the rest of November

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The city of Cusco was full of tourists, steps and protesters. Stayed in a lovely hostel with a sick room-mate. Bought a bottle of disinfectant. Had just overcome my cough.

After two days of acclimatizing to the altitude, walking up and down the many stairs and trekking up to the fort with its fitted rock walls I was ready for the Inca Trail.

The four days of torturous climbing, the great food, the constant work of the porters and the joy of seeing Machu Picchu requires a dedicated blog. It was absolutely marvellous!

Did have a massage the day after getting back to Cusco.

After the Inca trail experience the next big thing on the list was Potosi and the silver mine. Because of the cough and the ladders going from shaft to shaft, I did not go into the mine. I did watch the miners coming out with of the drift, their wagons filled with crushed rock. They crushed the rock and filled the wagons by hand. Three men work as a team. They have very little safety equipment. A helmet and head lamp, maybe a pair of gloves … that’s it. The tourist going into the mine for a visit were better protected.

The 98% of what came out of the mountain was once silver. Now zinc is the main mineral and what comes out of the mountain is only 3% silver.
Gifts of sweet drinks, dynamite, fuses, lighters, work gloves, coca leaves, cigarettes, candles and
toffees were suggested as appropriate.
Went to the theatre in the evening and ate in a corner restaurant that served cheaper food than the swanky places up the road.

Driving over a totally shaking-up road arrived in Uyuni. Stayed at a BIG hostel where the bathroom and shower had to be shared with MANY people. Ate Fettuccini Alfredo twice and was twice disappointed. Met a man from Guyana who was looking to work in Uyuni. At the market bought blankets, a tool for spinning wool, local wool locally knit socks, and three very colourful blankets that women use to transport their goods.

The excursion to the salt flats was …. Well … astounding. I had to keep telling myself it was not snow. Hexagonal shapes were formed on the surface of the flats. A volcano loomed in the distance. The van spent two hour driving towards the volcano. At a salt hotel we saw the beds and tables made of salt.
What came first …the salt hotel or the ice hotel?
The group in the van ate a delicious lunch and spent time at a small village at the bottom of the volcano. We did drive up to witness the 4000 year old mummies in a cave.

We arrived at the salt mounds in time to shoot fantastic sunset pictures. I forgot my flag. I did give it to the drive, and he assured me he would plant it with the others the next time out.

By the 20th of November the truck was hurtling down Ruta 1 towards Salta, thru Tupiza.


The city of Salta was a pleasant surprise … too bad it rained. The shops containing very original craft pieces made the walk thru the arches of downtown very pleasant.

After being rained out at the camping place … Thankgod for hot showers … travelled around a huge lake with fine houses on its shore, across a bridge and dam and to a rafting place. Level three rapids I can cope with and I even floated a mile down the river after being urged and assisted out of the raft by the leader. Was the only one to loose an oar and the only one to get a yellow card for once not responding constructions quickly enough. It was an exhilarating experience and I will do it again. The camping here was good and again I removed myself from the group. Have had enough complaints about my snoring. Also much easier to make that middle of the night visit to behind the ‘bush’.

Once again ‘bush’ camped near a place called Roja on the way to Mandoza. The earth was so hot that I thought I was sleeping on top of some creatures den. Did not partake of the cooked truck meal because it was past 9:30 at night. Washed using water in my small fold away plastic pail. The washing of important body parts is making the ‘bush’ camping more bearable. I am erecting my tent far enough away so that I can do a proper job of washing up. Tried hard to ignore the “big bug” noises and did finally fall into a good deep sleep.

Arriving in Mendoza the hostal room proves to be too small for four sleeping friends and two others coming to use the shower. Find myself a hotel room across the street. Am required to do one night of truck security … as if any one would attack that monster!

Three days in Mendoza are well spent with a wine tour by bike, buffet dinner twice, a wander around town and the meeting of two very pleasant Irish Lasses.

On November 30 the push is on to get to Santiago. As the crow flies it is less than 10 cm on the map from one city to another. After twelve hours of driving we finally arrive in the big city. Three of the twelve hours were spent driving around trying to get to the hostel.

Eight in a room does not appeal at 9:00 PM having had no dinner while suffering from a wild condition of road dust. It is the weekend. Christmas is coming. People are in town for shopping. There are few spaces left at the inn. I stay in a student apartment next door to the hostel. Pay tooo much but it is worth the piece of mind.

Two full days in Santiago! I love this place.

It’s December!

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Photos

Another Late Night at the Border
Setting up my tent in the dark has become easy! Thanks to my forth headlamp.

Not a Chilean Border
Not even dried lentils, spices, bones, wood or kidney beans can cross into Chile. Buses and cars are systematically searched taking hoursat the crossings with long line-ups. This is Bolivia intoArgentina ... hope they meet on the map... country confusiion has set in!

Ready for the Bath
Cusco is full of all kinds of statues. This one seems most appropriatly positioned!

Cusco at Night
Arrived late and while returning from supermercado encountered a parade of Uni students.

Mannequins in Potosi
Have seen the ugliest mannequins ever since on this trip. These four are a great improvement.

Miniatures in Potosi Theatre
Two walls of miniatures were on display on the ground floor of the theatre. At the back was under the access steps was asmall restaurant. A fine job of restoration had been done.

Cerro Rico, Potosi
The mountain has been mined since the 1500's. No indigenous person has become rich. No silver can be bought in Potosi. The crushed stone goes to RUSSIA for processing.

In and out of the Mine
The small gauge track is warped, covered in dirt, and in places has a gap. Teams of three push the one ton cart empty os full.

Dynamite and worthwhile ore storage
At the moouth of the tunnels adobe brick stuctures with wooden doors and heavy locks are witness too the fact that there is value coming out of Cerro Rico.

Balcony Foundation
It looks stong ...

Rafting in Salta
Bought a video in which i appear. Obviously while on the raft cameras could not be used. Roaing and listening to orders was all consuming. And there is always the ppossibility of going into the river!

Locomotive Cemetery
The train cemetery is one of the attractions in Uyuni, Bolivia. The other iby far the more important is the huge Salar Uyuni (salt flat).

Making Salt
The blocks of salt are put into water. The water is heated by using scrub brush from the are. As the water heats it breaks up the blocks. After drying the salt is grinded by hand and then bagged.

Bagging Salt in Uyuni
One kilo of salt costs less than fifteen cents. Considering the labour intensive process it causes respect for the salt shaker.

Perspective?
Everyone tries to take the perfect shot.

Summer Rain
Commerce continues under all conditions.