Today is the first official travel day of the post-Ties, multi-country trip. The first goal of the day was to arrive at the airport by 6:30 for the flight out of Asuncion, Paraguay. It’s a breeze getting through this airport because it is so small, but the airline specifically indicated we had to be there VERY early for our flight. At the hotel we asked the front desk to call a cab and they pointed to an older gentleman sitting on the sofa in the lobby as a possible option. Not knowing he wasn’t a cab driver, we agreed. Once we were outside it became clear he was driving his personal car to make some extra money. Not thinking much of it we headed out. I was a bit concerned during the first few minutes at the very slow pace our new friend was driving. But, once we got on more open roads it was pedal to the metal.
The first flight landed in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with a short layover before our flight to La Paz, Bolivia. We took a few pictures of the Andes Mountains through the plane window on both flights.
Bolivia requires US citizens have a travel visa and we arrived armed with all of the necessary paperwork to get our visas at the airport. Well, it turns out Bolivia has completely updated the requirements and process, so we didn’t need 75% of the material we had prepared, including photos. And, they did not ask for proof of yellow fever vaccination, which was a little disappointing after our quest to get the certificate for Tracy. We had to provide a flight itinerary (to prove we planned to leave the country at some point), proof of lodging reservations, and our passports. Add in a quick photo with a web cam, two signatures on a declaration form, and of course the $160 which they were actually able to take via credit card, and we were on our way. Will wonders never cease?
The next stop at the airport was Bolvian Customs. It took us three attempts to get the customs forms filled out correctly. They flagged something in my suitcase during our exit scan and performed a search. The offending item was as cell phone which they thought I may have some intent to sell. After Tracy helped clarify the phone was a spare, the conversation somehow turned to how much I spend on technology. Hey, if it distracts them and gets us out of customs, all the better.
The connecting flight went off without a hitch. Both planes were smaller 40 seat models that we had to board on the airport apron. It was right before the first flight I learned Tracy doesn’t like flying on smaller plans. I’m not sure if she was messing with me, or if she hid it really well. It was smooth sailing.
Airport terminal in Santa Cruz 
Smaller plane for the short haul flights 
Ready for takeoff!
After landing in La Paz we had one more tangle with customs. Even though Tracy explained multiple times we had already been through customs in Santa Cruz, one particular agent wouldn’t let it go. So, we filled out the forms again, getting it right the first time. The luggage was scanned again, and the cell phone made it through without setting of any alarms. Go figure!
While we were grabbing a bite to eat at the La Paz airport we rearranged the Bolivia schedule one more time to be more rental car friendly and to avoid two 10 hour overnight bus rides. I think there was more paperwork involved in renting the car than there was in my last house purchase, but maybe I was being impatient. Once the car keys were in hand, we headed out for Copacabana, Bolivia.
This is when things started to get interesting. Check out the next post for more details.
Will