Arica has been very nice. This popular beach town in Northern Chile has been perfect for relaxing over the last few days. I even tried some body boarding, the locals laughed at me because I had a crappy board (borrowed from the hostel), no wetsuit and no fins (flippers).
I found a perfect spot to take a photo of the sunset and then somehow managed to miss it three nights in a row. I was on my way back from the supermarket tonight when I saw that the sun was nearly down, practically ran to the beach and missed it by a matter of minutes.
There´s a wave here called El Gringo. Gringo is the word they use here for Americans or just blonde-haired-light-skinned people in general. Tourists. It was apparently named this because the gringos used to come here just to surf it, and they were the only ones. Today I saw the place where they´re setting up for a competition and there were plenty of locals surfing it. The wave is huge and breaks right onto the rocks, so lots of people have been injured, but there were no problems today. It was great to watch.
Tomorrow at 10am I board a bus for Santiago. It will take 28 hours. I´m really not looking forward to it but the flights were just too expensive. I asked the lady if they would give me food on the bus, and after a long hesitation she said yes. It didn´t give me much confidence in the food I´m going to receive, so I´ve packed a hefty supply of snacks, and I´ll load up on breakfast tomorrow morning - It´s all you can eat at this particular hostel.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Machu Picchu, The Strike and The Bohemoth
What is often the defining moment of a travelers trip to South America started out as a disaster for me. The farmers strike meant I couldn´t see the mountain in one day, as many do, but that I would have to hike. We were told by the tour company that we would leave at 2am, but I recieved a call at the hostel at 11pm informing me that we wouldn´t leave til 6. The bus left at 5. I was picked up at 5.30am and rushed in a taxi to the next town where the bus had been waiting for more than half an hour.
After we (a group of about 20) encountered several road blocks (smashed glass, felled trees, rocks, bonfires) the bus driver decided to take an alternative route - up the side of a mountain. We got about 20 minutes along this road before we all decided it was too dangerous, and got out to walk. After about a half hour of walking the bus still wasn´t with us, and we were told to wait. Our ´guide´ informed us that the bus couldn´t continue along the road and that we should walk back down the mountain (not the road) to wait for it. It didn´t come. We spent 7 hours walking to Ollantaytambo, a decision we made ourselves, and were all sufficiently pissed off when we arrived. The day meant we had to find alternative places to eat and sleep, and that we missed out completely on the mountain biking.
The majority of people in our group were only supposed to be on a two day tour to Machu Picchu, and they all cancelled their trip that night. The 8 of us that were on a four day trek were told it was possible to continue the next day as the police were clearing the roads, and that we would be able to leave as soon as they gave us the go ahead. We were informed that we would get our money back for the first day. I was too tired to care, but they weren´t making it easy for us to stay calm with them.
We were told that we could leave at 11pm in a different bus, but the driver turned out to be drunk. Great.
After getting a few hours rest in a dodgy hostel, our bus arrived in town at 4am. We were woken up and continued past half cleared road blocks and angry farmers to the town where we were supposed to have slept the night before. We had breakfast and began our trek.
The rest of the time we spent getting to Machu Picchu was relatively normal. The trek was beautiful, we walked through extremely diverse landscapes, saw some amazing natural flora and fauna (even if some of it was tethered to a post) and had a lot of fun. We visited hot springs at the end of the firt day´s trek which were amazing and very relaxing. The second day´s trekking was relatively boring, along roads and train tracks, but we were all glad to arrive in Aguas Calientes (the town near Machu Picchu) and have a nice dinner and a good sleep.
We woke at four, threw our clothes on and practically ran the 2000 or so steps up to Machu Picchu. When we arrived there was still a hefty line before we could get in. We shovelled down our breakfast in the line and then we entered.
It was spectacular. Machu Picchu is basically a city built by the Incas sometime in the 1500´s or a little before. It wasn´t completely finished before the Spanish arrived, but smart thinking from a particular Inca (he destroyed part of the inca trail on both sides of the mountain after telling the inhabitants to evacuate) meant that it remained untouched for several centuries until it´s discovery in the early 1900´s by an American. It is said that Machu Picchu was a city of gold and an important and sacred city for the Incas (They worshiped Pachamama - Mother Earth - and the sun) but the incas took most of the gold with them when they left. The rest of the gold, along with other artefacts, was taken by the American who re-discovered the city shortly after he found it.
