Can you imagine an overweight, out of shape, fifty plus Grandma touring Bolivia with two attractive, slender, teenager girls. It did happen and we all survived.
Karmen and Jo are 19 and 18 respectively and experienced their first adventure in Bolivia. Coming from the modern North American world, it was a shock to find out that things do not happen on time or may not happen at all.
Carnaval is a South American experience that we didn´t think they should miss so we stayed
in Santa Cruz for the weekend. The parade was scheduled for Saturday night but was cancelled due to rain. We heard it was rescheduled for 5 the next evening but in the morning that paper said it would start at 10. So off we went. The girls were a bit of a sensation and became the target for friendly foam and water spraying. It didn´t take long for them to purchase there own cans of foam and retaliate. And you can guess what happened next. Everything was in good fun until the paint spraying started and none of us appreciated that. Although there is some respect for the older people, we did get some paint on our clothes. The parade finally came but by then we were hungrey, burnt, and tired and didn´t even stay for the whole thing. The three women suffered from the affects of sunburn for the next few weeks.
Plans were to travel. It was not possible to go to the house due to mud and silt dunes so we thought that after a couple of weeks things would be better. Jake headed home and the women headed off. Due to the amount of rain in Bolivia many of the roads were closed with mud slides.
Instead of taking the bus to Sucre as planned, we flew. Yes, it was a half hour ride instead of 8 hours by bus but we didn´t see the countryside. Sucre is a beautiful city and is the judicial capital of Bolivia. It is nestled in the hills (mountains) and is known as the white city. The hotel was downtown and close to the markets so the girls could shop to their hearts content. We didn´t do Sucre justice. We decided to go to a water fall which was supposely a twenty minute drive from the city. We were told that we could walk--not! It was more like an hour from the city center and would have included a long walk over many hills in the hot sun. We took a taxi and wondered if we would every find it. We didn´t. We saw the area in which the falls are located but would have had to hike for 3 hours to see the waterfall. I have a suspicion that there was a road to the falls but the taxi driver was unwilling to take it. We planned to go to the Children´s museum but it was closed. So much for Sucre.
On we went to Potosi, the highest city in the world and at one time, the richest city in the Americas. The economy is based on silver mining and the city has fallen on much harder times. We had the opportunity to tour the silver mine, an experience that I will leave to the younger crowd next time. It was mind boggling to imagine that people work in those conditions without the safety regulations that we are used to. We also toured the mint museum where all the money was made at one time. Although Potosi has a lot of history it is not as attractive as Sucre. It was good for me to visit this area since many of the people that we live with come from here.
Busses do not run frequently to the small community of Uyuni so we took the night bus -- another 8 hour ride through the darkness, arriving at 2 in the morning. Try finding a hotel at that time of night! We thought we had reserved a place but they didn´t receive the email. Thankfully we were able to find a place for three. There were still many people walking around looking for a place at that time of night but they were not willing to spend the money on a bit more expensive place. It costs us 45 bolivianos or about $5.50 to $6.00 each that night.
The next morning we left on the more interesting part of the trip, the Salar de Uyuni 3 day trip. The three of us, along with a couple from Denmark a
nd a young girl from France and the driver, loaded ourselves into a 4 wheel drive and started on the trek. Only a couple of kilometers out of town we hit the salt flats and from then on we had to have faith in the driver. Due to the amount of rain we were travelling through between 12 and 18 inches of water on top of the salt. Imagine what that does to the engines! At this point there were a lot of vehicles, all travelling in the same direction toward the Salt Hotel. This building is totalling made of salt -- the building, the beds, the tables, everything. But it is closed due to contamination. Imagine a building closed in Bolivia! They are now building a new faciltity with a better sewage system.
