Crossing Int'l Borders......

....with tons of equipment

14 October

1600 - We actually crammed every piece of equipment into the bus cargo hold. A small one albeit. I can't believe it! 1800- At the border of Paraguay and Argentina all passengers de-board the bus and go through immigration. Not only that but everyone must claim all their luggage and pass it through customs..... ....we have twelve pieces!

Five of which are bundles of iron poles for the drop nets. And the cryoshipper doesn't exactly ease nerves. They wanted to put it sideways through the x-ray. No can do, it is a 'This-Side-Up' type of thing. Not knowing how to explain through the language barrier what was in the 55-gallon blue drum, I made the mistake of opening the cryoshipper and they saw the smoke....that threw them for a loop. A very nice government employee, who spoke english, came out to talk with me and explained that I was supposed to have a letter explaining what everything was (I had a letter in spanish about my collaboration with the Argentine government and that helped immensely but it still wasn't the correct letter). He was so very nice. He let us go through. We were the last through customs with the next bus' passengers eagerly waiting to be allowed in.

1945- Back on the bus with distinct looks from a few of the passengers for holding them up. We ride. There are two very large women in the seats across the isle with a young girl, about 7, without a seat of her own. She road on what was left of their laps. Later, she slept on the floor in front of the seats while the women propped their legs up. Mind you this is a 36-hour trip if going all the way from Asuncion, PY to Buenos Aires, AR.

15 October

0600- We pull into bus station in Santa Fe, Argentina. We are the only two passengers disembarking. We rummage through the luggage to find our twelve pieces. Good, it is all there. Now, we are at the bus station with more luggage than two people can handle even if the hotel is within walking distance. Peter and I take turns standing with it until the locoturias open.

0715- A hostel in Parana, across the river, cannot take us until tomorrow. Two other hotels here in Santa Fe are full. I manage these conversations thanks to the Lonley Planet book. I find a hotel with a room. Now, how to move the gear form the bus station to the hotel?

First step: move from the bus platform to the taxi waiting area by paying an exorbitant amount of money to the luggage handlers because if one helps, all five want to help and all five expect to be paid.

Second step: get it to the hotel. With the help of a willing taxi-driver, find a man delivering flowers with a makeshift trailer on the back of his beat-up, unregistered wagon. Load the trailer with the gear and ride in the taxi to the hotel pay another sum of money to the wagon driver and the taxi driver.

Third step: get the gear inside. Store the iron poles in a office downstairs and take the rest to the room (don't forget to tip the bell man!) and be amsued by the looks you get when you tell them you are planning to stay only one night! 0800- Enjoy a hot shower in your room at the Hostal Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz. Lesson learned: Amazingly through all the barriers, people will assess a situation and be willing to help.