Blogs from Tupiza, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 15

San Antonio de Lipez to Laguna Colorada also known as a VERY, VERY long day in a Jeep We started the day early...wake up call at about 6am. Most everyone was feeling pretty rough as the altitude affected the ability to sleep. A lil' Nescafé mixed with "Chocolike" (this creation dubbed the Bolivian Mocha) and some bread with jam and we were on our way. We drove past ruins, volcanoes, wee villages, a small salt flat, hot springs, deserts with bizarre rock formations and geysers. We listened to Bolivian music, we listened to Guns 'n Roses, we took photos....LOTS of photos. I'll let them tell the story here.... read more

(Kevyn here) We decided a few weeks earlier that we probably had time to visit Bolivia. Our friends, Pete and Ashely, who travelled around South America for several months last year, spoke very highly of the 4x4 tours of the slat flats in the southwestern part of Bolivia. Of course, always wanting to emulate our friends, we decided we had to add that to the itinerary also. But we really didn't know much about Bolivia. We managed a peak at anothe traveller's guide book and got some place names on the internet. With a little bit of research and a lot of hope, we embarked on a journey to get us to Tupiza, where the tour we wanted to take was leaving in just two days. Getting to the tour on time (9am Saturday morning) required ... read more

After a great nights sleep and a filling breakfast, I was ready for a full-day of biking and horseback riding. The tour was suppose to last seven and half hours, including a break for lunch. On my tour, I was joined by an Israeli woman (with Canadian citizenship as well). That was it, only one other person. I guess there aren't that many tourists going through Tupiza at this time of year that wanted to do this circuit. The first part of our tour was on bike and this would end up at a lookout point at Entre Rios. It is hard to concentrate on biking all the time with spectacular scenery all around. Most of the ride out to Entre Rios, Orna and I biked by each other, talking most of the time and stopping ... read more

Once again it was another early for me. I was told to be at the bus office at 4:45AM for my 5AM departure for Tupiza. Surprisingly for 5AM bus, it was full and I seemed to be the only tourist on this bus. There isn't much to write about the first part of my journey and the minute I got on the bus, I fell asleep. I was awakened in the town of Atocha at about 7:30AM and told that I would have a three hour layover until the next bus left for Tupiza. I tell you one thing, having a three hour layer from 7:30AM to 10:30AM on a Sunday morning is not the best time to be visiting Atocha. This town doesn't even get mentioned in any of the tour books, such as my ... read more

After leaving the jungle we headed south for Oruro..enough said about that place! Then we got the train to Tupiza, wild west country. Tupiza is where Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid met their makers. We headed out horse riding for the day to check out the spectacular surroundings of canyons and mountains. We then made our way down through northern Argentina through the european style cities of Salta, Cordoba and Mendoza. From Mendoza we headed west through the Andes to Los Penitentes where we spent a few days skiing before the ski season ended honing our skills! With two days to go till the end of our South America trip be crossed the border into Chile and Chillied out in Santiago! Arrived in Auckland last week. I'ts a beautiful city right on the waterfront with loads ... read more