Blasting through Bolivia...sorta.

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Well, it's been a while since I last updated. I'm actually at home now, safe, sound, and showered. I've been so busy this past week in Bolivia I haven't had any time to spare, let alone internet access at my disposal. Guess I'll update everything at once!

So, picking up where I left off....

Once I returned from the jungle (slightly above sea level elevation) to La Paz (which varies in elevation between 11,500 and 13,000 ft above sea level) I was instantly affected by the thin air. Elevation sickness is quite a problem for many tourist, especially when gaining drastic amounts of elevation in a short period of time. I felt the shortness of breath, slight headaches, upset stomach, and rabid heart pumping almost immediately. I had a few days to spare before I planned on visiting the southern region of Bolivia (which, believe it or not, is actually at a higher elevation than La Paz), so I decided to take it easy for the next few days to acclitimize again to the elevation. That means I missed out on mountain biking "The Worlds' Most Dangerous Road", but I didn't want to risk making myself sicker than I was already feeling. Visiting the Salar de Uyuni was my main reason for being in Bolivia, so I wasn't about to overexert myself and make myself miserable for the rest of my trip.

While relaxing in La Paz, I booked a Salar de Uyuni tour with Tupiza Tours for Sat May 22. Starting this tour from the town of Tupiza would get me an extra day of beautiful high desert scenery. We would also be starting from the bottom of the toursit route and working our way up, missing hordes of other tourists in the process. Now all I have to to is get to Tupiza by Friday PM/Sat AM to start the tour. Sounds easy enough, huh?.

I hopped on a bus bound for Oruro, 3 hours south of La Paz, where I was supposed to catch a train (love riding on trains) straight to Uyuni. I was hopeful that I would be able to extend my train ride all the way to Tupiza, but was warned by Tupiza Tours that a strike/protest/blockade might hinder my Uyuni-Tupiza portion, but that a late night bus would be available w/ no problems.

Once I arrived at the Oruro train station, I was greeted w/ a large sign reading "Bloqueos". Huh? Turns out the strike/protest/blockade affected the ENTIRE train route and all trips would be canceled until the strike/protest/blockade is resolved. Shit! I'm starting to experience some of the travel problems I have read so much about. Luckily, a young German couple was in the same situation and we quickly headed for the bus station to size up our options. After some debating we decided that a minivan (when full, it leaves for its' destination) to Potosi, then another bus to Tupiza would be our best and quickest option. Well, much quicker than waiting 8 hours for a bus to leave!

6 hours and several interesting conversations (in my butchered Spanglish) later, we arrived in Potosi, a town most known for its' history in the silver mining industry. My overnight bus left an hour after I arrived, and 10 bumpy and uncomfortable hours later, I arrived in Tupiza. At 4:40AM. Almost 17 hours after I left La Paz. Quite the adventure!

I checked into a nasty late night hostel (30 Bolivianos=$4.28US) to catch a few hours of shut eye before my tour was to leave at 9AM. Once I arrived at the Tupiza Tours office.....well, they gave my spot to someone else because they didn't know if I was going to make it or not due to the train blockades. What good is a reservation if there's no guarantee! I'll save you the explicatives, but let's just say that after a train cancellation, a 17 hour bus ride, and 4 hours sleep in Hostel Crusty, I was not a happy camper. So Tupiza Tours apologized profusely, gave me a discount in their hotel, and guaranteed my spot for Sunday w/ only 3 other people in the vehicle. What else am I gonna do? My sole purpose for coming this far south was to do the tour and I was not leaving Bolivia w/out doing it. So I spent Saturday eating. I ate 3 saltenas and 2 empanadas during the day from the market, and pizza (found everywhere in Peru/Bolivia) and Bolivian wine for dinner. Not a bad day considering my situation.

Sunday AM, my travel companions and I (Gayle from Canada and Nick/Roz- a New Zealand by way of England couple) headed out on a 4 day journey through the altiplano (high plains) of Bolivia, where we would encounter dozens of minerally enriched lagoons and of course, the otherworldly Salar.