Today all that is left is the amazing stone structures (houses, temples, the school) that the Incas lived in. The area is beautifully preserved (some structures are being restored) and the grass is maintained by a healthy population of llamas. We climbed the second mountain - Wayna Picchu - which was difficult but definitely worth it. There were more ruins up there and a great view of Machu Picchu. An older man had broken his ankle and some medics pratically ran past us carrying a sretcher. The walk back down (I had heard something about an alternative route) turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. It took us half an hour of walking straight down stairs and ladders before we came across the great cave, which is supposed to be the point of this walk, but by the time we got there we were so sick of walking that we didn´t even care and kept hiking back to the entrance. It took almost another 2 hours of walking straight up and straight down before we arrived back at Machu Picchu, where we drank some ridiculously overpriced water before walking the same way back down to Aguas Calientes. We were all absolutely knackered and happy to sit down and have a burger and coke.
It´s easy to become disenchanted by the sheer amount of tourists (so many Americans) at the site, but for me it was a highlight. And I did it all in my flat-soled-no-laces Converse shoes. Maybe I´ll buy some hiking boots before my next trek.
We went as a group to get our money back the next day (after cerlebratory drinks the night before) and got nowhere. The agencies work together to book a company to take the tourists, and no one would accept the blame for the events of the first day. After being called stupid tourists by one company owner and arguing for half an hour with one lady who told us that we should call the police if we wanted our money back (because the police are so amazingly helpful here) the lady took us two blocks away to the owner of the company.
She was a woman in her 50´s who was about the size of a whale who had the temper of a caged lion. A bohemoth, if you will. She was sitting behind her desk and yelling at us in Spanish from the moment we arrived and it was clear that the other lady had taken us there so we would be intimidated. At one point she/he/it stood up and started screaming at me face to face. I yelled back at her in English to sit down, shut up and listen to us (We had at least one Spanish speaker with us, a calm negotiator) which she did for about 10 seconds before she started yelling again. She went on to blame me for the events of the first day and say that she had a piece of paper (conveniently in another town... It didn´t exist) with our signatures on it stating that we wished to continue the tour despite the events of the first day and didn´t expect money back. She called our guide on speaker phone, blaming him, and then started screaming at him too. I told her what I thought as well as I could in Spanish and she replied something a little bit too vulgar for me to write here. We decided it wasn´t worth any more of our time and left - Our opinion of Peru and as a country and it´s people changed for the worse.
We chatted over a few bottles of wine that night and ended up laughing about the events of the past few days. It was an experience that not everyone gets, and at least we saw Machu Picchu in the end.
I am now in Arequipa, Peru, enjoying the sunshine and reading books while not really caring too much for anything touristy that the town (Or country) has to offer. I will be back in Chile in a few days (I heard there´s a nice beach in Arica, Northern Chile) and am looking forward to seeing everyone when I get back to Australia. I fly out of Santiago on the 4th of June.
After we (a group of about 20) encountered several road blocks (smashed glass, felled trees, rocks, bonfires) the bus driver decided to take an alternative route - up the side of a mountain. We got about 20 minutes along this road before we all decided it was too dangerous, and got out to walk. After about a half hour of walking the bus still wasn´t with us, and we were told to wait. Our ´guide´ informed us that the bus couldn´t continue along the road and that we should walk back down the mountain (not the road) to wait for it. It didn´t come. We spent 7 hours walking to Ollantaytambo, a decision we made ourselves, and were all sufficiently pissed off when we arrived. The day meant we had to find alternative places to eat and sleep, and that we missed out completely on the mountain biking.
The majority of people in our group were only supposed to be on a two day tour to Machu Picchu, and they all cancelled their trip that night. The 8 of us that were on a four day trek were told it was possible to continue the next day as the police were clearing the roads, and that we would be able to leave as soon as they gave us the go ahead. We were informed that we would get our money back for the first day. I was too tired to care, but they weren´t making it easy for us to stay calm with them.
We were told that we could leave at 11pm in a different bus, but the driver turned out to be drunk. Great.
After getting a few hours rest in a dodgy hostel, our bus arrived in town at 4am. We were woken up and continued past half cleared road blocks and angry farmers to the town where we were supposed to have slept the night before. We had breakfast and began our trek.
