Our motorbike taxi dropped us at the less popular Corumba-Quijarro border. Such is the price one pays for being adventurous - hour waits on both sides, topped off with another hour wait at the train station ticket office, and all of this under a scorching sun.

Fate had decreed that we arrive in a tiny dusty border town only served by rail (ie. no buses) the day after a week-long rail strike. With a day & half until the next available seats out of there, we were able to consolidate our first impressions on Bolivia:

1. Bolivians look completely different to the other South Americans we've seen so far - much more Amer-Indian with slightly oriental dark faces, and not that tall;
2. The dogs are generally mangy and the roads are often unsurfaced (we've come to the conclusion that dogs and road surfaces are great indicators of a country's wealth);
3. We could eat steak and rice for 70p each;
4. It's bloody hot!

At last the time came to catch the train, but our excitement at not travelling by coach for once subsided as we started to move - we could see the carriage in front pitch and sway, tossing like a cork in the sea. After 20 lurching hours of the lights going on-off-on-off-on... (you get the idea?) we arrived slightly seasick here in Santa Cruz.

From here we plan to make our way up to La Paz, from there go to Rurrenabaque for that swamp adventure, and eventually head to Peru via Lake Titicaca. Only guess what - there's a lorry blocade on right now too! So we may not be able to leave Santa Cruz for a while also!