|
Struggling
to Get Out |
September
2, 2003 - Tupiza, Bolivia |
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I
have spent a day and a half out of the last three days
with auto mechanics. I'm getting tired of writing about
car problems. I'm actually tired of the car problems themselves.
I could list at least seven items currently needing attention,
but I will spare you and myself too. |
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The
highways between many cities in Bolivia are not paved.
The bumps and dust have taken their toll on 25 year old
Blanco Billy. (my 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser) The long stretches
of washboard surface have had an effect on my psyche as
well. Driving can be a bit dicey when the tires are only
touching the ground 25% of the time. Vibration is not
the right word to describe the phenomena as it implies
very small oscillations. Violent and concentrated shaking
is more like it. The feeling that fenders and other car
parts will soon be flying in all directions. And in fact,
some parts did let loose... |
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Three
different latches for the hood were rendered useless
so the hood flew up and rendered my winshield fractured!
The cracks are not in a visually significant area
so I will carry on with the scar. |
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On
a positve note, pun intended, the sound system in Blanco
Billy has been upgraded recently. I got a new Apple iPod
and an adapter to connect it to the cassette player in
Blanco Billy. (For the techno-trailers, an iPod is a portable
MP3 player with a huge storage capacity. For the techno-illiterates,
think of a CD player and 500 CDs, all in a box smaller
than a pack of cigarettes!) Now I am my own radio station
and I'm the DJ with 5000 songs from which to choose. |
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It
is very cool. And quite a step up for me. For the last
2 years I have been listening to knock-off, or shall we
say bootleg cassettes, purchased from vendors on sidewalks
and along the highways in this part of the world. Music
in English is in short supply here, mostly greatest hits
and compilations from the 80's. 'Welcome to the Hotel
California' can be found on just about every one of them.
The quality is usually low, either recorded a bit too
slow or too fast, making Mick Jagger sound like Willie
Nelson and Bruce Springsteen like one of the three chipmunks. |
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So
you are wondering how the 5000 songs got into the iPod?
(It still has room for 2500 more!) My entire CD collection
from home plus grocery bags full of CDs borrowed from
friends and family. They go into your computer first and
then are quickly transferred to the iPod. |
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Having
borrowed many CD's and downloaded them, am I now an "illegal
file sharer" as per the Napster supreme court ruling?
Will the appropriate federal authorities be hot on my
trail? |
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I
know that bootleg cassette sales are illegal in the U.S.
But are there laws on the books in Bolivia? If so, they
are certainly not enforced. If they were no one would
have any music here. |
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I
bought a couple of CD's here in Tupiza to add some Latin
flavor to my iPod collection. (Shakira, Celia Cruz) Again,
knock offs. But good quality. The artwork would almost
pass for the real thing if you didn't look too closely.
But I am feeling pangs of guilt. I don't care too much
about the record companies but the artists are not getting
compensated. I could make it up to Shakira by buying a
legit CD or attending a concert. But how can I ever make
it up to Celia? The former reigning Queen of Salsa passed
away recently. The Grammy winner was still rocking in
her 70's!! Sorry up there Celia! |
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After
I downloaded them, I passed the CD's on to a potential
new young fan. (A fourteen-year-old hotel employee
who works 11 hours a day, 7 days a week! Her life
certainly puts my whining about car troubles in
perspective...) But is that yet another count of
illegal file sharing against me? It was a gift,
that makes is ok, doesn't it? |
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| But wait, they
were illegal to begin with; that probably makes it WORSE!
I'm gonna rot for sure. |
