Stuck

29 September 2009

Vilcabamba is a beautiful place. A valley between colourful mountains, some of them quite green. As we leave, we cross over a mountain pass and realize that the greener mountains are green because they are exposed to a lot of rain. The rain in turn turns the dirt road we're driving on into a pool of mud. Our bus gets stuck on a narrow mountain road. Some passengers desert the bus and hitch rides in passing pick-up trucks, others suggest we all get out in the mud ourselves to push the bus. Luckily a better solution is found: A heavy vehicle from a nearby construction site is strong enough to pull our bus through the mud. This costs us about an hour of travel time.
All the time while we're stuck in mud, staring into the rain outside, the joyful salsa music is blasting happily through the bus...what a contrast.