A little bit of Bolivia

Persective shots fun!

The amazing Salar De Uyuni

People going about their business on the Plaza Murrillo

 

 

Cacti on the Salar De Uyuni

 

The train cemetery provided a stunning photo opportunity

After Cuzco I changed my original plan and decided to go to Bolivia. I'd met a girl who had been living in La Paz and I had long since wanted to visit Uyuni to see the salt flats. An overnight bus journey from Cuzco got me into La Paz for mid morning. I had booked a hostel which was within walking distance of the bus station and after checking in and freshening up I set off to explore the city.

LA Paz is a vibrant, colourful, frenetic South American city but one pretty easy to navigate. I explored on foot the first day then met my friend, Sarah, for dinner. On the second day I did a free walking tour once again which started outside the infamous San Pedro prison.This is the largest prison in La Paz and renowned for being a society within itself. The book Marching Powder, written by Rusty Young and published in 2003, describes the experiences of the British inmate Thomas McFadden who became known for offering prison tours to tourists. Significantly different from most correctional facilities, inmates at San Pedro have jobs inside the community, buy or rent their accommodation, and often live with their families.

We went through markets and a couple of the squares learning about the history and culture of the city. I was fascinated by the stalls selling dead baby llamas and foetuses. They are buried by Bolivians under their houses as a form of blessing. I loved seeing ordianary Bolivians going about their daily tasks and shopping at the market stalls. Women in traditional dress were commonplace, more so than in Peru. Once again, the tour did not disappoint. These type of tours of fantastic and take you to parts of cities you might not necessarily go and offer a wealth of local knowledge. Here is a link to the 'Red Cap' tour. http://www.redcapwalkingtours.com/

From La Paz, I booked an overnight bus to Uyuni. Time was really an issue now so I had to make the best use of it and the next few days were going to be full ones.

The journey to Uyuni proved to be one of the most uncomfortable I have ever endured. This was down to the extreme cold and the fact that the bus appeared to have no heating. The early morning arrival saw fellow travellers arriving frozen to the bone and the temperature displaying -12 degrees. It was between 4 and 5 am  and with a few fellow passengers we wandered the streets looking for any sign of life. There was literally one cafe open and a local woman, who obviously was used to the buses arriving early full of cold and tired passengers, was happy to show us to it. I've never been so happy to stand around a patio heater trying to thaw out.

I had booked a trip to La Salar De Uyuni (Salt Flats) from a travel agents in La Paz. With hindsight, I think it would be better to wait until arrival in Uyuni. There were travel agents a plenty, there was little else to this nearby town that acts as a gateway to the salt flats. It had the feel of a frontier town in the Wild West, partly due to the fact that mining is the principal source of income. Although tourists have long been visiting the area, it wasn't until around five years ago that interest grew in extracting the 5.4m tons of lithium which is found just below the surface of the salt.

The flats, located in Southern Bolivia near the country's Tunupa volcano make up the world's largest salt desert, around 11,000 km sq. 

Once I had waited, and waited and waited some more ( promptness and organisation don't seem particular priorities in Bolivia)  my trip was underway.

It was a surreal experience as the four wheel drive cruised through the Salt Flats to our first stop, the train cemetery where old rusting trains are a great photostop against the all white salt flat and blue sky backdrop. From here we made our way to the Ojos de Sal where water bubbles up from beneath the salt plains and piles of salt stand ready to be transported. We had lunch at the Salt Hotel before ending the day close to the Volcan Tunupa. Close by was a lake full of flamingoes and this again afforded a stunning g photo opportunity.

Accommodation on this trip was basic and the extreme cold meant it was an early night after a communal dinner. I had a sleeping bag and slept in every item of clothing I had, including a hat and gloves, just to keep warm.

Hiking the next day was stunning but hard work. The altitude really slowed me up once again. The afternoon gave me a chance to visit the giant cacti and have fun getting some great perspective shots. I've included some here.

The trip was a whistle stop one but so worth it. I headed back to Uyunj sharing a ride with another group as the sun started to set over the salt plains. I was booked on an overnight bus back

A butcher's shop in Laz Paz

to La Paz and had time for dinner with some people I'd met at the lodge the night before. Once back in La Paz it was another quick turnaround before I was Lima bound once more. Adios Bolivia.




