Ok, enough of the apartment crud. I mean it is a place to sleep.
Let's talk about the traffic. Now there is adventure. Consider this: ten years ago there were 90,000 cars registered in Cochabamba. Today there are over 1,000,000. Imagine that in your town terms. An increase in cars of over 1,000% in ten years. Now, how have the roads changed in ten years, 0%. Same roads with an additional 900,000 + cars in the same city.
I swear 3 of every 4 cars is a taxi of some form or another. Many of them are like minivans and carry 7/8 people. They stop every block or so to let someone off or pick up someone else.
And I mean they stop anywhere. Middle of the road, so what. They see someone waving a hand for a ride and they slam on their brakes wherever they are and stop. Cars swerving left and right of them, Si.
Pedestrians have no right whatsoever, and I mean that legally and sincerely. The roads are for cars, you want to cross you better make a dash and pray.
Stoplights are interesting.
A red light means that you might want to slow down to see if anyone is coming from the other way, otherwise go on or get hit from behind.
Red Light/Green Light mearly indicators that there is a cross street. whoever gets into the intersection first has the right of way - maybe.
Left lane/Right lane - no indication of which way you are going to turn. You use which ever lane you can squeeze into and then turn whichever way you need to and everyone else better watch out.
If you are polite in traffic here - number one, you will never get into the lines of traffic. You just nose into the flow and keep going - number two, once you are into the flow you try being polite and letting someone else in and you will cause a wreck.

OH, here's weird twist. No one stops at red light, they just slow down, right? BUT if they are going to turn right they stop at the light and wait until it turns green. They will run through the light but they will not turn right on a red light even after stopping and even if no one is coming. You figure that one out!

Horns are a riot. Everyone drives with one hand on the wheel and one on the horn. Can't figure out why - no one pays a bit of attention to the horns - you can't, everyone is honking - turn to see what one individual is honking about and fifteen more will honk at you and you will run into a taxi that just slammed his brakes in front of you. You NEVER take your eyes off the road for a second.

Car alrams - what a joke. The roads are so narrow that when you drive by parked cars it sets their alarms off. I'm not kidding. They go off constantly day and night. No one pays any attention to them. Have no idea what they are good for. Noise I guess.

So, how am I doing with the traffic. Fantastic, it was the the way I drove in the States anyway. I only sat at a red light in the states for a minute, any longer and I go on thru. Ask Joeline, idiotic things red light. Stop, if nothing coming why would you sit there for four or five minutes waiting for the green to come on. Never was a Pavlog dog.

Speaking of dogs - no, next story

BUT, don't get the wrong idea. I am having a ball here, well, I would be if Joeline was here. People have been very friendly, amazingly so. Have had some great food and the weather is absolutely hard to believe. I read in a travel magazine that Cochabamba had the best weather of any large city in the world, and after being here for a month I am beginning to believe it.