Blogs from Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America

La première aventure en Bolivie, c’est une balade de 4 jours dans le désert du Sud-Lipez, dans le sud Ouest de Bolivie, à la frontière avec le Chili et l’Argentine. On loue les services d’une agence et on part à 4 dans une jeep, en traversant des paysages à couper le souffle, auxquels les photos ne rendent jamais complètement justice. On est sur les contreforts de la Cordillère, entre 3600 et 5000m d’altitude, en terrain stérile, traversant des hameaux reculés, des déserts de pierres, de sable, avec toujours en arrière-plan des montagnes multicolores qu’on croirait peintes par un artiste halluciné. On passe par des lagunes dont les couleurs changent au gré du soleil et du vent, qui prennent des teintes de vert et de rouille, et sur lesquelles se restaurent des centaines de flamands roses et ... read more

Hello everyone! I´m very sad to say, that we have become infected.. we have contracted a virus! Fortunately, it is of the computer kind, rather than the sexual variety! The camera memory card is infected and we can´t download any photo´s until we get back to the UK and take the memory card to the software hospital. We will endeavour to use our phones to update facebook until we can get a new memory card. Boo. Right, so the Salt flats....... We arrived in Uyuni which can only be described as a ´hick cowboy town in the middle of no where. We tried to get on a salt flat tour but nearly couldn´t due to country wide transport strikes, but luck was on our side and we got booked in for the next day with Red ... read more

After once again enduring the tediousness of Chilean customs, we were on our way to Bolivia! I was excited to be entering a country for the first time and before another hour had passed, we were already at over 5,000m above sea level. Bolivian customs was a sight to behold, for we were nowhere near any form of civilisation, yet there before us stood a squat rectangular structure with faded blue paint in the middle of this vast expanse. Nearby was the rusting shell of a bus that was the toilet. Once the formalities were out of the way, we clambered into our Toyota Landcruiser, along with our driver, Wilson, and we were on our way to what would be three days of some of the most scenically breathtaking landscapes of my journeys thus far (accompanied ... read more

Tuesday 17th April - La Paz to Oruro We were somewhat fortunate to be able to get out of La Paz as we'd heard the exit roads had been blocked regularly of late by people protesting about some dodgy characters being let out of prison. Thankfully, Oruro was a transiting point for us as it was yet another dustbowl. We walked into town for a restaurant and had the pleasure of watching a young couple chew each others faces off as is so common in public in Latin America as we tucked into our dodgy lasagne. Wednesday 18th April - Oruro to Potosi Off we set on our 6 hour bus ride to Potosi which started off with the obligatory pitch by some sharkish travelling salesman in a suit which consists of him standing at the ... read more

Bloody Bolivia PART 1, Hey friends and family, Where to start? Crossed the border into Bolivia without hassels and made it to the wild wild west town of Tupiza. This is where Buch Cassidy aqnd the Sun Dance Kid where finally killed. Of course we had to do some old fashioned horse riding, so we put on our best cowboy clothes and set out on a ride through the canyon. Cut a long story short, a flash flood come down the canyon and strait into us. Horses and people were screaming and Ian (lying half on his horse, with a horrified look on his face) flew off down the valley as his spooked horse went crazy. (sooooo funny) We found Ian walking horseless, covered in blood and mud!!! Sooooooooooooo funny. From tupiza we booked a 4 ... read more

We only spent about a week in Chile as it was so expensive, and after La Serena we headed straight to San Pedro de Atacama to meet our friends for a 4x4 tour. We were a bit worried about the tour as we´d heard mixed reviews, but all accommodation and food was included which sounded good. The next morning we were picked up at 7.45 and driven to the Bolivian border in a mini bus, we thought it would be a pretty long drive but about an hour later we arrived to a tiny hut in the middle of the desert which was apparently migration! We quickly got our passports stamped, were given a sandwich and some tea, and the 6 of us were transferred to our own private 4x4. We weren´t too sure of the ... read more