Inside the head of Christ

So last Monday another devastating night bus journey left me dazed and confused at the terminal in Cochabamba at 3am. I managed to find a hostel that was still open, they charged me through the roof but by that point I didn't care, the bus terminal is not a happy or safe place to be at night and I was so sleep-deprived it's a miracle I managed to avoid being ploughed down by a bus on the way out of the building.

I'm in a much better (and cheaper) hostel now and already had my first paragliding lesson three days ago! Andres from andesXtremo is an extremely competent instructor and very focussed on safety, he insisted on two days just running around on the ground with the wing attached to make sure that the process of inflating and taking off is totally automatic and there is minimal chance on an accident when I take off for real.

Sadly my enthusiasm was rather short-lived because later that day I started feeling very cold and shivery, promptly vomited all over the place and wrapped myself up in bed with a fever for the next two days. Needless to say I did not venture out to continue my training so that has been postponed until next Monday.

Today however I was feeling much better so I climbed the hill in the middle of Cochabamba (yes, in the middle - it's a huge and sprawling city) to look out of the eyes of Christ. He has a pretty forbidding view of the city, better keep your sins inside here. Disregarding the lack of any kind of momentous religious experience, the view through his eyes is pretty cool. Almost expired on the way up the stairs though, he's a tall lad and at 2500m breathing starts to become like sucking air through a garden hose, surprisingly difficult.

The high altitude also makes paragliding a little different to most places, perhaps that explains Andres' emphasis on safety. I'll be in Cochabamba all of this week while I learn, hoping to get some amazing views of the city from up there!

Chau