I was planning on getting the 6pm bus out of Entre Rios to Tarija. It was already 5pm and the flooding had reduced enough to allow the buses to start travelling the route again so there was a good chance I would make it.
The road to Las Lomas.
Just before leaving however, Pepe wanted to show me around a little. He felt that it would be wrong if I had come to Entre Rios and not had the opportunity to venture into the country even a little bit. So we climbed aboard the Landrover and headed out to "Las Lomas" a small community not too far from Entre Rios.
A lady walks on, forcing us into the deeper mud this time.
The road was muddy but firm as we passed what was left of the old landing strip that had now been turned into a muddy mess. Many people wandered down the road, their only walkway into town, and had to pick their way into the deeper mud on the edge of the road as we passed them.
The road is one of the only ways that people have to get to town.
Further on I saw what would soon become the new roadway into Entre Rios. For a number of years they have been working on building a new road to this township that would be asphalted. This new road is now expected to be finished in about a year depending on the weather and other conditions. Once completed it will change the traffic patterns to Entre Rios tremendously, allowing much faster and safer journeys to and from Tarija.
Some children play in the muddy stretch of roadworks near their home.
In passing one house, we had to stop while a cow walked out the front door and onto the road. Two children walked out behind it to stand in the doorway watching us and their mother burst through to grab hold of a little calf that was trying to follow the cow to the other side of the road. The chain around its neck kept it in the middle of the road where it blocked us from continuing onward. Around the mothers neck was tied a cloth which held her baby onto her back, thus enabling her to continue to work with this "wahwah."
Holding the calf back to allow us to continue our journey.
We finally reached our destination, a very nice looking house that had been built by some Germans surrounded by green fields and rolling hills leading into the mountains in the distance. We stopped and greeted the American family that was now living here, and then returned back to Entre Rios to find me a bus that I would end up missing. But at least I had been able to visit the country just a little bit.
The children looking out at us after the cow had emerged first.
Heading up the last part of the good road before it turns very muddy.
View from the German house reveals a small house in the distance, surrounded by corn fields.