From the hotel we headed once again into the horizon - literally. I tried to determine how the driver knew where he was going but I could not find the landmarks. I imagine that after driving the same ´róad´for years, you know where you are going. At this stage there was no longer any water and we drove over salt. hearing it crunch under th
e tires. A delicious lunch of potatoes, llama, and veggies was served and after lunch we were encouraged to walk around Fish Island. We didn´t even make it half way around and turned back due to heat and tiredness from our time in the mine. Next time. This island, one of 63, is in the middle of the salt flats and is covered with cacti. From Fish Island we again headed into the horizon with much less company. Day trips only go to Fish Island and then return to Uyuni. After a couple of hours of driving through nothing but salt we arrived at some thing -- either another island or the edge of the salar. Our driver decided to take one of the roads and told us not to be scared. We were not sure of what but it soon became clear that we were driving through mud, the kind of mud we have in the community. It wasn´t long before the bald tires were covered in mud and we were stuck. Unlike North America, people don´t stop. It wasn´t until we sent out Karmen and Jo that another group stopped. They looked at the situation and said they w
ould send help from the village about a kilometer away. No one came. Thankfully a couple of other vehicles did stop and we finally got out. Now only to describe it. They took the spare tire off, placed it on the ground and put a 4 x 4 on top of it for more height. Then they took a long pole, placed it under the wheel nuts and leveraged the whole truck up. While a number were leveraging the truck, others placed rocks and boards under the tire until it was level with the road and then we could drive out. We arrived at our hotel in plenty of time and enjoyed a piping hot shower before our supper. Lights went out literally at 9.
Dawn came about 5:30 and we were on the road by 7. The salt flats were now behind us and we drove by small fields of quinoa and then nothing but desert type plants. The whole day was spent driving through some of the more desert areas of southern Bolivia. Some of it resembled the badlands of Alberta but the wind erosion was much more evident. One of the highlights were
the flamingos. We could not get as close to them as we would have liked but were able to get some good pictures. Unfortunately though, they all disappeared with the computer. By evening we were high up on the Altiplano and experienced some colder weather. All of us were bundled up in sweats and blankets. It is hard to believe that most tourists go here in the winter when the weather is down to -30C. There was no hot water and so no showers. But we did have electricity for two hours so some were able to charge batteries on cameras, I Pods, etc.
3:30 in the morning, What a time to get up. But we were to be on the road by 4:30 and we made it with a minute to spare. The first few hours were spent driving in the dark. The point was to
get down to the bottom of the park and then come back in the light. It was still dark when we passed the geysers and the cold and lack of light didn´t make it a great experience. The next stop was the hot springs. Although the water was warm there was a lot of algae present and that did not make the experienec that pleasant. But we can say that we sat in the hot spring in Bolivia. The rest of the day was a long drive back to Uyuni. I wished that there was more time for photo stops but it was not to be. The colors were a painter´s palette and there is no way to describe it. The rock formations were incredible. We did have a couple of incidents -- one was getting a little stuck in a creek and th
e other was a flat tire when we were about an hour out of town. I know that there are not many tools in the vehicles in Bolivia and understood that we did not have a spade or shovel when we were stuck in the mud, but not having a jack was something else. Thankfully, again, another vehicle stopped and helped us. We made it back to Uyuni safely and spent the next few hours waiting for the train to Oruro.
If there were train service throughout Bolivia, I would use it. This was a wonderfully smooth ride without all the stops. We travelled through part of the night, leaving at about 3 in the morning and getting to Oruro at about 9:30. The scenery around the lake was beautiful and it was a relaxing ride. From the train station in Oruro we had to go the bus station. Things were very busy and hectic there and during this hassle I had my computer stolen. What a way to end a good vacation! We could not change our tickets so had to leave right away so I could not even look for it. Not only was my computer taken but also all the cords to the rest of my electronic equipment and my identification. However, our passports are in La Paz so we still have those. Somehow I will survive without Bolivian ID until I leave again. The scenery from Oruro to Cochabamba is absolutely gorgeous but the whole trip was shadowed by the loss of the computer and by the infomercial guys who were selling health supplements, videos, and hand cream. What a way to travel. Our ears are still ringing.
We arrived in Coch, spent a day there, and planned to take the bus to Yapacani. But it was not to be. The roads were still closed, or closed again, due to mud slides so we ended up flying back. In all honesty, I don´t think any of us minded that we were not spending another 8 hours on the bus. We arrived safely back in Santa Cruz and spent the night in wonderful beds at the New Tribes Mission. What a treat to be back.
