EPIC FAIL

Well, it´s all over. Sort of.

After the Argonauts´taxi exploded on the road, we discovered that the border we were heading for was inaccessible by anything other than 4x4, and my sickness came back with avengence, I accepted the need for a bus to escape Bolivia and so make my flight. (To then get straight on to a plane to Romania, not due to reasons of wimping out.)

If only it was that easy.

Ed the Argonaut has taken the helm of the indomitable JungleGin steed (known as ´Cockface´ - wait for the photos) and has probably made it to the border by now. I spent 14 hours waiting for a bus in Camiri that several locals promised FAITHFULLY existed. It doesn´t exist. But the pain was somewhat lessened by Hugh and John, the remaining Argonauts who were awaiting their bike being rebuilt. And when it was finished, and they took it for a test drive, it broke. So now we´re ALL awaiting a bus. That presumably exists. At 2am.

We´re off to get shit-faced.

JungleGin powers on

Paperwork and embassy faff was not top of the list of things we thought we were going to have to deal with on our adventure, but gun-toting bandits taking things that are of no use at all to them but have totally buggered Bradders in that respect. So JungleGin is now one. And road blockades, burnt out clutches, broken chains, more punctures than you can shake a stick at, and one immense bout of food poisoning / full system shut down has tried to take me out, but what can you do. Plans for the naked calendar shoot on the salt flats were halted - due to not being able to get to the damn things - but an Argonaut made up for it on top of a mountain, so it´s not a complete wash-out.

Also, I´ve just had a shower. This is possibly the greatest thing to have ever happened.

Next phase: a certain Monkey Wrench-ers birthday... the Thirst Aid Brigade will rise to the challenge in our own indomitable style. We also need to get to Paraguay - 400km a day for the next five days? Piece of cake.

GO GO GO

What do you do when you can´t cross a Peruvian border? Hold an impromptu rooftop party with booze mixed in a jerry can. 

The last few days have been truly epic. Narrowly avoiding ditches on the first day (in my case; the Argonauts just went for it) and camping next to train lines, camp cooking on the shore of Lake Titicaca and kidnapping kittens yesterday, we arrived at the border this afternoon and then spent a significant amount of time trying to limbo the rope border. Soon enough we´d built up a nine-taxi-strong contingent which was attracting a lot of local interest and amusement... and are now waiting for the border to reopen at 6am so we can start it all over again on the Bolivian side.

Huge thanks to Ed of the Crewkerne Argonauts for his driving skills and cooking skills, as I am still only half of a decent JungleGin. Bradders, the salt plains await. BRING IT ON.