Report  27 August
Report by Greetje and Steef

Armando leads us early in the morning through Sucre. He is the last one of the SOS team to say goodbye to. Near Potosi we are going off-road but we’re going from village to village as the area is quite inhabited despite the condition of the road. Everywhere are walls made of loose rocks, true “stone art”.

departure

Armando

Bolivia

stone walls

stone art

When we stop to have a coffee break, immediately a grey dotted dog comes out of the bush.  Dogs are everywhere but this one has the sweetest brown humble eyes I ever saw with a dog. A quick check off the air pressure and off we goes again.

sweet dog

pressure

on the road

Sometimes we are passing a toll-gate with some vivid street shops and, if necessary, we have to ask for the right way.

street shop

where are we

The landscape changes dramatically. Near Sucre the land looks like it has been torn apart with deep gaps, even aside the road. More to the south ( Camargo ) where we shall spend the night, we are driving along upward pushed sloping ground layers. Colours are changing from rusty to iron oxide-red to purple-red.

tankstop

We take a walk in the evening into Camargo and have rice with chicken and frites in El Patio. The street is crowded  and all the shops are open. Trudy buys an Alpaca blanket. It is sultry and relaxed in Camargo. Today we took 191 miles.

in front of our hotel

Report  26 August
Report by Greetje and Steef.

We start the day by sticking the names of the Greetje/Steef team on the car. It took a while but now it is done.

new names 

At 15.45 Armando finally arrives with two, in blue foil wrapped, packets.
Each one containing three tires, donated by Coker Tire.
We have to place six tires around six rims and it is going swift.

new rubber 

new tires

When we have finished four of them Elvi invites us for a small celebration with a small meal and delicious  ice-cream. Trudy hands out presents and with Dirk she sings their Mongolian song. Next Dirk and Steef  are finishing  the job in the light of the Land Rover. At 20.10 everything is done. Both cars are completely ready to travel. Tomorrow morning at 6.30 we will leave.

SOS group 

SOS village 

playground SOS village

Report 25 August.
Report by Greetje and Steef.

Today, we are going to Sucre again. Steef wants to visit a barber and later he wants to buy a shaving-set. Unfortunately we have no picture of Steef being shaved. Trudy finds traditional Bolivian clothes for Dirk, who stayed in the village.

Dirk’s outfit 

tuning the guitar

Report 24 August
Report by Greetje en Steef

This afternoon we went to the centre of Sucre where we start with coffee and cake because of the anniversary of Trudy’s mother. The Plaza Mayor is a nice big square with flower-beds and of course a big monument in the middle.

coffee and cake 

Sucre 

traffic lights 

Sucre at night 

tourists 

Dirk is looking for a traditional jacket but they are all too small. He does by an antic hat. There is a vivid street market going on when it becomes dark. Greetje buys a collared cloth to cover the chaise longue in the conservatory and later on she buys a skirt an old lady in a shop is carrying herself.

night market 1 

night market 2 

fruit shop 

traditional dress 1 

traditional dress 2 

On the big square a marine band starts to play. The first pieces of music they play are terribly out of tune however as he evening continuous it gets better and better. Soon the first dancers appear in traditional dresses. The public joins the dancers by clapping their hands. The taxi brings us back to the SOS Village when it is already dark.

dancers 1  

dancers 2 

dancers 3 

dancers 4 

dancers 5

Report 23 August
Report by Greetje and Steef

Armando brings the new tyre for the Land Rover, it can be placed immediately. Trudy and Greetje are going all the way down to visit some shops. Greetje still is short by breath and has to stop every now and than. All the old tyres are removed now from the Model T and now it really looks like a naked car. Time to work on the reports now and Dirk and Trudy start to re arrange the Land Rover. What a fine place to stay here. We have our own room, toilet and douche , twice a day there is a prepared meal and we are not allowed to wash the dishes.
Usually, they eat something simple at 19.00 ( some bread, thee ,coffee ore a fruit drink ) and than at 20.00 a big “Cena “ ore , dinner, but it is always to much for us so we told Elvi , the director, a small dinner at 20.00 will do . Later this evening we looked back at the pictures of the digital movie camera. Now it is only a matter of waiting.

how to 

old rubber 

naked car 

waiting

Report 21 August
Report by Greetje and Steef

The coming day’s are completely occupied by the work that has to done on the Model T and some on the Land Rover. Finding the right size and again and again see of it fits takes many hours of work.

debat 1 

debat 2

We are polishing on the window of the TFord. Next, there has to be grinded a small gutter in order to lubricate properly. By the way, that leather layer still looks very well.

leather 

old and new 

polishing 

In the meantime people are coming along for a chat.

fun 

talking with Elvi 

two of the many children 

Dirk gets a drop of oil in his eye. Flush with water !

oil in eye 

Finally we have done it in one day.

the final result