Blogs from Uyuni, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 15

Under popular pressure, I have signed up for a travel blog... Will be in the Salar de Uyuni tomorrow, which means I will have no internet or phone access for about 4 days. I have been advised not to take any showers in the freezing cold either. According to other travellers, this has been the most amazing experience after Machu Picchu, so I am really looking forward to it.... read more

I don’t have anything clever to say, or any worldviews to relate at this time. I am way too tired to act intelligent. So I’m just going to put the last few days into words the best I can. Our second day in La Paz was spent getting acclimated, booking our trip to the South, and site seeing. It was a good chill-out day, the last we’d have for a while. That night we went to dinner at El Arriero, an excellent Argentinean steakhouse. For around $30 US we both had pan-fried provolone, beef neck, bread with this amazing vinegar bean spread, huge filets, a couple beers, and after dinner drinks. Incredible food. We got back to the room at around 8:00 and debated going out. The altitude was making us lazy. Finally we decided that ... read more

Awoke to a thin covering of snow across the mountainous landscape, with a few sheep grazing from the grass tufts. We crossed more dry grey desert land, dotted only with tufts and coco plants. We crossed the railway at Salar de Chiguona, where we had to pass through a military base and were checked briefly. Next we saw some weird rock formations on the grey dusty desert floor, shaped by wind erosion, including dome shaped pancake rocks and boulders. We saw further lakes with mountain backdrops. Lots more vicunas, a few vizcacha, alpacas, and flamingoes visible within the lakes, covered with a scattering of bright green algae. (There were a few baby flamingoes amongst the beautiful scenery). We stopped off for lunch, and ate fried egg batter, beans and salad prepared by you've guessed it Rosemary. ... read more

Back at high altitude in La Paz and therefore prone to another attack of the runs, I decided I would take a gamble and sign myself up for a trip down to Uyuni to do the 4WD tour. Many fellow travellers have described it as a South American highlight so I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. After the events on the trip from Cusco to La Paz, it was with some trepidation that I boarded the bus for the 10 hour trip south to Uyuni. I was pleasantly surprised with the standard of the bus, and the feed they gave us after we took our seats was top notch by bus standards. Though I had felt the onset of rumblings in my stomach and should have known what I was ... read more

We have just spent the most awesome 3 days or so, traversing the Bolivian side of the Andes . The scenery was spectactular. Heaps of volcanoes, vast flats, multicoloured lakes, and cold looking birds (including me). Six travellers were sqeezed into a rather temperamental landcruiser, which refused to go into 3rd gear. We mostly chugged along the altiplano in 2nd gear, which allowed time for photographs. Occasionally, our chauffer, master chef and mechanic, would get the beast into 4th and we would nail it along the dusty tracks, skidding all over the place. Each time we stopped, our driver would be under the hood, tinkering away with his trusty screwdriver. Unfortunately, many of our photo opportunities were thwarted by an over-excited Italian in our group. He had an obsession with chasing all the birds and vicuñas ... read more