Beach Saga: Part Dos

We left off with the heroes of our story wondering what would become of their short vacation time and powerless in La Paz. Well, the power came back on before the night was done and the next morning the same friendly neighbor calls to inform us that the border between Bolivia and Chile has opened! There is rejoicing in the house, but it's still a little too early to believe we might actually stand on the beach that evening. We set off with the little girls again, not so early this time, and are determined that things will go well with us. The border is quite a bit further along- around 4 hours or so from La Paz. When we make it, we go through the customary checks, throw out our fresh foods and go inside to pay our debts (again). We're informed and alarmed by our friends that we missed an important step in our crazy border hopping yesterday. Although we got stamped out of Bolivia after getting our vehicle approved, we didn't get stamped back in when we left after being turned away at the Peru side. Therefore, we'd have to be fined 300 B's each ($40+ dollars) plus whatever the normal fees are for leaving/entering the country. This trip is becoming expensive!! God worked mightily in our favor by causing the border controllers to be compassionate and understanding of our situation. They were able to bring down the fine and give us the stamp we needed. As our car was being checked by customs for contraband, an official Chilean lady came over to check on the car's papers. We handed her the notarized document, having been assured by several others the day before that it was what we needed to get across. From inside the car, Pauli and I see her shake her head "no" and demand something different. The boys rapidly explain that we did everything we were required to do and were approved on the Bolivian side. A few other officials came over and seemed to side with the lady. I start growing nervous and start praying more. Finally she calls her boss over, who looks like he's struggling with effects of the altitude (someone along the way thought it'd be funny to make the border between Chile and Bolivia at 15,500+ ft!), who quickly assures her what we have is sufficient. She was demanding a copy of what we had for her files (even though the other border yesterday would not accept a copy!), but there was no copy machine between the border and La Paz! Again, God worked and they finally allowed us through. Then there was much rejoicing, chocolate eating and praising God. Then about 3 1/2 more hours of driving...very windy, very bumpy, pot-hole-filled roads. It was painful and long and we just wanted to get there already. We finally did around 6:30, got out, took a quick bathroom break, were welcomed by very friendly hotel staff, shown our gorgeous apartment with beachside balconies, and off for a quick and chilly walk on the beach! September, apparently, is still not warm enough to do the kind of beach trip that I love. However, with a sweater and pants, Natty was warm enough to absolutely revel in her time in the sand and a bit in the waves with Daddy's help. She woke up every morning and from every afternoon nap requesting to "see the beach?". She was obsessed...just like Mommy. Every morning was cold and overcast, so we took mornings to do other chill beach activities like shopping. By lunch every day the sun burned off the clouds, I would head onto the balcony to read while Natty took a nap, and around 4 we would all head out with the girls to play in the sand and surf. They were relaxed days with fresh fish, cold breezes, beautiful water and fun. I am thankful for them, even though our beach time equaled our total car time- it was worth it. The girls enjoyed each other and we very much enjoyed Andrew and Pauli. I began to get nervous about the drive back after having experienced the state of the road on the way down and realizing that we climb over 15,000ft. in about 3 hours. For those of you who have never experienced that kind of altitude, it can bring on serious nausea, headaches, difficulty breathing and be quite dangerous for pregnant women because it leaves your body starved of O2. Our moms know this, so I'm not afraid to put that in here. :) I repeatedly sought the Lord in this and asked for the assurance that He gives that He would take care of us. We took the drive back slowly, stopping several times to stretch and eat and take oxygen from the small tank that has become a part of our family. And we made it to the border with no problems! And through the border with no problems!! Praise God for that! The girls were exhausted the whole time and either dozed or watched the little DVD player we had hooked up between the front two seats and we were home in 9 hours. So, there ends the beach saga. It was a learning experience in travelling 3rd world style and also a great time of rest with our friends. I am grateful for God for taking care of us in all of it.