Karmen and Jo are 19 and 18 respectively and experienced their first adventure in Bolivia. Coming from the modern North American world, it was a shock to find out that things do not happen on time or may not happen at all.
Carnaval is a South American experience that we didn´t think they should miss so we stayed
in Santa Cruz for the weekend. The parade was scheduled for Saturday night but was cancelled due to rain. We heard it was rescheduled for 5 the next evening but in the morning that paper said it would start at 10. So off we went. The girls were a bit of a sensation and became the target for friendly foam and water spraying. It didn´t take long for them to purchase there own cans of foam and retaliate. And you can guess what happened next. Everything was in good fun until the paint spraying started and none of us appreciated that. Although there is some respect for the older people, we did get some paint on our clothes. The parade finally came but by then we were hungrey, burnt, and tired and didn´t even stay for the whole thing. The three women suffered from the affects of sunburn for the next few weeks.Plans were to travel. It was not possible to go to the house due to mud and silt dunes so we thought that after a couple of weeks things would be better. Jake headed home and the women headed off. Due to the amount of rain in Bolivia many of the roads were closed with mud slides.
Instead of taking the bus to Sucre as planned, we flew. Yes, it was a half hour ride instead of 8 hours by bus but we didn´t see the countryside. Sucre is a beautiful city and is the judicial capital of Bolivia. It is nestled in the hills (mountains) and is known as the white city. The hotel was downtown and close to the markets so the girls could shop to their hearts content. We didn´t do Sucre justice. We decided to go to a water fall which was supposely a twenty minute drive from the city. We were told that we could walk--not! It was more like an hour from the city center and would have included a long walk over many hills in the hot sun. We took a taxi and wondered if we would every find it. We didn´t. We saw the area in which the falls are located but would have had to hike for 3 hours to see the waterfall. I have a suspicion that there was a road to the falls but the taxi driver was unwilling to take it. We planned to go to the Children´s museum but it was closed. So much for Sucre.On we went to Potosi, the highest city in the world and at one time, the richest city in the Americas. The economy is based on silver mining and the city has fallen on much harder times. We had the opportunity to tour the silver mine, an experience that I will leave to the younger crowd next time. It was mind boggling to imagine that people work in those conditions without the safety regulations that we are used to. We also toured the mint museum where all the money was made at one time. Although Potosi has a lot of history it is not as attractive as Sucre. It was good for me to visit this area since many of the people that we live with come from here.
Busses do not run frequently to the small community of Uyuni so we took the night bus -- another 8 hour ride through the darkness, arriving at 2 in the morning. Try finding a hotel at that time of night! We thought we had reserved a place but they didn´t receive the email. Thankfully we were able to find a place for three. There were still many people walking around looking for a place at that time of night but they were not willing to spend the money on a bit more expensive place. It costs us 45 bolivianos or about $5.50 to $6.00 each that night.
