THE INCA TRAIL
the big South American adventure rally
Day 10: Sucre La Paz (570 km)
The 2002 Buick Rendezvous driven by Pat Brooks tackles a dry riverbed crossing ... |
...and the Ransons' Land Rover Discovery goes for a wet one! |
La Paz market. |
The lower road that all the classics took was part of the original Gran Premio and 1970 World Cup Rally. Even though it was a less difficult option, there was still around 140km of this main road on roughish gravel, and it took its toll of a few suspensions and re-broke the rear spring weld to Rita Shelly / Mike Knox's MGC.
The two routes converged just before Oruro, and we had the fun of seeing and hearing a military brass band playing at the gate of their barracks as we passed through one of towns on the approach road to La Paz.
In La Paz, there was willing help on hand from the Mitsubishi dealership and also from a local garage, so crews had the chance to get things sorted. A later start for tomorrow, at 10.00am, gave time for some valuable sleep, too.
Hats off to enterprise
Have you ever wondered where the traditional women's headwear of bowler and other felt hats originated? One story runs like this. In the late 19th century, a consignment of hats from Italy, which specialised in their manufacture, was mistakenly shipped to Bolivia. No-one knew what to do with them, but an American merchant thought he might be able to sell them, so put a bid in for the lot. But he failed to convince the men of Bolivia that they ought to buy this European style. He had a bright idea. Why not the women? They were convinced that this was a most chic idea, it caught on, and stuck. Today, they are made at home in Bolivia, but it is every woman's dream to own an original Italian-made hat if they still make them there!