I don´t even know how to begin. I just had what may have been my best adventure in South America so far. It started by crossing the border from La Quiaca in Argentina to Villazon. The border crossing was very easy, the only annoyance is that we americans get to pay 135 USD to enter while every other person gets to pass for free. I met a couple of canadians and a girl from the US so we all crossed together. We then hung out all day and waited for a train to Tupiza. After a beautiful relaxing ride, I exit the train and would-you-look-at-that, I run into an Aussie I met in Salta, Neville (I am surely on the gringo trail). I followed him back to his hostel and crashed there, but not before booking my 4 day 4WD Jeep tour through Southern Bolivia to Uyuni, home of the worlds infamous salt falt. Before I start, I want to let you know that I was the only tourist, out of 9 of us (there is another jeep we were traveling with with holding an Aussie and 3 kids from England), that can speak Spanish well enough to understand the guides. I therefore was the translator for the group (Joao don´t laugh)!! I wasn´t so stoked about it at first, but then again, it was GREAT practice and clearly I am speaking the language well which is good good good!!!
Day1: Leaving Tupiza at about 9am, we boarded our jeep, we being two Israelis, Lital and Uval, a Frenchie, Karim, myslef, and Nev. Ohh yes and we can not forget our driver, Edwin, and our lovely cook, Maura. We start our journey going up up up into the mountains. About 4000m´s (thats about 2.5 miles) up into the Andes!! What a ride. It was slow, but beautiful. We stopped at what is called sillar, which essentially was a valley
and then Puerta del Diablo (The devils Gate). Stopping in a small town, San Pablo Lípez, I was suckered into giving two Bolivian girls the rest of my change to support their playing volleyball and basketball and subsequently was followed by three boys and convinced to take a picture with them, cute:) This day is kind of hazy to me now, we were driving for so long and did not stop too often. Alas, we stopped in a town, San Antonio Lípez, to sleep and enjoyed a great meal, courtesy of Maura, and cards (shithead-the official travelers game with too many varieties to debate and play my way)!!
Day2: Offically the best day of the trip (even though the salt flats were quite incredible). We started at 4:30 in the morning, and arrived to the place where we would sleep at 6 pm....Looong day! We first entered Puebla Fantasmo (Ghost Town). Here there were ruins of an Incan civilization, taken over by the Spanish due to the richness in gold and silver. It is thought that now if you were to stay there you would go mad because it is haunted, I think it is probably just because of the altitude ;)Laguana Morejón, Salare Chalviri (a much smaller flat than the one in Uyuni) were our next sites followed by Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde, which lay before Volcano Licanabur. The volcano was home to an Incan civilization. To keep the sun rising they would sacrafice children by pushing them into the volcano. Half-way through the day we arrived to the Termas (thermal pools), however; unlike the other pool in Jujuy, we could only spend 15 min in here due to the high concertation on minerals including Borax (used to make glass). We bathed, we ate (yet another fantastic lunch provided by Maura), and Maura did my hair in braids with the classic Bolivian beads I purchased in Villazon!! Working on fitting in here ;)
Following lunch we headed to the peak, as far as altitude (5000m or 3.1miles), of the trip, the Geysers!!! Due to the volcanos there are boiling deposits of pressurized water in deep holes with steam arising. Here the rocks become full of color. Quite a spectatuclar vision, and smelly too!! Lastly, we arrived to my most favorite location, Laguna Colorada. Imagine a lake full of all the colors of the rainbow (due to the high concentrations of borax, salt, and other minerals), with mountains in the distance and flaminogs amid...can you? No? Let me show you... (here is where you would want to look at FB, hehe)
We slept in Hullajara, close to the lake, in the middle of the desert where the temperatures dropped below 32 degrees F. Burrrrr....
Day3: This days started just like every other, before the sun rose. Our first stop was to arbol de piedra. This literally translates to rock trees. They are unique rock transformations that mimic trees in the middle of a desert, which are, of course, surrounded by the Andes mountians. Venturing forward we visitied many lakes, one of which is used to make soap. We saw another volcano (Volcan Ollagüe) and had lunch in San Cristobál. San Cristobál is worth mentioning becuase it has one of the oldest churches which was completly rebuilt, and we were able top climb up onto it, fun fun! We ended the day in Colchari, a little town close to the flats enabling us to go to the flats for the sunset!! Our hostel, located off the flat, therefore enviromentally consious, was completely made of salt, the ground was salt the tables, chair, beds, etc....All except the toilet, which was a simple hole in the ground, always fun :) We quickly enjoyed some tea and cookies and headed to flat for the sunset. You will notice that at this time of the year it is wet so the flats are under water, which makes for amazing photos due to the reflection!! The downside, we were unable to drive through the middle of the flats, guess I´ll have to go back one day and see them dry! (FB)
AHHHhhh, like nothing I have seen before. A few fun facts for you geeks: the salare is the worlds largest and highest salt flat in the world. It is 12,000 km squared, sits a 3650m high, and is as deep as 125m, as discovered today, and compasses do not work here!
Day4: We started the day at 5:30 and went straight to the salare for sun rise, followed by breakfast at the salt hotel in the middle of the flat, and took picture after picture after picture. What a great day: we laughed, we danced (to MJ), the energy was high, and it ended a trip that I am sure none of us are soon to forget :) Driving back to Uyuni, I was ready to start my next adventure, but it was bittersweet. We had our last lunch together and said our good bye. I nearly cried saying good bye to my dearest Maura, I think she was close to tears too. We hugged for a long time. I will miss her so much. She asked us all ¨will you please return one day to Bolivia¨, I will!!
Now I just depàrted from Potosi, which is a whole adventure in itself. I spent 4 nights here! But not the best four nights of my trip thats for sure. I spent two nights in pain, extremely sick. Inside my belly was gremlin having its way with my intestines...ughhh felt like death. Until Saturday afternoon I had been bed ridden and visiting the toilet every hour. But after 48 hours and some modern medicine (holler Dee), I am beginning to feel better. Thank you to those of you who gave me sympathy, I was very homesick and despertly needed it. On Saturday I finally exited the hostel and went to a thermal pool "ojo del inca" (eye of the inca) just outside the city AND I finally ate after not eating for 2 and a half days!! WOO-HOO!! The thermal pool was amazing it started at about 1.5 meteres and dropped dramatically to 22m (66ft), like a cone shape. The heat comes form the center of the lake! The landscape surrounding the water was colorful and tranquil. We left the terma in a jeep with a Belgium guy and his parents who drove us half way back to Potosi. Returing to the city we hitched a ride with a Bolivian family to the center. To cap the evening a German, a Belgin, two Norwegins, Nev (who has been terribly sick as well), and myself made dinner, shared wine, and played music in the street. I am now in Sucre, tomorrow I will explore the city and then head to... I have no idea!! ahhh the life of traveling...
P.S. Dee will be here in 12 days!!!!!! WOOOOOOO!!!! Will be nice to see a sister
Until next time, Cheers, Andrea
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