only a small mendocina sleeping next to me.

Spot on the hour we arrived in Villazon, and walking towards the border I meet the 3 girls again. No probs crossing here, not leaving bolivia, nor entering argentina. I briskly walk to the main road and start hitching. Well aware of the fact that at 16.30h not too many people are driving from there to Salta, I prepare for a rough night. The plan: to reach Humahuaca before 14.00h the following day, at least one of the tours shoud recognise me and geve me a ride to salta ... my philosophy.

I hate waiting, so I continue walking and after about 10k I pick-up truck stops and I jump in the back of the rusty ageless monster. In the beginning I converse/play with the 3 children sitting in the back, the oldest and youngest are with the parents in the front. A bit of a surprise when after a stop to top up the water level the oldest of the children, a 10 year old, takes over at the wheel so his father can smoke a fag. But no probs, and they drop me of in Puesta del Marquez, 50k from La Quiaca, and not even dark.
Again I start walking, agains for some 10k, a bit more this time and a minivan stops, to take me all the way to the next town, Abra Pampa. By now 22.00 and pitch dark, no moon, just the stars to lighten my path. I clip my taillight to my backpack, it's always better to be seen when ur hitching a ride and contonue along the Panamerican Highway.

Then I hit the jackpot. I'd been walking for an hour, an hour and a half, I haven't got a watch, and a bus stops. Company name El Panamericano, driver's name Marcelo. I tell him I'm nat waiting for the bus, that I have no money and he says no probs, hop on, I'm going to Humahuaca. Well that far he went, so I got off and walked back to the main road. Just a couple of km Marcelo pulls over again ... going to Tilcara, ordersz from the boss, maybe even to Maimará. He gives some cookies ... at this point I hadn't eaten in a while and I didn't have 1 peso in me pocket. So when I walk from Tilcara, direction Jujuy, I'm not too surprised to find Marcelo again, finally going to Maimará. Here, letting me off on the mainroad, he advises me to take a bus to San Salvador and gives me money to do so. The bus doesn't show though, so I walk off once more.
By this time I've done more than 300k since entering the country.
Try hitch hiking after midnight ...

Long walk, reading the signs more than 15k and the same driver that had taken me Abra Pampa passes by, then realises it's me, turns back and gives me a ride to San Salvador de Jujuy. They give me sandwiches and Fanta and drop me off on the circular road of the city.

By now getting tired. Walking another 12k and a remis takes me to the next police control where he finds paying passengers to replace me. The car in front of us at the control was carrying various kilos of coca leaves over the limit.

Walking the last 20k to the border control Jujuy-Salta. Here I decide not to walk anymore, to stay put until somebody gives me a ride to Guëmes. They even gave me a ride to Salta ... a nice old fellow bringing strawberries to the city.

At 9.30, 70 hours after setting of to the WU office, I'd arrived in Salta once more.

Now I need new sandals, soles hace worn off completely from all tha walking with my backpack.