Greetings From Bolivia

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A very busy week. At the moment it seems like im permanently moving from place to place. Since I have left Santiago I havent spent more then 2 nights in any one hostel. Tonight I head to La Paz and will spend 5 days there which will hopefully give me a chance to unpack my bags!

I am writing this from Potosi in Bolivia. Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America and the contrast between there and Chile is best highlighted in a description of my last bus journey in Chile and my first bus journey in Bolivia. The final bus journey in Chile took us from La Serena to San Pedro. I travalled Premier Cama, which basically meant my chair, which was like an armchair went back 180 degrees. I was then given a pillow, a mattress, and a blanket. Accordingly I slept for a good 10 hours. My first bus in Bolivia was also 12 hours. This bus was freezing, cramped, and Bolivian pop music was played all night. The road for the first 8 hours was not paved so it was a very very very bumpy ride. In Chile they have 2 drivers so one can rest, in Bolivia the driver chews Coca leaves to keep himself awake. On the plus side the 12 hour bus ticket cost me the equivalent of 5 pounds. But before I dive into what I have been doing in Bolivia I will write first about San Pedro.

San Pedro.
San Pedro was an oasis town in the Alacama desert, it is pretty high up in the mountains at 2440 metres, so in the day it is a warm dry heat, and at the night its chilly but not really cold. It is a backpacker stop off, so there is plenty of activities to keep you busy.

Due to its location in the desert, and the fact Chile is obviously in the Southern Hempishere it is ideal for star gazing. Even without the aid of telescopes the night sky is a vision that is virtually impossible in the light polluted cities of the Northern Hempishere. We went on a very entertaining and informative tour conducted by a French astronomer. First with him pointing out features of the night sky and then with the telescopes giving us close up views of the moon, and even Saturn. As a city dweller and astronomy nove it was really interesting.

Requiring more energy was our next activity sandboarding. Obviously in the desert there are lots of dunes which are obviously ideal for sandboarding. Its pretty much as it sounds you get given a board, climb up a dune, are given pretty basic instructions and then left to board down the dune. Fortunately the soft sand means even if you havent snowboarded or surfed before falling off isnt too painful. Given my low centre of gravity I wasnt bad for my first outing. Looking through my guidebook I should have the chance to hone my skills in Peru, and Brazil too. Not sure I will have the opportunity to keep this new interest up in Belfast or Liverpool though.

San Pedro was easily my favourite spot in Chile.

Salar De Uyuni
From San Pedro we crossed into Bolivia on a tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats. This was basically a 3 day 2 night tour by 4 x 4 of South Western Bolivia where the worlds largest Salt Flat is located. It is 2000km in surface at over 3000m above sea level. Being on it is like being on a sea of ice, with the odd "island" of rock. It was formed when the sea receeded thousands of years ago. It is a very otherworldly experience. Words cannot really describe what it is like hopefully my photos will do more justice once I have a chance to upload them. It was only on the final day we entered the salt flats the first 2 days were spent getting there, but on the way we got to bathe in thermal springs, view pink flamingos, climb on pre-historic rock formations, try and avoid the smell from sulphurous geysers, and gaze on perfectly blue lagoons framed by snow capped mountains. It was definitely a landscape that I have never had the opportunity to view before.

One side issue that is also worth writing about is the effect of the altitude. Obviously spending a sustained amount of time at an altitude over 3000m is going to effect you. The first day I would feel occassionally light headed, and by the first night nearly everyone on the tour had a throbbing headache, and had difficulty sleeping. For me my headache lasted in to the next day, and it wasnt until that afternoon that I began to feel my usual self. However, I now appear to have aclimatised as in Potosi I am over 4000m above sea level. Indeed travelling in Bolivia does feel like im travelling on top of the world.

Sucre
We finished our tour in Uyani but quickly left it for Surce. Sucre is the judicial capital of Bolivia, and is a very pleasant town in the mountains. It has a wealth of colonial achitecture, which has been well maintained and has seen Sucre granted Unesco World Heritage status. After roughing it on the salt flats and the bus up there it was nice to chill out and eat good food again. I am travelling with an Irish couple so Saturday was spent watching the Grand Slam decider in the Rugby and then obviously celebrating the result afterwards. But surprisingly despite the altitute there was no hangover on Sunday.

Potosi.
Potosi is the highest city in the world at 4060 metres. An away draw with its football team, Real Potosi, is feared throughout South America because of the effect of the altitude. It is famous for its mines. In colonial times when the Spanish found silver here Potosi bankrolled the Spanish Empire. To dig the mines African slaves and indigenous indians were pressganged into working the mines. At one stage in the 17th century Potosi was one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 200,000. It is estimated that 8 million people died mining in the 400 years of colonial rule. At one stage miners had to work 12 hour shifts not returning above ground for months. Today the mines are run by miners co-operatives and they mine zinc rather then silver, and tours are offered to tourists. 35 miners die a year in the mines but only one tourist has died apparently in the last 18 years.

The tour of the mine lasted about 5 hours, 4 of which are spent underground. Firstly you are taken the miners market where you can purchase coca leaves, dynamite (!), and soft drinks for the miners as presents. You then descend into the mine. It is physically demanding and unlike any tour I have ever experienced. It is nearly better described as potholing rather then a tour. You have overalls, boots, a helmet, and lamp. You clamber down, countless ladders, swing across shaft heads, balance on planks above holes, and even at one point pull yourself up a 45 degree mud gradient with a rope. The tunnels are often small and even for someone my size I was on hands and knees at times. It is certainly not for the claustrophobic, the unfit, or those with asthma. At the pit head through the guide you get to talk to the miners themselves. With the fumes, dust, and possibility of accidents life expectancy for those working in the mines can be as low as 10 years. But despite this they were happy in their work. It pays more then the average Bolivian income, and has a strong sense of cadamarie, and tradition. Indeed our guide spoke about how he longed to work again in the mines because he missed all that went with it, the strong bonds of friendship, the chewing of the Coca leave, the drinking etc. It was fascinating. I was left exhausted and I was only down there for 4 hours. It gave me a keen inside into a way of life that is slowly dying in the UK, and a respect for miners. One thing is for certain im sure a tour like that would be unthinkable in any western culture.

I will try in my next blog to write abit more about Bolivia, in terms of its political situation, its demographics, and also the role of the Coca leave.

One final aside, im sure many of you will be pleased to know the the climate in Boliva is like a British Spring so my tan isnt comming on at all!

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