Baasje and I are taking a break in La Paz before having to start the journey home. We spent the morning taking in the Folkloric and National Art museums and plan to spend the last of our Bolivianos in the mercado this afternoon. Everything seems so inexpensive, I think I may have a hard time restraining myself. How do you say no to a beautiful hand woven alpaca scarf for $5US, or a huge one-of-a-kind hand woven wall hanging made of naturally dyed wools for $28, or a cozy pair of hand knit alpaca leg warmers for $3, etc., etc.?
In some ways it feels like we´ve been here for months and in others ways the time has just flown by. Between the altitude sickness, polluted city streets, severe sun burns, freezing cold nights in the dessert, and accomodiations with limited facilities, I´ve viewed the most unbelievably beautiful landscapes, encountered experiences that will stay with me forever and met wonderful people who, beyond the hardships they endure in their day-to-day lives, manage to be the most gracious and welcoming hosts. Gracias, Bolvia!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
May 19, 20, 21 - Salar de Uyuni and National Reserve Eduardo Avaroa by Landrover
Day 1
Depart from Uyuni
Colchani
Isla Pescado
Overnight in San Juan
Day 2
Depart from San Juan
Ollague Volcano
Canapa, Chiar Kota, Hedionda, Ramaditas
Desert and Arbol de Piedra
Laguna Colarada
Overnight near Laguna Colarada
Day 3
Depart from Laguna Colarada
Sol de Manana (geysers)
Hot Springs
The Valley of Dali
Laguna Verde
Valley of Rocks
Return to Uyuni
We´ve just returned to Uyuni after spending three days touring the Southern Altiplano (3 days travel, 2 nights accomodation and all meals included, cost $95US). The scenery was out of this world and every day seemed completely different from the last. On Sunday it was the endless white expanse of the Salar and the giant catus plants of Isla del Pascado. On Monday we visited an active volcano and three lagunas and entered the red desert landscape that most people associate with Bolivia. Today the geothermic pools and erradic rock formations we visited made it feel like we´d travelled to Mars.
There were seven of us in the landrover - Max and Viviana from Italy, Jess and Jane from Britain, Baasje and I, and our driver, Juan, who had a very dry sense of humour and was a half decent cook to boot. We had a fine time experiencing the rustic charms of back country accomodiation in Bolivia - last night sleeping all together in one room in a pensione near Laguna Colarado without heat and only very basic toilet facilities was particarly special.
Our overnight bus back to La Paz will be leaving in a few minutes, so I´ve got to wrap it up here. I´ll post pics once we reach the city - after I take a long hot shower. Ciao for now!
Depart from Uyuni
Colchani
Isla Pescado
Overnight in San Juan
Day 2
Depart from San Juan
Ollague Volcano
Canapa, Chiar Kota, Hedionda, Ramaditas
Desert and Arbol de Piedra
Laguna Colarada
Overnight near Laguna Colarada
Day 3
Depart from Laguna Colarada
Sol de Manana (geysers)
Hot Springs
The Valley of Dali
Laguna Verde
Valley of Rocks
Return to Uyuni
We´ve just returned to Uyuni after spending three days touring the Southern Altiplano (3 days travel, 2 nights accomodation and all meals included, cost $95US). The scenery was out of this world and every day seemed completely different from the last. On Sunday it was the endless white expanse of the Salar and the giant catus plants of Isla del Pascado. On Monday we visited an active volcano and three lagunas and entered the red desert landscape that most people associate with Bolivia. Today the geothermic pools and erradic rock formations we visited made it feel like we´d travelled to Mars.
There were seven of us in the landrover - Max and Viviana from Italy, Jess and Jane from Britain, Baasje and I, and our driver, Juan, who had a very dry sense of humour and was a half decent cook to boot. We had a fine time experiencing the rustic charms of back country accomodiation in Bolivia - last night sleeping all together in one room in a pensione near Laguna Colarado without heat and only very basic toilet facilities was particarly special.
Our overnight bus back to La Paz will be leaving in a few minutes, so I´ve got to wrap it up here. I´ll post pics once we reach the city - after I take a long hot shower. Ciao for now!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
May 16 to 19, La Paz - Sucre - Potosi - Uyuni
After four days of travel we´ve finally come accross a reliable internet connection, in Uyuni of all places - a tiny stop-over town on the Southern Altiplano. We´re taking a short break here before heading out on a three day land rover tour across the Salar de Uyuni (the world´s highest salt flat lake).
