Blogs from Villazón, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America

Here we are, last day in Bolivia. After Tupiza (and a nice hot shower..) I am heading to Villazon to cross the border and go to Salta, Agentina This country was amazing. It is told to be the most authentic country of South America. Well, this is mainly because it is the poorest ! But somehow it is one of the richest: Life is like nowhere else, friendliness of people, landscape, .. Of course this is very cheap: You sleep for less than 10euros, and with 15euros you are like a king. Food is similar, for 10-15euros you have an amazing dinner with lots of wine (like one bottle each) in the top range restaurants. What was amazing is the lack of infrastructure: Most of the towns and roads are unpaved and you heavily depends of ... read more

No pictures in this one: I thought it was worth posting this short entry as we do not often get to cross land boundaries in the EU anymore and it was also the most uncomfortable day of the holiday so far, for reasons I will explain. The night bus from Salta left at 00.45. The red wine and steak did not help and I had a very bad night´s sleep. We arrived early and it was barely light and freezing cold. I got a taxi to the Immigraciones and joined the already large queue knowing that the officals would not be there for another two hours. We got hrough the Argentinian side and then had to wait while the Bolivian officials photocopied some immigration forms to fill out . How could they run out of forms! ... read more

Day 625 (14.12.08) So the bus that had deposited us in Tupiza at 4am several days ago would sadly be the bus that would continue on to the border at Villazon where we were next headed. That meant an unspeakable hour being set into the alarm clock and three bleary eyed travellers arriving at the bus station for a 4am departure. After a sleep filled couple of hours we realized the bus had come to a halt and looking out the window it was clear that we hadn't yet arrived at our destination. Mark set off to try and find out what had happened to find that with rain fall over the last few days the road to the border had turned to mush and a bus a little further up was well and truly stuck ... read more

I arrived at the border last Saturday. Journey details: Origen/Destination... Salta - La Quiaca Mode of transport... Bus Company... Flecha Bus Cost.... 35 Pesos Duration... about 7 hours Remarks... I got the night bus up which left Salta at half past midnight Saturday. The cost of 35 euros was a standard price (every company was charging it). Flecha Bus were ok but the bus I got on didn't actually say La Quiaca on the front, but JuJuy. After enquiring with the driver I discovered that the bus did, in fact, go all the way up to the border. I arrived in La Quiaca at around 7am freezing my nipples off and feeling a little depressed at my continued inability to sleep on anything moving. I left the bus and asked a random guy where the border ... read more

I am in Bolivia! I feel so excited to finally be here, for some reason Bolivia overtook Brazil on the list of places I was most excited to go to on this trip and here I am. I passed through Argentina only momentarily to get here, going San Pedro (Chile)-Salta (Argentina, Jujuy Province)-La Quiaca (Jujuy Province, the border crossing for Bolivia)-Villazon (border town in Bolivia where you cross immigation and pick up buses and trains north). I havea couple of hours until my bus north to a town called Tupiza, which was originally just a place to pass through on my way to Uyuni, but it sounds interesting so I will stay there a couple of nights and pick up the famous ´death train´(actually, I never heard of it until last night when I read about ... read more

Well, who would have thought it possible, i have finally left Argentina on the 12 Feb 2007. The country tht has been my home for the last three months,where i have met amazing people, danced in great clubs, partied and seen some really incredible facets of nature. I guess that when you are travelling there is something of a risk of getting too used to a place, be it a country, sity or evenhostel and not wanting to leave. Argentina was comforatable to a degree for me. And hence the three month sojurn. But yes, all the journey goes on, and on 9 Feb i found mysef after a cramped 4 hour bus ride being refused entry into bolivia....apparently south africans need a visa to enter and being a friday i had to wait until monday ... read more