Last day on the job. Último día por un rato.

11/Noviembre/2013.

I finally felt good enough to ride, but unfortunately there wasn't a mule available! The one they had saddled for me was one with a slight limp so I went in the car again until Eve was ready to call it quits. We got to a little town called Melitón Albáñez where there was a little store so we filled up on junk food, sodas and chips. In this little town only two groups of people came to talk to us. The first was, we believe, sort of the mayor who asked us to please clean up after our mules. Now, that's sound advice except for the fact that we were in an abandoned lot filled with garbage anyway and not even getting a "Hello, how are you?" is just bad manners down here. So, excuse me Mr. Mayor, but we sorta laughed. But the second group, two women and many children, stopped to talk and trade stories, as well as give us directions. A much more pleasant encounter.

Finalmente me sentía en condiciones para montar, pero ahora no había mula disponible! Me habían ensillado uno que estaba cojeando ligeramente, así es que para no lastimarlo me fui en el carro un rato más, hasta que Eva cambió conmigo. Llegamos a un lugar llamado Melitón Albáñez, un pueblito, donde compramos sabritas, sodas y jugos para nuestra comida de medio día. Amarramos a las mulas en un terreno baldio, bajo un arbolitos con sombra. Curiosamente se nos acercaron dos grupos de personas. Los primeros creemos que eran el delegado y alguien más que nos dijo "Ahí les encargo que dejen limpio". Ni buenas tardes ni nada, y peor viendo que el terreno estaba lleno de basura volando de todos modos. Que me disculpe el señor pero hasta risa nos dio. Pero luego se paró un carro y se bajaron dos mujeres y muchos niños. A ellos si les interesó mucho nuestro viaje y platicamos un buen rato.

We rode through more flat, grey, coastal territory, passing by two or three ranches where we got confusing directions to the next ranches. Our guide had been through that area many years before and between new roads, new fences, etc., it was probably as confusing for him as for us. 

Finally we rode into a people-less ranch called Buenavista. We decided to camp right in the middle of the road since it looked like no one was really going to come by. We had spaguetti that night, and for breakfast the next day (very nicely burned, since I went off to get some dirty water from the mule trough and forgot about it!).  It was the last night I was staying with the group, because I had to get back to La Paz and take care of some paperwork (citizenship, here I come!) and cleanup at my house. 

Llegamos a acampar a un rancho llamado Buenavista, sin gente por el momento. Decidimos acampar justo sobre el camino, esperando que no pasara nadie! Esa noche cenamos un delicioso espaguetti, y desayunamos luego otro delicioso espaguetti (pero un poco quemado ya que fui por agua al bebedero y se me olvidó!). Esa noche fue la última noche que pasaría yo con el grupo por un rato; tenía que regresar a La Paz para entregar la casa que estaba rentando con mi roomie :), y hacer papeleo de inmigración... ciudadanía ahí voy!