Blogs from Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 151

- FOOD: The remains of the eggs and horrible gringo restaurant food after Braulia had left us. - AREA: Small, wild west feel town with red mountains and canyons and lots of cacti. Luxury hotel (it had hot water anyway) with ice cold pool. Another horse ride experience. - PEOPLE: Good masseuse, friendly locals. - WEATHER: Hot enough to sunbathe and get burnt - hooray (except for the burn) Sun 29th: After having a UFO ('fried' object) breakfast (we could tell Braulia was running out of food and ideas) we had a day of pure driving ahead. We didn't see condors as hoped but more llama and ostrich. After 3 days of travelling in the bumpy back, Joke and I swapped with the boys and realised what luxury they'd had the whole time. Lots of space ... read more

- FOOD: An abundance of salt, fantastic and varied cooking by the wonderful cook Braulia. Such a variety of dishes using eggs! And every type of corn going (including quinoa). - AREA: Depressing cold Uyuni; train cemetry; salt processing village; the huge, white, flat expanse of Salar de Uyuni, including a hotel made from salt and a cactus island; stone trees; 5 lakes including the bright red Laguna Colorada and the not so bright green Laguna Verde; active volcano, plenty of llama and vicuña, flamingoes; geyser and hot springs; tiny villages. - PEOPLE: The excellent driver Jubenal and cook Braulia from Tupiza tours (well recommended); my new friends; very shy children who live in the tiny villages; all the people on the other tours! - WEATHER: SOOOOOOOO cold (never will I moan about Britain's winter temperatures). ... read more

- FOOD: Coca leaves (is legal and non drug like in this form), llama - ok but a bit fatty. - AREA: Beautiful, very lively town with stunning colonial churches being the reminder of a time when it was the richest city in the world. Cerro Rico mines - anyone who dislikes work should visit this place for a kick up the ass to realise how lucky we are. - PEOPLE: LOTS of them who wander around the narrow, winding streets at night. Happy (god knows how - maybe the coca leaves and 96% alcohol) miners. Very young tour guides who have already worked in the mines for 5 years and they're only 20. - WEATHER: SO cold at night as Potosì is 4,100 metres high. Tue 24th May: The hostel I eventually found after being ... read more

The border crossing at La Quiaca/Villazon is amazing! From the bus you have to get a taxi to the border which is a street with a bridge. On one side you are in Argentina and the other side Bolivia. The locals just pass between the two sides as if it is just any other street. It is so unobvious that it is a border crossing that we had to ask where to go to get our exit stamps. There is no queue to enter Bolivia. On the other side of the street there is the Argentine Customs going through the luggage checking for coca leaves. Obviously they do not do a great job as there are coca leaves in Salta - but there goes. I was traveling with a Belgian from the hostel in Salta as ... read more

From San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, we hired a guide with a 4x4 who drove us into Bolivia. This trip went through high Andean passes at 5300m and then across the Largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Uyuni 12,000km sq. ... read more