We were warned of the cold weather and altitude, but none of us were quite prepared for the extreme conditions we would experience for the next few days. The wind was as fierce as I have ever encountered and cut through straight to the bone, regardless of how many layers of clothing. The low for our second evening was -20C (I'll let you convert that). We stayed in basic accomodations (adobe hut-like dorms) w/ no heating, just wool blankets and walls to block us from the fierce wind. The phrase "the middle of nowhere" is about as close as it gets. Beautifully and stunning scenery, but harsh and unforgiving at the same time. With a maximum elevation of about 16000 ft, several people in our party were experiencing the symptoms of soroche, or altitude sickness. Of the 13 people in our group (2 other vehicles included), I think 8 people were ill for at least a portion, if not all of the 4 day trip. Coca tea was provided whenever we liked to help ease the symptoms and, oddly enough, it does help. I think a warm cup of any kind of tea is welcomed in those freezing temperatures.

Each day we spent about 10 hours in our Toyota Landcruiser, stopping about once every 2 hours to visit a georgeous lake or special volcanic view point (over 300 inactive volcanoes in this area). All of us in the truck were absolutely stunned by the landscape, which shifted and changed about every hour or so. One moment would remind me of the Californias' Mojave desert, around the next volcanic pass it would change to bright red rock formations similar to Arizona or Utah, and in an hour we would be at a bright flourescent blue-green lake colored by various different minerals.

Our last evening we stayed in a hostel made entirely of salt blocks right at the "shore" of the Salar de Uyuni, the worlds' largest salt flat. Early in the AM we set off for a lovely sunrise on the salar and then headed to the cactus island. Literally an island full of cactus in the middle of this great expanse of super flat salt with several mountain ranges far in the distance. Surreal to say the least. I really enjoyed starting this trip from the southern end because that put the Salar as our last day, and a fantastic ending to a great trip. Hopefully I can upload a few pics, because my description won't do it justice.

Ending our tour in the dusty town of Uyuni, we stopped off at a train cemetary for a few minutes. I could have stayed there for hours wandering around, taking pictures of this rusty, graffiti laden, train graveyard. Very cool.

After waiting a few hours in Uyuni (a living ghost town of sorts), I hopped on an overnight bus for Sucre, a UNESCO Heritage site known for its' stark white colonial buildings and Spanish churches. I was told a 9 hour bus ride, but ended up w/ 12, which actually worked out better for me. I arrived in Sucre around 7AM and quickly found a hotel w/ 24 hr hot water for my 1st shower in 5 days. Yes, 5 days. Would you want to take a shower w/ water that is just a few degrees above freezing?

After my refreshing hot shower I was immediatly impressed w/ my walk around Sucre. Lovely is an appropriate term. The Spanish colonial architecture is in fantastic shape and the city is bustling w/ people. Business people rub elbows w/ giggling teenagers and campesinos selling saltenas and fresh squeezed orange or pomelo juice. Several universities seemingly make Sucre a more progressive city. I just wish I had more time to spend here. I missed the dinosaur footprints nearby and didn't visit any of Sucres' many museums. One day is not enough.

A short flight in the afternoon put me back in La Paz for my last night of the trip. I was informed by my taxi driver that tomorrow would be one of La Pazs' most famous festivals, Fiesta del Gran Poder and grand it was! Colorful and vibrant costumes, marching bands, food, beer, and dancing filled the streets of La Paz. What a cool way to end a trip! I spent hours standing at the edge of the road watching as local campesino women twirled in unison to marching bands, all decorated w/ sparkling and colorful costumes. Sensory overload for sure! I had to find a strategic exit path due to numerous closed streets, but after hauling my backpack up a few hills, I found a taxi willing to take me to the airport.

My flights back to Los Angeles (La Paz-Lima and Lima-LAX) were uneventful and didn't seem as long as I origionally imagined. Susan greeted me w/ a huge hug at the terminal, welcoming me back home.

So, that's it. I'm back home.

A fantastic trip and lots of adventures. My patience was tested and my mind visually blown. Bolivia and Peru are beautiful and fantastic countries, just a little frustrating at times.

Highlights would be Machu Picchu and the Inca trail and the Salar de Uyuni tour. Both were absolutely amazing and I will remember these experiences for years to come.

I will add some pictures later on. I'm tired of typing.



OK, added a ton of pics! Enjoy!

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