Yeee Haaa!

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Met up with La khawaja in Salta, on the 18th sept and we've been living the latin american dream ever since. Traveling up to the Bolivian border via Tilcara and taking in the sights of Humuwaca, then hopping across the very lax border at Villazon...it was a drugs smugglers dream and we only got stopped and asked for our entry / exit stamp cos we looked so bemused by it all. We crossed the road and the world seem to change...we were now in Bolivia, the steets were choatic, people's faces were darker but there clothes more gregarious, with brightly coloured shalls, and rainbow coloured skirts, and the arbitrary baby strapped to women's backs. Quickly got ripped off at the casa de cambio and then we were on our way but not before a 4 hour wait for our train to Tupiza. The train seemed to pass through different worlds as it creeked its way along the rickety tracks to Tupiza, and cowboy country eventually appeared on the horizon. This is where Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid made there last stand in 18?? and nothing much had changed since accept the odd internet café and pizza restaurant. But to really experience the 'wild west' we needed to head out of the town, put on some slacks, and say 'ride em cowboy'. So that's what we did. I was not new to horse riding as me and Hannah had already visited a ranch just outside Salta, where we were force fed lots if meat and rode some horses. I felt quite uneasy then but this took my aprehension to new levels as our 12yo guide showed up with a few horses in tow. But on we trotted through red rocky, cactus plains in the baking mid-day sun. Even the horses looked like they couldn't be bothered. I was told when horse riding you need to show who's boss, my horse showed me he was boss and I didn't argue. I wanted to put a few inches between me and the prickly cactus shrubs, he wanted to scrape me past them, so that's what we did. And it was all going so well, traveling in convoy, one horse closely tailed by the next until mine and Hannah's horses started fighting over a Mare and nudging each other out the way for the prime position 2cm behind her arse. I was sure she was going to kick back but she remained dignified and chose to ignore the petty squabbling that was insuing behind her much to my relief. After our arduous adventure on horse back it was time to book ourselves on the kind of adventure that defines a country, the Salar de Uyuni salt flats tour...

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Photos

Me & Hannah
At a hostel in Salta, Argentina

Not Quite London Bridge
On a tour from Salta to Haumawaca, near the Bolivian border.

Huamawaca
A small village near the Bolivian border

Lovers tiff!
Mine and Hannah´s horses have had a bit of a barney and arn´t talking anymore!