Welcome to the Third World, we've got fun and games (Bolivia blog)

Arrived at the Bolivian border, all of 3 people (us who don't watch the news, in homage to Jeremy from Peep Show) in one queue trying to get into the country, all of the country trying to get out in the other. Pondered why was this..Within half an hour all was clear - civil war and worryingly authentic white-knuckle ride bus journeys.

The very first bus we got on, within about half an hour, came crashing into a deep mud ditch off the side of the road. Completely lodged in a 35 degree angle. Not having sank in (both the situation and luckily the bus..har de har), I presumed it must have been a side effect of my malaria medication ('seeing and hearing things that arent really there, sense of persecution, suicidal thoughts, webbed feet etc), combined with the local next to me who seemed rather non-plussed and laissez-faire about the whole thing, then suddenly eschewed any thoughts of looking cool and shrieked when the bus began sinking into the mud (ive been there many times, there no smokescreen for gayness), then thoughts that it could go completely horizontal. This was the catalyst for abit of much belated panic, despite my American vacationer-esque impression (or doublebluff) question to my mate Mike of 'Is it too soon/sick to get a photo yet?'. Was akin to the last scene in The Italian Job, noboby move, nobody get hurt, nobody get sunk. No safety hammers to smash the windows either, a New Labour nightmare. Now I get you Tony. All is forgiven.

Managed to scramble out. Then we spent hours tugging on a rope with the locals to get it out, interspersed with hiding in a mudhut (oh to be a wiganer prepared me well for this..WAFC fans only joke. got to have your niche..) to escape the tennis ball sized hailstone. The remaining journey was a torrid affair. Imagine a boat in a rough storm, swaying from side to side. It nearly toppled over at least another 3 times. Not good for us with an Alton Towers phobia. Though many people (the ones who chase storms) would probably pay to experience this at Disneyworld, as Scott said, the crew made it look (disturbingly) realistic..

Rode on to find a bus in front of us had fallen off a bridge into a river..Now in La Paz, saw a sign saying some firms have stopped selling bus tickets for the routes weve done as its too dangerous..pah