The day after we returned to La Paz from Copacabana we flew to Sucre, a relaxed town with a University feel and lots of beautiful Colonial architecture. We spent the night in a converted colonial manion in the main square and took a taxi to Potosi the next day (2 hour taxi ride, 35 Bolivianos per person, or $5US)
We spent a day in Potosi visiting the mercados. Nearby Cerro Rico mountain once produced enough silver and tin to finance the colonial Spanish empire. Now that the mine has been just about stripped, the town is a strange isolated outpost with streets filled with what was once beautiful architecture.
We took a public night bus to Uyuni (loud and interesting) and are now waiting to go on a tour of the Salt Flats. We´ve heard quite a bit about interesting landscapes and wildlife from other travellers and are looking forward to experiencing the trip first hand.
Now that we´re a bit further off the beaten track we´re finding the language barrier is a bit more of an obstacle but the Bolivians we come across are always patient in assisting us with stumbling through whatever it is we want to say. Perhaps we may become passably competant in Spanish after all...
The day after we returned to La Paz from Copacabana we flew to Sucre, a relaxed town with a University feel and lots of beautiful Colonial architecture. We spent the night in a converted colonial manion in the main square and took a taxi to Potosi the next day (2 hour taxi ride, 35 Bolivianos per person, or $5US)
We spent a day in Potosi visiting the mercados. Nearby Cerro Rico mountain once produced enough silver and tin to finance the colonial Spanish empire. Now that the mine has been just about stripped, the town is a strange isolated outpost with streets filled with what was once beautiful architecture.
We took a public night bus to Uyuni (loud and interesting) and are now waiting to go on a tour of the Salt Flats. We´ve heard quite a bit about interesting landscapes and wildlife from other travellers and are looking forward to experiencing the trip first hand.
Now that we´re a bit further off the beaten track we´re finding the language barrier is a bit more of an obstacle but the Bolivians we come across are always patient in assisting us with stumbling through whatever it is we want to say. Perhaps we may become passably competant in Spanish after all...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
May 14, 2008 - Yumani to Challampa
The hike across Isla del Sol from Yumani to Challampa was too beautiful for words. Honest. Okay I´m also too worn out after two days of hiking to write up a blog entry. I´ll post pics on Facebook...
May 13, 2008 - La Paz to Isla del Sol
Ate a quick breakfast and caught the bus to Copacabana at 7:30am. We met two Aussies on the bus, Ben and Bret from Sydney who are trying to 'do' six countries in six months before travelling to the UK to look for work and one British woman who has been travelling through SA doing volunteer work for the past few months. Ah, how sweet the song of the open road...
Our guide, Abraham took us a restaurant for a big meal as soon as we arrived in Copacabana. We had the set 'menu' - Bolivian soup, Lake Titicaca trout and bananas and chocolate for desert. After lunch we set out on an pre-Inca trail leading from Copacabana to Yampupata (28 km). HIking the foothills of the Andes for four hours can be summed up in one word, 'breathless' - as in breath-takingly beautiful and as in hiking up and down hills at 4,000 metres above sea level literally takes your breath away.
Our reward was coming to the end of the trail at a pre-Incan stone village with a terrific view of Isla del Luna. We toured the village and the local school with a few Bolivians Abraham was familiar with and their donkeys.
We took a private boat to Isla del Sol at sunset and gasped through one last climb to our cabana. Accomodations and food are superb.
Tomorrow is my birthday. We plan to hike across the island (21 km). It{s looking like the weather will be beautiful and Abraham has promised we'll take it easy on the hills...
3 Days, 2 Nights Copacabana
- Bus and ferry to Copacabana
- Guided pre-Inca trail hike
- Private boat to Isla del Sol (45 minutes)
- 2 nights deluxe accomodation at an eco-lodge
- Hiking tour across Isla del Sol
- Private boat returning to the eco-lodge
- Private boat to Inca ruins and return to Copacabana (1 hour)
- Bus and ferry return to La Paz
- All meals and snacks
- Private guide/translator
$253/per person (we decided to splurge in celebration of my birthday)
Our guide, Abraham took us a restaurant for a big meal as soon as we arrived in Copacabana. We had the set 'menu' - Bolivian soup, Lake Titicaca trout and bananas and chocolate for desert. After lunch we set out on an pre-Inca trail leading from Copacabana to Yampupata (28 km). HIking the foothills of the Andes for four hours can be summed up in one word, 'breathless' - as in breath-takingly beautiful and as in hiking up and down hills at 4,000 metres above sea level literally takes your breath away.
