Bolivia
June 28 - July 3, 2010
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After the Galapagos, we headed to Bolivia for the next chapter of our trip. We flew into La Paz at 1am, and went through the best customs and immigration checkpoint we have ever seen - we were through in a couple of minutes! Driving to our hotel downtown was interesting: the airport is at around 4000 meters elevation, and downtown is 3600... coming from sea level, we felt it!

Right away the next day, we arranged tickets for a night bus to Uyuni, the town used as a base for Salar de Uyuni tours - something that was on my list ever since my friend Theo had gone there and I had seen his pictures. Hanging out & walking around La Paz was pretty fun - it's a busy city, and people are quite friendly! Except for a crazy German that we ran into at lunch... it was probably the weirdest hour of our lives (story must be told in person)!

Salar de Uyuni

We arrived in Uyuni early in the morning, and met with the girl who owned the tour company we were using (born & lived in Uyuni all her life!) After having breakfast and waiting around for a while, eventually our driver showed up and we grouped up with another 4 people, for a total of 6 in our Toyota LandCruiser! It was pretty cozy, but comfortable. After meeting everyone, we embarked on our 3-day tour!

On the first day, we first visited the local train cemetery, after which we drove through the salar, stopping in a couple of places to take pictures. It is a pretty amazing place, words would not do it justice... but the contrast of the white salt flats and the vividly blue skies is pretty unique! We spent the night in a small community, where all the buildings were built from salt blocks... typical for the area. Before it got dark, we walked around trying to find a shop to buy beer, and we ran into a bunch of military guys (there are a lot of military bases in the area, as it's very close to the Chilean border). It was a funny sight, with 50+ guys hanging out in the back of a military truck waiting for the 3 army generals to finish chugging beers inside. We talked with the generals for an hour, drinking beer and listening to them describe how Bolivia is the greatest country on earth. Priceless experience, really...

On Day 2, we visited a bunch of lakes and finished in Laguna Colorada, where we spent the night... I ate some bad food and spent half of the night running back and forth between the bed and the freezing (and disgusting) toilet - urgh. Finally at about 3am, I was able to sleep until our 5am wake-up call, and then shockingly, I felt completely fine - even managing to eat breakfast! We started off with some beautiful geysers, and went to Laguna Verde, next to which we stopped at the hot springs - a nice treat. After dropping the girls off on the Chilean border (where they hoped for a bus to show up to pick them up), we made our way back to Uyuni, enjoying the beauty of the Bolivian Antiplano one last day. After a dinner at Minuteman Pizza, we were on the night bus again, this time to La Paz!

We spent a day decompressing in La Paz, walking around a bit... watched the Brazil vs Holland game in the big square, visited the coca museum, and took it easy. The next day, we were up very early again, off to Lake Titicaca!

Lake Titicaca

Despite being on a very tight schedule, we wanted to at least see Lake Titicaca, and we decided we can fit it in. We made it to Copacabana around noon, had lunch and took the ferry to Isla del Sol (the lake's largest island). We had a guide who had amazing English, who explained fascinating history, and walked us through some of the ruins. A couple of hours later, we headed back to the mainland, from where we jumped on another bus to Puno, Peru.

We got to Puno at around 2-3am, pretty tired, and transferred to another bus to Cuzco. This second bus was really crappy, was completely packed, and our window was broken - so we were getting a constant blast with freezing air from the outside. That was the most miserable night we had, and needless to say, we did not get any sleep. Of course, getting to Cuzco was not the end of our journey - we had booked 7am tickets to go to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, where we were spending a night. We first dropped our bags off at Loki, the hostel we stayed at (quite nice!)

Next: Cuzco and Machu Picchu!

  La Paz The changing of the guards  
  La Paz The changing of the guards

  Jaen street, the only remaining colonial-style street in La Paz  
  Jaen street, the only remaining colonial-style street in La Paz

  Cute cafe Amazing sprawl up the hills in every direction  
  Cute cafe Amazing sprawl up the hills in every direction

   
 

   
 

  Rail graveyard  
  Rail graveyard

  A 75 series troopy LandCruiser, a rare sight even in South America  
  A 75 series troopy LandCruiser, a rare sight even in South America

  Demonstrating salt production The whole bag of salt packets sells for about $1 USD Drying the salt after being picked up (first step)  
  Demonstrating salt production The whole bag of salt packets sells for about $1 USD Drying the salt after being picked up (first step)

  Hard at work  
  Hard at work

   
 

  The salt hotel  
  The salt hotel

  Salt bedroom  
  Salt bedroom

   
 

   
 

   
 

  These guys were up to 15-20 meters high! Lunch break at the island  
  These guys were up to 15-20 meters high! Lunch break at the island

  For scale A salt beach  
  For scale A salt beach

  An island in the ocean of salt  
  An island in the ocean of salt

   
 

  A  
  A "pig"!