The next morning we left on the more interesting part of the trip, the Salar de Uyuni 3 day trip. The three of us, along with a couple from Denmark a
nd a young girl from France and the driver, loaded ourselves into a 4 wheel drive and started on the trek. Only a couple of kilometers out of town we hit the salt flats and from then on we had to have faith in the driver. Due to the amount of rain we were travelling through between 12 and 18 inches of water on top of the salt. Imagine what that does to the engines! At this point there were a lot of vehicles, all travelling in the same direction toward the Salt Hotel. This building is totalling made of salt -- the building, the beds, the tables, everything. But it is closed due to contamination. Imagine a building closed in Bolivia! They are now building a new faciltity with a better sewage system.From the hotel we headed once again into the horizon - literally. I tried to determine how the driver knew where he was going but I could not find the landmarks. I imagine that after driving the same ´róad´for years, you know where you are going. At this stage there was no longer any water and we drove over salt. hearing it crunch under th
e tires. A delicious lunch of potatoes, llama, and veggies was served and after lunch we were encouraged to walk around Fish Island. We didn´t even make it half way around and turned back due to heat and tiredness from our time in the mine. Next time. This island, one of 63, is in the middle of the salt flats and is covered with cacti. From Fish Island we again headed into the horizon with much less company. Day trips only go to Fish Island and then return to Uyuni. After a couple of hours of driving through nothing but salt we arrived at some thing -- either another island or the edge of the salar. Our driver decided to take one of the roads and told us not to be scared. We were not sure of what but it soon became clear that we were driving through mud, the kind of mud we have in the community. It wasn´t long before the bald tires were covered in mud and we were stuck. Unlike North America, people don´t stop. It wasn´t until we sent out Karmen and Jo that another group stopped. They looked at the situation and said they w
ould send help from the village about a kilometer away. No one came. Thankfully a couple of other vehicles did stop and we finally got out. Now only to describe it. They took the spare tire off, placed it on the ground and put a 4 x 4 on top of it for more height. Then they took a long pole, placed it under the wheel nuts and leveraged the whole truck up. While a number were leveraging the truck, others placed rocks and boards under the tire until it was level with the road and then we could drive out. We arrived at our hotel in plenty of time and enjoyed a piping hot shower before our supper. Lights went out literally at 9.Dawn came about 5:30 and we were on the road by 7. The salt flats were now behind us and we drove by small fields of quinoa and then nothing but desert type plants. The whole day was spent driving through some of the more desert areas of southern Bolivia. Some of it resembled the badlands of Alberta but the wind erosion was much more evident. One of the highlights were
the flamingos. We could not get as close to them as we would have liked but were able to get some good pictures. Unfortunately though, they all disappeared with the computer. By evening we were high up on the Altiplano and experienced some colder weather. All of us were bundled up in sweats and blankets. It is hard to believe that most tourists go here in the winter when the weather is down to -30C. There was no hot water and so no showers. But we did have electricity for two hours so some were able to charge batteries on cameras, I Pods, etc.3:30 in the morning, What a time to get up. But we were to be on the road by 4:30 and we made it with a minute to spare. The first few hours were spent driving in the dark. The point was to
get down to the bottom of the park and then come back in the light. It was still dark when we passed the geysers and the cold and lack of light didn´t make it a great experience. The next stop was the hot springs. Although the water was warm there was a lot of algae present and that did not make the experienec that pleasant. But we can say that we sat in the hot spring in Bolivia. The rest of the day was a long drive back to Uyuni. I wished that there was more time for photo stops but it was not to be. The colors were a painter´s palette and there is no way to describe it. The rock formations were incredible. We did have a couple of incidents -- one was getting a little stuck in a creek and th
e other was a flat tire when we were about an hour out of town. I know that there are not many tools in the vehicles in Bolivia and understood that we did not have a spade or shovel when we were stuck in the mud, but not having a jack was something else. Thankfully, again, another vehicle stopped and helped us. We made it back to Uyuni safely and spent the next few hours waiting for the train to Oruro.If there were train service throughout Bolivia, I would use it. This was a wonderfully smooth ride without all the stops. We travelled through part of the night, leaving at about 3 in the morning and getting to Oruro at about 9:30. The scenery around the lake was beautiful and it was a relaxing ride. From the train station in Oruro we had to go the bus station. Things were very busy and hectic there and during this hassle I had my computer stolen. What a way to end a good vacation! We could not change our tickets so had to leave right away so I could not even look for it. Not only was my computer taken but also all the cords to the rest of my electronic equipment and my identification. However, our passports are in La Paz so we still have those. Somehow I will survive without Bolivian ID until I leave again. The scenery from Oruro to Cochabamba is absolutely gorgeous but the whole trip was shadowed by the loss of the computer and by the infomercial guys who were selling health supplements, videos, and hand cream. What a way to travel. Our ears are still ringing.
We arrived in Coch, spent a day there, and planned to take the bus to Yapacani. But it was not to be. The roads were still closed, or closed again, due to mud slides so we ended up flying back. In all honesty, I don´t think any of us minded that we were not spending another 8 hours on the bus. We arrived safely back in Santa Cruz and spent the night in wonderful beds at the New Tribes Mission. What a treat to be back.
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