Beautiful Bolivia

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The lofty latitude of Bolivia makes it the highest and most rugged of all South American counties. Landlocked between Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru, Bolivia has some of the most extreme weather conditions around. Warm, dusty days to cold windy nights mean that travellers to Bolivia have to come prepared for anything. Due to the altitude of this amazing country, the weather can change very dramatically so whilst t-shirts are good for the sunshine, in the shade you need at least another layer, a fleece and a scarf.

We arrived in to Bolivia on 1 April after having travelled from the Argentinean boarder town of La Quilcha to the Bolivian town of Villazon. The difference between the two countries was immediately recognisable as we crossed through immigration control.

Everything looked different within just 20 metres of the two countries meeting. Somehow, after walking through boarder control, the landscape seemed different. Whilst there were lush valleys in Argentina there seemed to be dusty outcrops in Bolivia. In just a short walk across an invisible line we had arrived in to a much more rustic and remote place.

The town we arrived in to was encased by a dusty cloud of smoke which we later realised was the result of people, animals and vehicles moving over the dry, dusty earth. In just a few metres the environment had changed for us and we finally felt like this is the South America we expected.

The people looked different with darker, more ragged skin, hunched, stooped postures and intense dark eyes. The long black platted hair, thick tights, pleated skirts and bowler hats of the women replaced the more “western” look of the Argentineans. Yet something brilliant was hiding underneath this façade and as we have come to understand more about Bolivia and its people we have realised that this is a nation of strength, community and of life.

The small, dusty and “wild west” town of Tupiza was our first official stop in Bolivia which involved a 4 hour train ride from the boarder town of Villazon. The trains from Villazon to Tupiza (and further north) only run on some days of the week so we were lucky that we were travelling on a Wednesday. No one really seemed to know for sure if the train would be running but as luck would have it, the 2005 timetable I had found on the internet was still in operation!

We were unsure of what to expect of the train but were pleasantly surprised when we found our seats in a coach with a TV and were told that we would have a complimentary drink and snack included in our ticket price! Admittedly, we did go for the more expensive ticket (it cost about 5 GBP each!) but even still, we were very impressed!

We arrived in to Tupiza in early evening and as the sun was setting and the cold evening was coming in, we realised that this was going to be a very different experience to Argentina! Later that night we went out for dinner and once again noticed that the people lived much more traditionally here. The women wore long colourful pleated skirts, white blouses under a thick knitted throw or jumper whilst the men wore old trousers, traditional handmade rubber sandals and ponchos. We saw the local women carrying bundles on their backs wrapped in brightly coloured shawls. It took us a while to realise that most of the “bundles” were actually children asleep against their mother’s back!

Most people stay in little Tupiza for 24 hours as they then head off on a tour of the south west region. We stayed in Tupiza for 3 days as poor Deep has been suffering from a bad kidney infection. We were very fortunate that the owner of the hostel we were staying in was a Doctor so he was able to prescribe Deep some medication and we were soon on our way to our next destination, Uyuni.

Uyuni is also generally used by travellers as a base for exploring further a field but we wanted to stop there for the main attraction of the “Salar de Uyuni” - the salt flats. We booked an organised tour to visit the salt flats as it’s nearly impossible to visit them off your own steam. The world’s largest salt flat (12,000 sq km) was undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking things we have seen on this trip. The blindingly white salt flats go on as far as the eye can see and only by standing on the white desert can you really appreciate its enormity.

During our tour we were also taken to “Isla de los Pescadores” (Fish Island) which is a giant cactus-filled island in the middle of the salt flats. After a short climb (difficult at altitude!) we reached the peak of the island which offered us amazing 360 degree views of the surrounding area.

We were pleased to be taken to the very first salt “hotel” which used to house several rooms for tourists seeking a unique salt experience! The whole hotel is made of salt so this includes the walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, etc, etc. Unfortunately, due to environmental damage the hotel was closed down but it’s now used as a museum. A new, more modern and environmentally friendly salt hotel has been built for keen tourists to use.

Following our stay in Uyuni we headed further north to Sucre, the judicial capital of Bolivia. We travelled by bus which was basic to say the least and over the bumpy, unsealed roads was very uncomfortable! Having said that, the journey offered fantastic views of the marble-like mountains, rust coloured soil and red clay in addition to wild llama roaming the landscape. Unfortunately, despite the views, the journey to Sucre was long and arduous as we got stuck in a road protest by local bus divers 5km outside of Potosi. No one could tell us why the protest was happening but it basically meant that the road was closed to buses for the next 5 or 6 hours.

Rather than wait for the block to be cleared, we decided to walk in to Potosi where we would meet our connecting bus to Sucre. Many of the people on the bus also decided to do this but with an altitude of 4060m, the world’s highest city was a challenge to reach with steep cobbled paths and very heavy backpacks! We managed to get a taxi about a third of the way in to our walk and after finding another couple to travel with; we got another taxi to Sucre.