  We drank a few beers with the Bolivian military. This guy was their boss/general Chugging beers and listening to rants about how Bolivia is the greatest country on earth :)  
  We drank a few beers with the Bolivian military. This guy was their boss/general Chugging beers and listening to rants about how Bolivia is the greatest country on earth :)

  The other 40-50 guys in the truck were waiting for over an hour, and at this point the truck started driving away But the bottle had to be finished Time to go back to the military base :)  
  The other 40-50 guys in the truck were waiting for over an hour, and at this point the truck started driving away But the bottle had to be finished Time to go back to the military base :)

  If you look closely, you'll see a flume of smoke from this somewhat active volcano  
  If you look closely, you'll see a flume of smoke from this somewhat active volcano

  Can't help it...  
  Can't help it...

  Flat tire: not a rare occurance  
  Flat tire: not a rare occurance

  Vicuña, a type of llama  
  Vicuña, a type of llama

   
 

  Flamingos! A 60 series LandCruiser, not too common anymore (mostly replaced by 80's)  
  Flamingos! A 60 series LandCruiser, not too common anymore (mostly replaced by 80's)

   
 

  More vicugnas  
  More vicugnas

  A tiny LandCruiser in the vast desert  
  A tiny LandCruiser in the vast desert

   
 

  Some bouldering!  
  Some bouldering!

   
 

   
 

  Laguna Colorada (red). Whatever is in that water, probably should not drink it :)  
  Laguna Colorada (red). Whatever is in that water, probably should not drink it :)

  Sunrise on day 3  
  Sunrise on day 3

  Gaysers! We walked right next to these crazy fumaroles You could see bubbling mud!  
  Gaysers! We walked right next to these crazy fumaroles You could see bubbling mud!

  Moon-like  
  Moon-like

  Hot springs!  
  Hot springs!

  It is -10 C. It took a few minutes of contemplation to do this! Committed Glen goes for it too, representing for Vancouver  
  It is -10 C. It took a few minutes of contemplation to do this! Committed Glen goes for it too, representing for Vancouver

  Bliss  
  Bliss

  Getting out was hard, but had to get done Feet deep in the hottest water  
  Getting out was hard, but had to get done Feet deep in the hottest water

  The gang, freezing  
  The gang, freezing

  A somewhat dodgy border office  
  A somewhat dodgy border office

  We dropped the girls off at the border, waiting for their bus into Chile Laguna Colorada again, from the other side  
  We dropped the girls off at the border, waiting for their bus into Chile Laguna Colorada again, from the other side

  Poor picture, but these guys were on a bike tour - hardcore! Coca Cola signs everywhere in this country! But nothing was open :)  
  Poor picture, but these guys were on a bike tour - hardcore! Coca Cola signs everywhere in this country! But nothing was open :)

  A hostel The crazy streets of La Paz Watched the Brazil vs Holland game in this square  
  A hostel The crazy streets of La Paz Watched the Brazil vs Holland game in this square

  A street vendor in La Paz had all of these Google t-shirts! Priceless The coca museum was worthwhile a visit  
  A street vendor in La Paz had all of these Google t-shirts! Priceless The coca museum was worthwhile a visit

  The Witches Market in La Paz had all of these llama fetuses. Apparently, you bury them in the foundation of your house for good luck! Lake Titicaca  
  The Witches Market in La Paz had all of these llama fetuses. Apparently, you bury them in the foundation of your house for good luck! Lake Titicaca

  Cordillera Real Getting off on Isla del Sol  
  Cordillera Real Getting off on Isla del Sol

  Lake Titicaca & Cordillera Real as seen from Isla del Sol  
  Lake Titicaca & Cordillera Real as seen from Isla del Sol

   
 

   
 

   
 

   
 

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