Blogs from Tupiza, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 16

From Salta we went North, North, North on to Bolivia. What a change of scenery! Bolivia, Bolivia Bolivia. Very little infrastructure hot during the day and extremely cold at night. This is one of the highest countries in the world. We walked with our backpacks over the border, got a couple of stamps in our passports and suddenly there we were, tired hot and hungry with absolutely no Bolivianos. (Cash) We rested in a typical Bolivian restaurant with random pictures on the wall. When you ask for a menu they look at you like you´re an alien. Most of the time we just pointed at what the locals were having as this seems to be the only thing there is. Meat and rice with a water. We needed to make a sharp exit with our Israeli ... read more

We arrive at the border crossing between argentina and boliva at 5.40am in the morning. What a shock it is!!!! Totally freezing and so we all wrap up and the difference in the people is mad. The bolivan people are all very small and ugly and the woman all have big puffy skirts (knee length) with thick tights (like thick thick woolen) and sandals( its baltic). And to keep warm they have sheets (woven in different colours) wrapped around them like shawls (lots of them) Really hard to explain properly!!! We walk to the border crossing and already their is a massive queue!! The Bolivans seem to think that they can push in and go in front of everyone. Thankfully the argentina army try and stop them!!! We keep close together to keep them back, however ... read more

I left Salta at 00:30 and took a bus to La Quacia, which is the last town before the Bolivian border. The bus dropped us off 7 hours later. Border crossings are always tense places to be and I was expecting the worse at this one, but it turned out to be the easiest and most relaxed so far. I walked to the end of town and once I crossed the bridge I had left Argentina and was in Villarion, Bolivia,where immigration formalities were almost non-existent. I managed to catch a bus to Tupiza straight away. All throughout this trip, I've met travellers warning me about Bolivia's buses: they resemble the scene of a car crash, have no toilets and it's not uncommon to see urine running up and down the gangway, as someone couldn't hold ... read more

So, hier nun die ersten Gruesse aus dem schoenen Bolivien. Nun ist es schon eine Woche her, dass wir bei La Quiaca / Villazon die bolivianische Grenze ueberquert haben. Schon als wir uns dort bei der argentinischen Ausreise in eine lange, lange Menschenschlange eingereiht hatten bekamen wir einen ersten Eindruck von Bolivien: zwischen der argentinischen und bolivianischen Grenze liefen Heerscharen von Indios - mit 50 - 100kg Saecken mit Mehl, Zucker, Raumspray und weiss der Kuckuck was - im Laufschritt an uns vorbei, ueber die Bruecke nach Bolivien, auf der anderen Seite wieder zurueck, um sich dann erneut mit Lasten zu versorgen - der totale Wahnsinn! Die Grenzer juckt das ganze Spektakel ueberhaupt nicht - nur das Fotographieren ist verboten... Nach 3 Stunden Busfahrt hatten wir dann unser erstes Ziel in Bolivien erreicht: Tupiza, eine kleine ... read more

Phew - made it across to Bolivia yesterday...overnight bus from Salta then a quick coffee at 7am before a walk across the border into Villazon on the Bolivian side...very different. Not unlike the way the roads used to change from tarmac to something less when we´d go across the border to Donegal years ago! Probably shouldn´t have said that since we´re now in Tupiza together with a couple of Donegal men we met in Salta last week, together with a couple of English girls who are heading the same way. Very nice hotel with a pool - not bad for GBP10per night. I really hope this sets the standard for the rest of Bolivia...though I doubt it. The town itself is quite dull...a lovely setting in the middle of the desert, at some 3km altitude. Has ... read more