Its probably a bit cheeky to try and fit in a the journey through one country into one blog, but Bolivia was a big journey.
I´ve always thought that borders are a little ridiculous. Just crossing a line, or a river or a mountain range and suddenly you are in a different country and everything changes. And so that was my opinion before crossing from La Quiaca in Argentina to Villazon in Bolivia. A dry river bed divided the customs offices and the two villages. 50 steps and we were in Bolivia and it was actually all a little different. The obvious changed, such as the money, we now used bolivianos, but the people were noticably more indigenous in appearance, much darker skinned and almost all of the women were dressed in the typical outfit: shin length skirt, colourful shawl and a bowler hat. After our experience in Paraguay I was a little apprehensive about border towns and felt so as we walked through the streets. It was Saturday morning and the village was lively and to add to this there was a fiesta with children dressed in various traditional costumes dancing through the streets to marching bands. The pavements were lined with stalls selling interesting foods and drinks, however I decided that my stomach wasnt up to the challenge of such gastronamy.
From Villazon we caught the train to Uyuni where we had been recommended a three day tour of the salt flats and antiplano. The train slowly cruised through the dry red and orange coloured surroundings. Every once in a while in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere we would see a shepard and his flock, which always left us wondering how they got there and from where had they come. There were no bridges on the railway line and the train followed the contours of the valley. We passed small settlements all made of adobe with adobe bricks drying outside.
Uyuni
Almost everything seems like a challenge whilst travelling. We stepped off the train at midnight and were surrounded by people wishing to take us to their acommodation. We asked for some time to think and their response was to step back half a metre, listen and stare at us. So late in the day this felt like hard work but I´ve learnt some valuable lessons and skills: bartering and being exactly sure with whom I want to spend my money with.The next time I´m in a hotel in the UK I think I´ll leave the staff a little perplexed: ¨so you can´t give me the room for ten pounds less?, let me just check the bed, is there hot water? and does it run all day? what exactly does breakfast include?? But at least I´ll try and make my money go as far as possible and will value every pound.
We booked our tour with Andrea Tours (I recommend them and if anybody goes ask for Mario the driver and his girlfriend/cook Paulina) and on Monday morning we climbed into the 4x4 with our new friends: Sandra from Germany, Anna from Iceland, and Koen and Natalia from Holland. We spent the next three days together, along with the other twenty groups doing exactly the same tour and countless hours in the jeep together.
I´ll let the photos do the talking, otherwise this will end up as long as my dissetation.
Anyway, we finished the three days having visited magnificent dazzling white salt plains, active volcanoes, geysers, thermal pools and beautiful green salt lakes. We were also sick and tired of being squashed into a vehicle and of desert, dust and dryness. That night we hopped onto the train to Oruro. The journey took a little longer as a train had deralied and at 6am we were changed trains with the people heading South to Uyuni.
Another bus journey and we were in La Paz. On our way there we had finally begun to see some green grass, running rivers and even more spectaculary the snow covered peaks of the Cordillera Real. In La Paz we checked into a hotel, which although was basic felt like a complete luxury after our days in Uyuni. I dont think I´ve been so happy to see a shower and a good be in such a long time. We only spent the night in La Paz but I left with a great impression of the city and with a desire to return one day.
Entering La Paz was really a striking experience. We passed through the antiplano, the poorer town lying above La Paz. The streets were chaotic, whole families travelled in open top lorries, electrical cables zig-zagged the city in a perilous looking manner, numerous street walls had Eva (Eva Morales President of Bolivia) Cumple, Eva Si, minibuses carried far too many people all to the sound of a symphony of car horns. The bus dropped into the valley in which La Paz is situated and we saw many half completed houses-the metal supports of the second storey ready for when there is enough money to continue building, people risking their lives to cross the streets (not even children are respected pedestrians), street shoe shinners looking sinister in their black baloclavas. Young children were in the street doing every job imaginable.
Walking the streets we were offered all sorts of contraband and women by numerous people. Dried llama feotus hung from shop windows-they are burried underneath a house when construction begins. We walked breathlessly through the chaotic streets watching the nightlife go bye.
Even though we spent so little a time in Bolivia I left with a great impression. The rural people were very quiet, humble and respectful. We were always left in peace to wander the streets and view people going on with their lives. As for La Paz, only another visit will tell me more.
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