[Paisleychick-lj] musings

[Beatrice M's blog]

Every once in a while I like to check out [SFGate.com][1] for a bit of hometown news. Today, I learned about a fatal bus crash in the Peruvian Andes, a little south of Lima. San news indeed. 

> Bus crashes are common in Peru, where drivers often speed and pass other vehicles on blind mountain curves.  
  
Overall, 557 people were killed in rural bus accidents between July 2004 and June 2005, according to Peru's nonprofit Center for Investigation of Overland Transport.

Yeah, the drivers are crazy in both Ecuador and Peru. The bus drivers we've had so far here in Venezuela seem to be a little calmer, but then we haven't gone to the Andes yet, thus the roads have been a little straighter. It seems that [17 people were killed][2] in this latest crash. This is one reason why I don't like to take buses at night. It's just that much harder to drive safely. I'm sorry for the families' loss and hope the survivors heal well.   
  
On a happier note, we met another American today. He's from Berkeley and is here to try and get a start in his journalism career. We were able to give him our insights, as deep/shallow as they are, and give him some pointers. Tonight we have tentative plans to have dinner with family of a former co-worker. This will be great. It took a while to get connected, but we finally managed it.  
  
[![Central Caracas][3]][4]Yesterday, we took a tram - the teleferica - up to the top of the mountain to the north of Caracas. It was really high up there, but the cables held and we were fairly quickly transported to the top. We got to top of the first ridge and I thought we were done. Nope, we had to cross over a large valley that was *way* the hell down there and then up the final ridge. I'll post more photos as I can. There were two really interesting bugs up there too that we came across. One [iridescent bee/fly/moth insect][5] that flew past me and another insect that was [really large][6] and I think it was in A Bug's Life, but I'm not sure. We had [a good time][7] and I'm glad I got over my fear of heights for an afternoon.

   [1]: http://www.sfgate.com
   [2]: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/10/26/international/i134315D70.DTL
   [3]: http://static.flickr.com/105/280147723_9a305ec03f_m.jpg
   [4]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/280147723/ (Photo Sharing)
   [5]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/280161074/
   [6]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/280159293/
   [7]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/280163495/

URL: http://paisleychick.livejournal.com/263359.html