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Broken cars, a procession and Popocatépetl.

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We’re back among the volcanoes and staying in atmospheric Puebla for our last rest day. I was  excited to see Citlaltépetl on the way here but even more thrilled to get glimpses of Popocatépetl having an afternoon puff through the haze. Such glorious names!  I remember reading about them when I was about 8, in my much loved ‘ Book of the World’ and here I am, seeing them with my own eyes. I swoon.  I just hope it’s less hazy tomorrow so I can see Popocatépetl better. Puebla had a very serious earthquake last year and there was another 7.2 near Oaxaca last month. The damage from these is evident in many places.  It’s been a hectic few days, some rather boring, but fast toll motorway; plenty of absolutely gorgeous mountain driving with steep narrow roads, vertical drops, endless potholes and those bloody ‘topes’ aka car killers. Hundreds of them - unmarked, unpredictable and truly nasty.  Of cours...
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Broken in Bolivia

Part I. On reading this mornings post I realised that it was full of typos and errors. Only 7 hours sleep in 48 hrs does that to you. Ironically, I only slept for three hours last night even though I could have had 5 and even though I was so tired I was practically hallucinating Typing on the running board with dozens of Bolivians staring at you doesn't help. Excuses! Anyway, did I tell you how hard the drive was yesterday? Not enough, I feel. Trust me, you never, ever want to experience anything like it. One of the mechanics told us that there were sheer drops of over a thousand feet on the narrow 'road' too. I'm almost glad it was dark. We had our own 'death road'. Actually, the people in the Plaza were rather sweet and polite and all dressed in their Sunday best. One local entrepreneur even came with a camera and portable printer and was charging people to create an instant postcard. Every mantelpiece in Sucre will now be displaying a family p...
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Reflections and news from the front line.

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We keep thinking about how we could have kept have kept going. But it's hard to think of a way. Some of our problems were fairly minor and easily fixable - if there had been been time, others were more serious but possibly surmountable, again given a little time. The driving days have been so long and the conditions so punishing that it all became impossible. We expected to be slower than the days driving time in the route book, but, in reality, many people have been having problems keeping up. The worst thing is that when you arrive in day after day close to midnight or even well afterwards and then have to get off at 6, and do not have a rest day after some of the most gruelling conditions imaginable there is never an opportunity to work on the cars without falling badly behind. Conditions were very hard in Mongolia but, even the slower cars like us managed to arrive in daylight or only shortly after dark most nights. Plus we had two rest days to recuperate and get repairs etc...
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