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Published: January 4th 2008
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Hey, sorry, these entries are so boring - I have left it too long to write them and can´t remember as many datails as I would like.... bear with me!
Right, next leg of the trip is to Bolivia, but no direct bus there as have to change at the border. Took an overnight bus to La Quiaca from Salta which was supposed to take 7 hours.... when everyone started getting off the bus after only 5.5 hours, I thought "hmmm, this is a popular spot where ever it is.... but why on earth does it say welcome to La Quiaca???" - whoops was there already and it is pitch black outside (5am!). We head inside the "bus station" (very make shift type of place) and stood there thinking what on earth now??? Lots of locals sitting around.... no signs anywhere.... the toilet was an experience. In the ladies about five cubicles which is fine, right..... however no flush in the toilets, you get a container and fill it with water from a large barrel ... only one container for all five... all the women are banging on the doors and pulling them open to get the container!!!! Madness but very clean! A gorgeous little girl minded the door for me! She was funny! Anyway, sorry, enough toilet talk!
Heard a familar accent and hooked up with an Irish couple from Waterford and shared a taxi with them to the immrigration office. No bother here and straight across the border into Villazon, Boliva. Went straight to Bus station and on a bus to Tupiza in five mins flat. Very efficient! However the bus journey which took just over two hours was the bumpiest one I have ever been on (I thought I had done the worst after route 40 from Bariloche!! Nope!).... got accosted at the bus station in Tupiza by Jennifer Lopez (I swear she was serious about her name!) and the crew of us checked into her hostel (which as lovely, so airy and clean with great shower - phew, has been worried about hostels in Bolivia!!) and signed us up for a couple of tours! Great sales lady. Snoozed and ate most of the day as had been long trip from Salta. Tupiza is small town with dusty streets and lovely people.
Went horse back riding the next day with Justin and Donie - three wanna be adventurers with no horse experience! Was great day - although Donie´s horse was a little mad and kept disappearing with Donie on it! Really enjoyed it and got in a fair bit of fast trotting so looking forward to my next horse trekking. The scenery was beautiful, real wild west with cactus (cacti!) everywhere and huge bolders, wild boar that were massive and so scary.... Brilliant.
Next day went on a two day trip to the Salt Lakes in Uyuni. The guide and the cook (think they were a couple, so sweet to each other) and their little girl were brilliant, so nice. Drive though Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid´s last stance location... the lads were impressed with this... me? Not really!
Stayed in a hostel completely built of salt - it was so cool and cosy! The beds were brilliant and lots of cosy blankets. The food was yummy too. Perfect! Bed early as had to be up at 4.45am to see sunrise on the Salt Lake. Was lovely - the photos (I know here I go again... they will be worth waiting for!) will describe it best.
Had a bit of a wait for overnight bus to Potosi so spent the day playing "I spy" and "stop the bus", was very funny. Also had a few bets on a few things that could only be answered by trusty goole - I had the most at stake so charged out of the cafe with pen and paper in hand to hopefully proof my intelligence! Darn siesta, all the internet cafes were closed..... a few painfull hours later I collected my winnings! Go me!
Bus to Potosi was supposed to take 7 - 8 hours..... almost 12 hours later, arrived safe and sound. And this was no fancy bus either - so cramped.... and noisy.... arhhhh, my real welcome to Bolivia! A bus and a truck got stuck trying to pass each other on the narrow road so nobody else could pass. Wow, the effort everyone made to lift the coach was amazing.... Was so happy to get to hostel. Grabbed a quick breakfast - four fried egg sambos on lovely fresh bread, two large mugs of coffee and one large mug of tea - all for one euro and thirty cent..... Crazy! Then to bed for a few hours and then explored the city - the highest city in the world and the altitude gets some getting used to... totally out of breathe after climbing a small hill. Lovely city and very clean. Love Bolivia so far.
Think heading to Sucre (used to be the capital of Bolivia before La Paz) later but no panic - its all about going with flow! Lx
ps Welcome back to work if you are back... sorry, could not resist - I´m bad!
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