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Bargainig
in Bolivia - Back on the Road!! |
March
14, 2001 - La Paz, Bolivia |
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When
I went to the Feria del Autos,
the 'Auto Market', I was still very uncertain as to what
I was going to do with respect to my mission to drive
to Tierra Del Fuego. The loss of Baby Blue had taken its'
toll on me emotionally, along with some personal matters
I had been dealing with. I could quit and go home. I could
continue by public transport. Or I could purchase another
vehicle and carry on.
Going home certainly had itsą appeal. Continuing by bus
had very little appeal. The hassle with luggage, the physical
discomfort, the security risks, the irregularity and the
inflexibility... I could go on and on. It was not a realistic
option for me. Purchasing another vehicle seemed quite
daunting as well. That is, until I met Jorge at the Auto
Market. |
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| The Auto Market is held twice
a week in El Alto, 'The Heights', a suburb above La Paz.
Mostly private owners and a few dealers bring their cars
to this flea market or swap meet for car buyers. In shopping
around I found that Baby Blue was actually much more valuable
here than in the states. By almost three times! |
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In Tucson
I paid about $2000 for Baby Blue, a 1985 Toyota four-wheel-drive
pick-up. She would have easily fetched 5-6K here in Bolivia
or Peru. I didn't think I wanted to spend that much on
a replacement. I considered a few small Japanese sedans;
they were not very exciting, but they were cheaper and
they would have gotten me down the highway. |
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Then
I came across a couple of Toyota Land Cruisers,
all vintage around 1980 and in the neighborhood
of three thousand dollars. That's when I started
to get excited about driving again. |
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From
my preliminary research prior to purchasing Baby Blue,
the consensus for the best vehicle for my trip was an
early model Toyota pick-up or a Toyota Land Cruiser. A
Land Cruiser is an indestructible cross between a Land
Rover, a Jeep and a tank! Originally, I had been more
familiar and comfortable with small pick-ups. Hence, the
purchase of Baby Blue from the start.
Other
Vehicles Considered... |
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The excitement
about a Land Cruiser was building but I was still mentally
bogged down by legal, insurance, and resale issues. Would
title and plates from Bolivia allow easy passage to other
countries? Would there be duties or taxes leaving or entering
other countries? Jorge had all the answers. |
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Before... |
Jorge
was selling the nicest of the Land Cruisers I had
seen, at a very competitive price. After only a
few minutes of inspection and chatting we hopped
in the Land Cruiser and headed into La Paz to the
small used car dealership, EcoMotors, owned by Jorge
and his brother. |
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He answered all of my questions
and assured me that everything I
wanted to do was doable. He said I could get all of the
paperwork
done plus some modifications to the vehicle AND be on
the road the next day!
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You know what they say about things that sound too
good to be trueS Actually, it turned out very well,
it just took four days instead of one. I had a steel
boxed installed in the back and a stout custom-made
rack installed on top, all for less that $100! |
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The stack of
paperwork needed for thetransaction was
more than a quarter-inch thick, plus an insurance
policy even thicker, all included in the quoted
price. Each page was explained to me in detail,
with respect to my desire to travel onward in Bolivia,
Chile and Argentina |
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Required
Bolivian insurance was included, with a low cost
rider available for international coverage. Jorge
even offered to repurchase the vehicle from me at
the end of my travels. I was impressed.
I'm considering the
name 'Red, White and Blue,' from her color scheme
and to maintain some continuity with 'Blue'. Any
other ideas? Email me... |
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