Our reward was coming to the end of the trail at a pre-Incan stone village with a terrific view of Isla del Luna. We toured the village and the local school with a few Bolivians Abraham was familiar with and their donkeys.
We took a private boat to Isla del Sol at sunset and gasped through one last climb to our cabana. Accomodations and food are superb.
Tomorrow is my birthday. We plan to hike across the island (21 km). It{s looking like the weather will be beautiful and Abraham has promised we'll take it easy on the hills...
3 Days, 2 Nights Copacabana
- Bus and ferry to Copacabana
- Guided pre-Inca trail hike
- Private boat to Isla del Sol (45 minutes)
- 2 nights deluxe accomodation at an eco-lodge
- Hiking tour across Isla del Sol
- Private boat returning to the eco-lodge
- Private boat to Inca ruins and return to Copacabana (1 hour)
- Bus and ferry return to La Paz
- All meals and snacks
- Private guide/translator
$253/per person (we decided to splurge in celebration of my birthday)
Monday, May 12, 2008
La Paz, Bolivia - May 12, 2008
Well, it only took about a day, a dozen asprin and a bag or two of pretzels to finally start pulling out of the altitude sickness haze.
Baasje and I got up today and walked down the main prado to a tourist agency recommended in the Rough Guide. We made arrangements for Copacabana - which we splurged a little on, on account of it being the spot where we´ll be celebrating my birthday - and Sucre, Potosi, Uyuni and the Salar. The flight to Sucre, the three day tour of the Salar including accomodation, tranportation and food and a ´tourist bus´ back to La Paz cost about $150.
We walked back down towards our hostel (Hostal Naira) and had lunch at a place called 100% Natural (sandwhich, papas fritas, fresh squeezed juice and tea for 44 Bolivianos, or about $6US).
After lunch we checked out the witchcraft mercado. The endless stalls, filled with everything from musical instruments to dried llama fetuses were, linked by arched doorways leading into beautiful central courtyards. The Cholo women who tend the stalls wear boler hats, huge skirs and bright shalls. I´ve posted a pic on Facebook. I´ll post more when I get back, but the internet connection is unbelievably slow. It takes about .5 hour to upload 3 pics! (I see what you were talking about, Cara!)
We also took in the Coca museum - too much information to post on the blog, but I will post some pics.
Baasje´s out buying a toque and checking our flight time. When he gets back we´ll go for dinner and then hit the hay early - we´ll be leaving for Copacabana at 7am tomorrow morning.
I´ll check in again when we reach the next place with internet access...
Baasje and I got up today and walked down the main prado to a tourist agency recommended in the Rough Guide. We made arrangements for Copacabana - which we splurged a little on, on account of it being the spot where we´ll be celebrating my birthday - and Sucre, Potosi, Uyuni and the Salar. The flight to Sucre, the three day tour of the Salar including accomodation, tranportation and food and a ´tourist bus´ back to La Paz cost about $150.
We walked back down towards our hostel (Hostal Naira) and had lunch at a place called 100% Natural (sandwhich, papas fritas, fresh squeezed juice and tea for 44 Bolivianos, or about $6US).
After lunch we checked out the witchcraft mercado. The endless stalls, filled with everything from musical instruments to dried llama fetuses were, linked by arched doorways leading into beautiful central courtyards. The Cholo women who tend the stalls wear boler hats, huge skirs and bright shalls. I´ve posted a pic on Facebook. I´ll post more when I get back, but the internet connection is unbelievably slow. It takes about .5 hour to upload 3 pics! (I see what you were talking about, Cara!)
We also took in the Coca museum - too much information to post on the blog, but I will post some pics.
Baasje´s out buying a toque and checking our flight time. When he gets back we´ll go for dinner and then hit the hay early - we´ll be leaving for Copacabana at 7am tomorrow morning.
I´ll check in again when we reach the next place with internet access...
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