Bolivia - Villazon & Tupiza

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My bus from Salta arrived in La Quiaca (Argentina) at 6pm on Tuesday 27 October. When I stepped off the bus I almost passed out due to the altitude and had to take a few deep breaths. I got chatting to an English couple (David & Zoe) and we decided to meet up on the train that left from Villazon the following day. I took a short taxi ride to the Bolivian border which was basically a very small bridge. It was very straightforward to walk across and they do not even check your bags. Just fill in a small form and get your passport stamped. Now in Villazon (Bolivia) I walked up the street and checked into the first nice hotel that I saw. Then I walked around town and it was noticeable how different Bolivia was, especially how the woman dress. I found a cafe for dinner and then returned to the hotel for an early night. On Wednesday morning I bumped into David and Zoe on the street and we walked to the train station to book our tickets for the 3.30pm train to Tupiza. Then I walked around town where there was a big rally taking place. Back at the hotel I had a shower before checking out and going for a big lunch. Then I went to the train station and joined David and Zoe for our train journey to Tupiza. There are only two of these trains per week and it was a very scenic and pleasant ride - a nice change from the bus. We arrived in Tupiza at 6.15pm and walked to Hotel Mitru where I got a nice private en-suite room for 4 pound per night including a breakfast buffet. In the evening I watched the opening game of the MLB World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies which the Phillies won at Yankee Stadium. On Thursday morning David and I went to Tupiza Tours, the tour agency associated with our hotel that organises trips to the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni. We booked a tour that left the following morning and then we went for breakfast. I spent the morning walking around Tupiza and then I went for lunch at a pizzeria. The afternoon was spent on the internet and walking around the small town some more. On Thursday night I watched the Yankees win game 2 of the World Series. After breakfast on Friday we loaded our backpacks on the top of our jeep and we set off on our 4 day trip to Uyuni.

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