The World's most Dangerous Road

What a day!!! After last night's food, Chris was suffering but he had sure he was going to complete this cycle.

At about 7:50 we headed off to the summit of the mountain to start our bike ride. We were fitted with our gear, bikes and shown how to use the bikes properly.
It was a lovely and misty morning so we couldn't see how big the drops were, but with the number of monuments on the side of the road, it was chilling. About 325 people died on the road every year before they built a new road to ease some of the traffic. 53 have died this year and our guide was making sure everyone was aware of the seriousness of the road and what we were doing.

It took a while, but after going through mud, under waterfalls and through rivers, we all got to the bottom of the road and had a snack and welcomed showers. The worst part of the trip was the bus journey back up the road and to say my heart was in my mouth was an understatement. I should have been like Chris and slept!

Our group of 10 went out for a Thai meal tonight with our new leader Daniella and the old members of the group were invited along too. We all had a lovely time but after a busy 48 hours with only about 9 hours sleep I was pleased to get back to the room - even if it was to pack again!!!

La Paz

Today is the last official day of the first half of our Southern Cross Trip. And after an unpleasant nights sleep on a lovely train - we were given blankets and pillows, we arrived into a place called Oruro. From here we got a 3 hour bus to La Paz and the culture shock which is this city.

It's the highest city of its size in the world and the altitude is only noticeable when you walk up the really steep hills. The city is set in a valley with houses built all around - similar to flavellas.

After an un-enthusiastic introduction to the city from our Tour leader, we went to book the Death Road. It sounds like it's going to be fun, but with a 7:45am start I'd love a lie in.

Ina and I took up the shopping bug again and had a lovely look around all the silver shops and we weren't disappointed. I bought a lovely alpaca jumper from a lovely old lady for about £5. When we decided to give up shopping for the day, the group all went out for their last meal together - minus the leaders who were nowhere to be seen. The option was an Indian restaurant which was known for its vindaloo and when were arrived, our leaders were half way through their meal! After spending over 3 weeks with these people, they acted like they diidn't know us and to say we were all disappointed is an understatement.

The meal was the funniest I think any of us ever experienced as 4 of the guys went for the vindaloo - with the promise that if they finished one they would get a t-shirt.

Chris has a vindaloo and the tears were streaming down hs cheeks with laughter as the other 3 tried to eat theirs.

Needless to say, no one finished theirs and we were told that due to the altitude, the chillie peppers are a lot more intense. Too true!!!!!

Salt Flat Excursion - Day 3

Chris tells me that we went to see the Sol de Manana (Geysers) and at 7am we arrived to where we were having breakfast. This place also had some hot springs, so we all came prepared and with people standing round in their fleeces, hats, gloves etc... we were in our swimming things and in the hot water. It was lovely, first hot water in about 2 days!

We visited the Laguna Verde - which is green due to the arsenic in it, but the place was magical. The reflection on the mountains were glorious, so breathtaking. The Valley of the Rocks was a great place too, with all the guys having fun climbing over the formations.

Leaving here were were on the home stretch - well, Uyuni stretch. We got snacks in a town called San Cristobal (which was relocated due to a Canadian oil company needing the ground) and at 6:30 we go back to Uyuni. Our train to La Paz didn't leave until midnight, so we had so much time to kill and with people being tired and little information being told, tempers were starting to go,. Roll on La Paz and some time to just relax.

Salt Flat Excursion - Day 2

Everyone had to be out or 7am this morning - but I don't think the drivers were told!! After leaving Bella Vista we headed to the Solar de Chiguana. It was a really windy day so it helped everyones sunburn.

From here, we headed some more kms to see the Ollague Volcano - well, we saw it from a distance - that and Chile! It's strange that one minute the mountains are Bolivian and the next Chilean.

At lunch where we stopped to see flamingos, we drove through the desert of Siloli and saw a rock which has been shaped by the wind into a tree among lots of other cool formations.

Mid afternoon saw us reach our stop for the night - the Laguna Colorada. The wind was so strong that we couldn't really go outside as it was freezing. The laguna is impressive - red in colour and vast, but our accommodation is the opposite. No running water and nothing more that a hostel. But when were leave at 4:30am, I don't think that many would be having showers!!!!

