How do you fly?

November 17, 2007 By 4 Comments

This article from Radio Megawelle reminded me of something that I forgot to mention in my Iberia article.

Why do people take direct flights to Lanzarote? Most seem to think that a direct flight is more convenient, even cheaper. I prefer to fly via Madrid for the following reasons:

– often, as stated in the article, the normal flights are slightly cheaper
– the departure time is usually more convenient in Frankfurt
– the luggage and hand-luggage allowances are sometimes bigger
– the queues in Arrecife for the return flight are much shorter

Of course, a direct flight is quicker and you spend less time in the aeroplane as a result. But the first time I flew out I had another reason for going via Madrid – I was just plain curious to see somewhere in Spain that was new to me – even if it was the airport!

How do you fly to Lanzarote?

Filed Under: General, Lanzarote Tagged With:

Foreign Office advises travellers of disturbances

November 17, 2007 By 1 Comment

The UK Foreign Office has advised travellers of disturbances that are expected to take place in Tarija, Sucre, La Paz and El Alto between the 16th and 23rd of November.

The full bulletin can be read here.

Filed Under: Bolivia, Foreign Office, La Paz, Sucre, Tarija

What effects a fuel crisis can have

November 17, 2007 By 1 Comment

Bolivian truckers and farmers are facing problems with their businesses as a result of fuel reforms, according to this article on the BBC News website, and they are blaming President Evo Morales and his reforms.

They say that the reforms, which included nationalising refineries last year, have cause shortages at the pumps. Hence a trucker cannot get enough diesel for one day’s work and farmers cannot get enough to run their machines.

One theory is that the fuel is so cheap, that it is being smuggled our of the country. The report claims that armed border guards are not trying to prevent this, whilst fuel is having to be imported from Venezuela to meet demands (or not, as the case my be).

A petrol station in Sucre, July 2000
A petrol station in Sucre – without the queues – in July 2000

In the past, Bolivia has benefited from pipelines exporting resources such as gas to other countries in South America.

What has gone so terribly wrong, that it is now unable to provide enough fuel for it’s own people? The knock-on effects are simple – if a farmer cannot harvest his crops and a trucker cannot deliver the produce then it is only a matter of time before there are shortages throughout the country in the shops and markets. At that point it will be traders and consumers who also start to suffer…

Filed Under: Bolivia, News, Santa Cruz

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