Sucre is a Unesco Cultural Heritage site and with its stunning architecture and pretty plazas, it’s easy to see why. The small, narrow roads and white washed buildings are reminiscent of a typical historic town in the UK. Deep and I both thought Sucre reminded us of Bath and so we immediately felt at home there!

We had decided to stay in Sucre for two weeks in order to do a Spanish language course. After looking around the city we knew it was the right place for us to stay and started our Spanish lessons the very next day. We decided to take our lessons through a non-profit school which ploughs the money it makes from tourists back in to the community to help less privileged children. We liked the school’s philosophy and were also keen to help teach English in our spare time.

Our lessons were for 4 hours a day (for 10 days) and whilst we only learnt the basics we can at least understand more of what is being said to us and order more than just a drink! We were also able to help the school by teaching English to local children at night time. The kids were great fun to be with and were a pleasure to teach. It was a real eye opener for us and in many ways reminded us of the school we had previously visited in Madhubani, India.

We left Sucre on 23 April and got a night bus to the Capital City, La Paz. We were somewhat disappointed to find out that they had locked the toilet on the bus and refused to let anyone use it! As you can imagine, the 11 hour journey was a little tedious and meant that the 3 toilet breaks we were given consisted of squatting on the side of the road!

We arrived in to La Paz early morning on 24 April and stayed there for 4 nights in total. After a little snooze following our overnight bus journey we spent our first day exploring the city. We wanted to visit the infamous San Pedro prison which we had heard other tourists had managed to do (unofficially). Unfortunately we were told that no one was being let in at that time so we will just have to read the book “marching powder” to find out what it’s really like inside!.

On our second day in La Paz Deep went on a day’s adventure trip to cycle “The World’s Most Dangerous Road” from La Cumbre to Coroico. The cycling trip is a hairy and precarious 66km’s downhill along predominantly unsealed, gravel road. It’s called “the world’s most dangerous road” because apparently during the ‘90’s it had the most fatalities per year than any other road in the world and it traverses the side of a cliff that drops up to 600ms. Since then, a new and much safer road has been constructed although some crazy locals still use the old route along with numerous bike companies offering fast thrills of its descent.

Deep started the track at a heady 4700ms above sea level at which point it was apparently snowing and very cold! After the group “blessed” their bikes (and themselves) with a shot of 96% proof local alcohol they started their descent! The experience sounded incredible - if not very dirty and wet as they got to cycle through rivers and waterfalls! The group ended up in an animal sanctuary which houses all sorts of different neglected animals. I was quite gutted as I missed out on seeing their spider monkeys but Deep took a few pictures for me anyway!

Most importantly, Deep survived the day trip and can now proudly wear his “I survived the world’s most dangerous road” t shirt!. After seeing some of the shots of the road he cycled and the sheer drops on either side of it I’m glad I stayed in the city!

On our last day in La Paz we took a local mini bus out to the “Valle de la Luna” (valley of the moon). La Paz was the first place we had seen such a vast number of private mini buses shuttling locals and tourists around the city. On the corner of nearly every main road you can see nothing but a sea of white mini buses with the heads of locals sticking out the middle window shouting out their next destination! They are usually packed full as people jump in and out at their convenience.

The Valle de la Luna is a valley consisting of a set of bizarrely eroded canyons and pinnacles which (surprise, surprise) look somewhat like the surface of another planet. The rock formations are a peculiar site and if you look closely enough you can see shapes and figures of animals and people.

Following our stay in La Paz we got an early bus to Copacabana, a small town situated on the southern shore of the massive and beautiful Lake Titicaca. Copacabana is predominantly used as a base for the “Isla del Sol” which is one of the many Islands to visit in the lake. Lake Titicaca itself is a massive 230km long and 97km wide and is reminiscent of an inland sea. Due to its enormity, Lake Titicaca straddles both Bolivia and Peru and from its shores, you could almost be looking out to a sea of crystal blue.

We took the obligatory day trip out to the Isla del Sol which is a legendary Inca site and apparently birthplace of the sun in Inca mythology. The Island is dotted with several villages which tourists can visit or walk through during their visit. After a very slow 2 hour boat trip on a small local vessel, we were dropped off at the northern end of the Island and then made our way on foot across its crest to the southern side. The walk was more difficult than we had first envisaged as we had to climb up many of the rolling mountains along the Island’s centre which took a total of around 4 hours. The climbing wasn’t as challenging as some of the walks/hikes we have undertaken but it was the altitude that made this particular walk more demanding. We were rewarded with the most beautiful views of the Island and Lake Titicaca so whilst it was tough going we were pleased to have been able to see the surrounding area.

From Copacabana we took a long bus ride to Cusco in Peru which is where we are now. More about that in our next update…

TTFN chicos!!!

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