Flamingoes

 

My Peruvian Adventure -part 2. The Lares trek to Machu Picchu

A view of Cuzco from the Plaza San Blas

I arrived in Cuzco on an overnight bus and met an American girl,  Sarah, at the bus station. She came with me to the hostel I had booked, Ecopackers (see link),  one of the best hostels I stayed in not only on this trip but in all my travels. A courtyard which warmed up as the sun rose overhead combined with a common room with log fires and some of the most helpful staff ever. I can't recommend this place enough should you find yourself in Cuzco. 

I had a couple of days to explore before my trek. The first day Sarah and I did a self guided tour, taking in the main sites of the city and a fantastic Mercado San Pedro market pictured here. 

On day two I did a free city walking tour. I've done a few of these over the years in various places and they are a great way to get off the beaten track a little and meet like minded people. Local guides offer plenty of insight and knowledge. This one did not disappoint starting at the Plaza de Armas and ending with a session on how to make a Pisco sour! And of course we got to drink the finished product. (See link). 

Early the following morning I was picked up by Carlos. I had met him for a briefing the previous evening and had been a little shocked to find out that I was the only person doing the trek. Known as the Lares trek (after the valley) it is a good alternative to the Inca Trail which is fully booked up to six months in advance. I was a little apprehensive to begin with but Carlos soon put me at ease and in some ways being the only hiker added to my experience. We started with breakfast by a river at the start of the valley just below 3000m. The highest point would take us just below 5000m. The first day was the easier of the two and to begin with I found relatively easy. I do a fair amount if hiking at home and I'm reasonably fit. But the altitude is something that you can't train or prepare for. It certainly slowed me down but on the first day the ascent seemed fairly gradual. We stopped for a long lunch ( the food prepared by two cooks was impressive) and the stretch to our first camp at the end of day one was only a couple  of hours. So far so good. 

The night was cold. Dinner was in a tent and I felt waited on in some style considering where we were! After we had eaten a four course dinner, Carlos told me to come out and see the stars. It was an incredible sight, quite breathtaking although I didn't hang around for too long as the cold was something else. We were expecting temperatures to get down to minus 15. I had on every item if clothing I possessed and had a good four season sleeping bag. I had a reasonable night and was ready for the early start next day. 

Day two was to be THE DAY. After a 5am wake up we were walking within an hour  and had hiked to our highest point by midday. The landscape was incredible, shrouded in mist and with many of the surrounding peaks covered in snow. Again, the altitude really slowed me down. We met plenty of llamas and alpacas and even a few people. The picture shows a woman weaving  and her child and dog. The only people you are likely to see in these remote spots are those responsible for animals which get brought down to lower altitude at night. Children like a young boy who came to out tent on the second night and with whom we shared our popcorn. See picture. 

After the ascent in the morning we descended for our lunch and had an hour of rest. But the afternoon saw more ascent and I began to struggle. I had to keep resting and the hiking until we got to camp took another 5 hours. It was hard and at times I felt I couldn't go on. It was dark by the time we arrived at camp. That evening the cold was once again severe but knowing the next day was going to be nothing in comparison was a relief. 

Day three was so much easier at we were descending and by the afternoon had arrived at some hot springs. Before we got there a local Andean community was having an inter village football tournament and we stayed for a chat and glass of fermented beer with a group of locals as pictured. Having a shower and relaxing in the natural hot pools did wonders for my aching muscles and I was starting to really feel a sense of achievement. Saying that, Ron who I met earlier into trip spent 53 nights on the mountain when he climbed Everest. This seems pretty pathetic in comparison.

There was then a transfer by road to the nearest town through stunning scenery before a train transfer to Agues Caliantes, the small town closest to Machu Picchu. 

I stayed in the sister Eco Packers backpackers which like the one in Cuzco, did not disappoint. I got in late after the 3 hour train ride but was in bed by midnight. I had to set my alarm for 4.30 to meet Carlos at 5am.

Seeing the sun rise over Machu Picchu is something I will never forget. It was truly special although the crowds were incredible. Carlos gave me a guided and informed tour for a couple of hours and then I had the rest of my time there to myself. As I was heading to the Sun Gate I bumped into Basio and Naomi who I had met earlier in my trip. We spent the next couple of hours together before saying our farewells once more. 

See my separate entry for a bit about the history of one of the worlds most fascinating historic icons. 

Sent from my iPhone

The magaificent Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu in the early light

Breakfast on day one

A Peruvian picnic

The team

A woman weaving in the high Andes

Getting higher

At the start of the trek

A view of the main Plaza de Armas in Cuzco 

Produce at the bustling Mercado San Pedro

I ran into friends Basia and her daughter NaomiEco Packers Hostel