Long drive to the border

We had a good night and have had good luck with the rain during the rainy season. We couldn't leave until we got our laundry back. I went and asked them and they said the clothes hadn't dried yet but I said I needed to be leaving in the next hour so they collected the laundry. It was more expensive than other places but at least we had clean laundry. It was $2.50/kg. Usually it was half that price. We had washed our car seats for the second time of the trip, since Playa del Carmen. They had become quite dusty after being at Carlos the mechanic because that town was so dusty and to remove the front struts and lift he had to access the glove compartment and fuse panel area in the cabin. I can only assume the front doors were open all day.

This is the living room for the house that is now the hostal las Mercedes.

We filled up water and dumped and headed out of town around 1100am. We had a five hour day to get to Tacna, near the border with Chile. We had decided not to go to Lake Titicaca because of time. Mountain roads are slow and driving through Bolivia would be slow going.

We stopped at noon for lunch. The kids and I had a sandwich and Christine had steak and rice. And all of them had yet another boba tea. 

We drove mostly downhill and with little traffic and it was great. It reminded me of driving on the loneliest highway in America in Nevada. It was similar landscape. Red sand appeared. 

We had texted ahead to a campground at a motorcycle club in Tacna that welcomed overlanders. We pulled in and parked in the field and Elvis, the club owner welcomed us and his mom was cooking so we ordered duck and rice. Elvis' friends welcomed us and invited me for a drink. I declined but they suggested some Inka cola and we cheered. They were also cooking up picarones, a Peruvian donut, and offered me some. I took it all back to the RV as Christine finished making ramen for the kids. We ate and had plenty of leftovers. The weather was nice and the restaurant closed and I helped put away the tables and chairs and thanked Elvis for his hospitality. It was $5.50 for the dinner and $5.50 for camping. We head to Chile tomorrow.