Local Girls

It was back to the Colonial Cafe for breakfast (mixed fruit, real coffee, bread & honey, just squeezed orange juice, bacon & scrambled eggs) for 17 Bs (£1.20) - yummy! Today's plan was to walk around town - the first stop, the cathedral. I hang around whilst Sean & Monika fath about with camera bags or something and, "Hola, do you have some time to speak to us?" I'm approached by 2 girls. Fearing a scam because given my Red Neck look I look like a tourist if there ever was one, my pockets suddenly become hyper sensitive - but they seem harmless enough. They're studying English at the local Uni and want to practice their skills. I call Sean over for I figure if they're using me for English we should use them for local knowledge. A fair exchange, no? Plus Sean is a talkaholic and likes to goof around in front of girls!

We chat and they take us to the main Post Office and to a bakers where we want to purchase a sweet pie. It was a toss up between a Lemon Meringue Pie and an Apple Pie. The Apple Pie won on sheer weight to money value. It weighed in at some 3 Kgs! For Sean, Monika and I it meant a kilo of Apple Pie for only £1 each! That's 45 Bs for a whole Apple Pie. The bakers didn't want to sell it to us in fear of us underestimating the cost.

"You know it's 45 Bs?" \

"Cool, we'll take it." \

"But it's 45 Bs!" \

"Yes, we know. 45 Bs it's ours!" \

"That's 45 Bs, are you sure?" \

"Yes, 45 Bs for the pie." They consult another member of staff who says, \

"It is 45 Bs!" \

"We want the bleedin' pie for 45 Bs!" \

"But..." \

"Here's a 100 note! Now hand over the damn pie!"

They take the note, finally! Sean and I guard the pie with our life.

The girls take an interest in our English / Spanish phrase books and photo copy them. We then take them out for a drink at Oliver's Travels, a 100% fake English pub! Sadly come 16:00 Jenny and Lucero had to bus home.

Sean and Monika want an early night. It's Friday night in La Paz, I want out! So I change and hop back to Oliver's Travels hoping for some lively action. It's 11:30, dead and serving last orders. Sigh.

Sat at the bar is a much older woman. I can't lie, she's fat, unattractive and no amount of alcohol would change my mind. She also starts talking to me. I politely talk back and convince myself that, as I lacked any better ideas, I should join her for a drink over the road at the Sol y Lunar Bar. She's Bolivian, a landowner, speaks good English (when she remembers) and if the Penguin from Batman II had a spouse, she would be the spitting image of "Elba"! 2 pints later and it's time to go, only she wants walking back to her hotel. Being British, how can I not oversee her safety? So I do, and all the while I'm wondering how much I should charge should she wish for "Extra Services"! Luckily the walk uphill practically does her in and I escape with a hand shake and a paltry kiss on the cheek. I race home to bed for 02:00.

Posted by Steve Eynon