Our Maragua hike guide told us that in Bolivia, "todo es posible, nada es seguro:" everything is possible, nothing is certain. Here's a good example. All conversations paraphrased translations from the Spanish I thought I understood.
Pants. We stayed an extra day in Sucre because we had to drop our trekking pants off at the tailor for some repairs. Priscilla's just needed buttons reattached, but I've been wearing mine since at least '99 and they needed some major patching.
Last Thursday morning in Sucre we found a nearby tailor who was confident they could work the necessary magic to resurrect my pants, and we tossed Priscilla's in for a quick fix as well.
-When will they be ready?
-Friday afternoon at 4.
-OK, we might have an excursion tomorrow, so if we do, can we pick up Monday?
-Sure!
-Friday afternoon at 4.
-OK, we might have an excursion tomorrow, so if we do, can we pick up Monday?
-Sure!
We ended up having the Maragua trek after all (we were waiting to see if more people would join since there's a three person minimum, and happily they did!), so later Thursday afternoon I stopped by again:
-We have that excursion tomorrow, so we'll pick up our pants Monday.
-No problemo.
-We have that excursion tomorrow, so we'll pick up our pants Monday.
-No problemo.
We're gone Friday and Saturday for our trek, and they're closed Sunday. We have our next bus to Cochabamba booked for 8pm Monday. Plenty of time!
Monday morning. Tailor is closed. Talk to the shop across the street:
-They should be open in the afternoon.
-They should be open in the afternoon.
Start to get worried: these are half of the pants we brought on our trip. Return in the afternoon: still closed. Shopkeeper again:
-Maybe they had too much to drink last night?
-Maybe they had too much to drink last night?
Go back again, still closed. This time I get the tailor's cell phone number from a different shopkeeper. I get Nelson, a staff member at our hostel, to talk for me. The tailor is in Potosí, three hours away! Uh oh.
Nelson saves the day: he offers to go back the next day, Tuesday, and pick up our pants and send them to us in Cochabamba via the bus company! Great!
Tuesday: tailor is still closed...?
But that's OK, because Nelson gets them Wednesday and sends them, and we pick them up (after some boring difficulties) today for $2! Just in time too, since now we're leaving for Santa Cruz and Samaipata.
-Peter
When I lived in Mexico, I got used to the concept of "mañana" (as much as a Type A personality like me can). When I was back in Mexico later on a cruise stop, I remember riding in a van to whatever our destination was. One of the American tourists asked the driver how long it was going to be. He replied "cinco minutos." The tourist nodded, satisfied. I just smiled to myself because while I didn't know how long it would be, I knew there was no chance it would be 5 minutes.
ReplyDeleteHa! I didn't know you'd lived in Mexico. We're also getting used to "mañana es mañana". For example, every bus we've taken in Bolivia has left at least 30 minutes late, usually more.
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