Salt Flat Excursion - Day 1

After a free morning we boarded our jeeps - land cruisers, and we were off.

Our first stop was the famous train cemetery and I thought it was great. The sheer number of rusting relics was unbelievable. I could have spent all day having a look among all the types of trains and the way they were constructed, but we took some good photos and got back into the jeeps to continue on into the Salt Flats.

En Route we stopped in a little village called Colchani and its inhabitants make a living from the salt they collect from the the flats. We were shown the process involved and it is hard work with very little money going to the workers. We had a look at the handicrafts on offer and I bought a lovely scarf. From here we drove to the illegal Salt Hotel. We got some funny, yet typical salt flat photos here, but we weren't to know it wasn't the main place for photos... that came after lunch.

For lunch we stopped at a place called Isla Incahuasi - which was a coral island raised up from the ocean bed and covered in tall cacti. It was an amazing place as it was in the middle of the whiteness of the flat and the views from the top were something else. When you drive on the flat, its similar to being on a conveyor belt, you are moving, but the surroundings don't seem to get any closer. Mindblowing really.

The next hour was taken with more silly photos and everyone got really sunburnt - even with factor 30 and 50!

Finally from here we took our final drive to our hotel - Bella Vista, and the views were lovely.
Once dinner was finished, we were entertained by some local musicians - 4 young boys who played the panpipes - although they were good, they needed more practice, but their hearts were in it.

Uyuni

We headed towards the salt flats today and the town of Uyuni. At noon we left Potosi and also the only tarmac road we would see for a few days! We bumped along alot of rocky roads with no air conditioning on the bus, and with one of our group feeling ill, we had quite a few stops (I'm glad my travel bands are really working!)

The bus covered a lot of ground and we passed through a lot of varied landscapes, including people washing their clothes in rivers and a number of herds of Llamas.

After about 6 hours, the bus went through the penultimate village which seemed to be deserted, there were a lot of ruins and some buildings built into the rocks encasing the town, but the fences and shrines were made out of car parts. All interesting to see and I'd love to know whether they were into using everything available, but it was strange.

We finally arrived into Uyuni and on first sight it was un-impressive. The outskirts seemed to be the land fill, only it was full of shredded plastic bags clinging to the shrubs from people dumping their waste. Not the prettiest of sights, but this place seems to be very quirky with our hotel being beside the army barracks.

Roll on our 3 day tour of the Salt Flats.


(one of the many monuments in Uyuni).

Potosi

After waiting for taxis to take us from our hotel in Sucre to Potosi, 3 hrs later we arrived into this city, with its altitude of 4,070m.

The taxi journey was certainly eventful with all 5 cabs jostling for prime position and fighting their way over the terribly constructed roads. It was livened up when one of the cabs stopped at the many check points, the driver ran into the office to process his papers, ran out and drove off leaving 3 of his 4 clients standing at the side of the road. Luckily our driver was able to make him aware that he needed to go back or else it would have been a tight squeeze!!!

Anyway, we arrived into Potosi and I couldn't believe the look of the place. The flight strip of the airport was a small flat section on an even part of the mountain and the houses near it didn't look fit for animals to live in, but the children playing outside them in the dirt looked happy. Just over the roof tops were the beautiful mountains and the crisp air.

With the altitude, it's difficult to catch a breath and it's cold! It makes a real change. Tonight there was a brilliant thunder and lightning storm which actually hit the main Cathedral, that was exciting.

The next day Chris and I met up with Ina and headed out to explore the city, its markets and some silver shops, but there weren't really any. Some of the other members of the group visited one of the silver mines but I didn't agree with it. None of the 90 Bolivianos the trip was charged would be going to the miners. Some of the other tour companies donate 15% of their fee to healthcare for the mine co-operatives, ours didn't.

While we wandered the city hail started to fall, and it definitely came down. It was actually really, really cold!

Tonight the group went out to celebrate Mick's birthday and we'd all a great time, but outside the doors of the restaurant there were 4 children begging. The little girl with them was only 5 - just over a year older than our niece and she was out on a busy street at midnight. The children did nothing but smile through the windows at us. It's tough seeing the children begging on streets, but they even hold their hands out for money when you're passing them on a bus. It's certainly another country.