Chile to Bolivia

---

Into Chile and Bolivia...

So with my face back to its handsome normal state, we left Salta and headed across the Andes into Chile. San Pedro de Atacama was our destination, in the heart of the Atacama desert. It is a gorgeous but tiny little town, basically built to cater for tourists venturing into the desert. On our first day we took a half day trip to Death Valley and the Lunar Valley – basically a geologist’s fantasy set amongst loads of active (but not since 2006!) volcanoes. We took in sun set which if I wasn’t trying to catch my breath after the climb (remember we are at 2000 meters – good job I remembered my inhaler) would have been amazing! We then had a night out on the tiles with a guy called Jack Mercer who went to Arnold but a few years below me who we randomly bumped into in town. We even managed to stay out past our normal bedtime but we called it a night at 3am after Wagner from the X Factor tried to take us to an illegal party.

After the hangovers went the next day, we booked another half day trip – this time we went swimming in salty lagoons (a bit like the Dead/Red sea whichever it is) where you float on top of the water due to the salt. Really cool experience. We then took in a couple of sink pools then headed to one of the highlights of the trip so far – and if we could remember what it was called that would also be useful but for now I will call it Laguna X. It was basically a salt plain covered in about a centimeter of water which gave fantastic reflections of the surrounding landscape – definitely worth checking out the photos.

After a deserved early night we set off on our 3 day, 2 night 4x4 adventure into Bolivia. After a brief (1hr) wait to get out of Chilean customs, we climbed several thousand meters to the Bolivian border and had a great day driving around the mountains, taking in various lagoons, hot springs and amazing scenery. At our highest, we reached 4,970 meters! As you can guess, breathing was not that easy!!! That night we stayed at a refuge at 4,200 meters and were told that temperatures could reach as low as -15! It was freezing but we had about 10 layers to keep us warm. Luckily, we avoided getting any altitude sickness but sleeping wasn’t easy and we had to keep our water levels up but considering that it took me 15 mins to catch my breath after getting into my sleeping bag and under the 10 levels of covers, cold trips to the loo in the night were not a welcome thought – I also woke up in the night with what felt like a massive hangover and I hadn’t even been drinking!
Next day we headed via more amazing scenery to Uyuni, which is a one horse town in Bolivia and I think the horse left when the trains at the town’s main attraction – the locomotive cemetery – were last in action. There is a very notable change in culture in Bolivia – the highlight being that all the old women wear bowler hats!

The next morning, the alarm went off at 5am in order to visit the world’s largest salt flats – unfortunately I was suffering from some altitude sickness and had a migraine so decided to stay in bed but Carrie went and despite the freezing cold, saw yet more amazing scenery – although I think they spent most of the time taking silly pictures (well either that or there really are huge dinosaurs in Bolivia!). To make me feel better, Carrie bought me a Bolivian style wooly hat which aided my recovery so we made plans to head to Potisi, the world’s highest city the next day…

---

Comments

[Graham and Irene]

Am thinking of buying a Bolivian bowler hat so I can wear it when Danny wears his woolly one!!! Laguna X sounds great. Look forward to seeing the photos. Look forward to hearing about Potisi. Graham went to St. Mary's Hospital for a check up yesterday. Afterwards we went to the Apple store in Covent Garden and Graham bought himself an Ipod2. I am using it right now. It is great fun. Can't remember if I told you that the KK club (carrie, explain to Danny) are off to Dubrovnik on Wednesday until saturday. Andy won't be with us or your mum and dad. There will be 12 of us. Am really looking forward to it. Luv til next time Irene and Graham Xxxx