I woke up early to finishing packing my bags and grab breakfast before heading up to Villa Fatima for the bus to Chulamani (Bs20). Again, I will neither bike nor drive the Death Road while here, but the South Yungas Road is its cousin. It took an hour just to get out of La Paz for reasons I do not quite understand. We finally finished getting gas and the remaining ride to the turnoff was uneventful. There was no traffic in the opposite direction, so the narrow descent with its hairpin turns, switchbacks and and blind corners seemed far from treacherous. Then we hit a road block for construction. Busses, trucks and cars were stalled for half-an-hour, generating an accordion of traffic once the way reopened. Our driver was particularly eager to save himself three minutes of travel, honking incessantly at any bus or truck that he managed to catch until they let him pass at full speed. By now, traffic was also coming from Chulamani, but the road was not wide enough for two vehicles. Downhill apparently has right-of-way. In addition to the amazing scenery and typical Bolivian shenanigans, the most lasting impression of the ride was the dachshund-basset mix that found his was under my seat and eventually into my lap. This scene is memorialized on several Bolivan cameras.
Arriving in the main square of Chulamani just after 2pm, I located a phone center to call the Portugal Hacienda to see if there was space. I was told to head on up and lunch would be waiting. Even the cab ride (Bs25) was not without issue as there was road construction blocking the road to the Hacienda, leaving me to walk the last half mile.
The hacienda is a full menagerie with Green-and-blue and Green-and-red Macaws, something that looks like a javelina, a giant terrapin, cows, chickens and a Great Dane roughly the size of my Pontiac Vibe.
I ate a very late lunch, settled my bags into the small room I would call home for two nights and strolled around the grounds and surrounding roads. This little stroll netted Bananaquit, Crested Oropendola, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Olivaceous Siskin, White-tipped Dove, Purplish Jay, Yellow-olive Flatbill, and Green-and-Olive Woodpecker.
Dinner was simple, but tasty: a red pepper stuffed with rice and ground beef. I also had my first glass of unpasteurized milk blended with strawberries.
Bird tally: 3 new, 2 lifers
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