The rest of the time we spent getting to Machu Picchu was relatively normal. The trek was beautiful, we walked through extremely diverse landscapes, saw some amazing natural flora and fauna (even if some of it was tethered to a post) and had a lot of fun. We visited hot springs at the end of the firt day´s trek which were amazing and very relaxing. The second day´s trekking was relatively boring, along roads and train tracks, but we were all glad to arrive in Aguas Calientes (the town near Machu Picchu) and have a nice dinner and a good sleep.
We woke at four, threw our clothes on and practically ran the 2000 or so steps up to Machu Picchu. When we arrived there was still a hefty line before we could get in. We shovelled down our breakfast in the line and then we entered.
It was spectacular. Machu Picchu is basically a city built by the Incas sometime in the 1500´s or a little before. It wasn´t completely finished before the Spanish arrived, but smart thinking from a particular Inca (he destroyed part of the inca trail on both sides of the mountain after telling the inhabitants to evacuate) meant that it remained untouched for several centuries until it´s discovery in the early 1900´s by an American. It is said that Machu Picchu was a city of gold and an important and sacred city for the Incas (They worshiped Pachamama - Mother Earth - and the sun) but the incas took most of the gold with them when they left. The rest of the gold, along with other artefacts, was taken by the American who re-discovered the city shortly after he found it.
Today all that is left is the amazing stone structures (houses, temples, the school) that the Incas lived in. The area is beautifully preserved (some structures are being restored) and the grass is maintained by a healthy population of llamas. We climbed the second mountain - Wayna Picchu - which was difficult but definitely worth it. There were more ruins up there and a great view of Machu Picchu. An older man had broken his ankle and some medics pratically ran past us carrying a sretcher. The walk back down (I had heard something about an alternative route) turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. It took us half an hour of walking straight down stairs and ladders before we came across the great cave, which is supposed to be the point of this walk, but by the time we got there we were so sick of walking that we didn´t even care and kept hiking back to the entrance. It took almost another 2 hours of walking straight up and straight down before we arrived back at Machu Picchu, where we drank some ridiculously overpriced water before walking the same way back down to Aguas Calientes. We were all absolutely knackered and happy to sit down and have a burger and coke.
It´s easy to become disenchanted by the sheer amount of tourists (so many Americans) at the site, but for me it was a highlight. And I did it all in my flat-soled-no-laces Converse shoes. Maybe I´ll buy some hiking boots before my next trek.
We went as a group to get our money back the next day (after cerlebratory drinks the night before) and got nowhere. The agencies work together to book a company to take the tourists, and no one would accept the blame for the events of the first day. After being called stupid tourists by one company owner and arguing for half an hour with one lady who told us that we should call the police if we wanted our money back (because the police are so amazingly helpful here) the lady took us two blocks away to the owner of the company.
She was a woman in her 50´s who was about the size of a whale who had the temper of a caged lion. A bohemoth, if you will. She was sitting behind her desk and yelling at us in Spanish from the moment we arrived and it was clear that the other lady had taken us there so we would be intimidated. At one point she/he/it stood up and started screaming at me face to face. I yelled back at her in English to sit down, shut up and listen to us (We had at least one Spanish speaker with us, a calm negotiator) which she did for about 10 seconds before she started yelling again. She went on to blame me for the events of the first day and say that she had a piece of paper (conveniently in another town... It didn´t exist) with our signatures on it stating that we wished to continue the tour despite the events of the first day and didn´t expect money back. She called our guide on speaker phone, blaming him, and then started screaming at him too. I told her what I thought as well as I could in Spanish and she replied something a little bit too vulgar for me to write here. We decided it wasn´t worth any more of our time and left - Our opinion of Peru and as a country and it´s people changed for the worse.
We chatted over a few bottles of wine that night and ended up laughing about the events of the past few days. It was an experience that not everyone gets, and at least we saw Machu Picchu in the end.
I am now in Arequipa, Peru, enjoying the sunshine and reading books while not really caring too much for anything touristy that the town (Or country) has to offer. I will be back in Chile in a few days (I heard there´s a nice beach in Arica, Northern Chile) and am looking forward to seeing everyone when I get back to Australia. I fly out of Santiago on the 4th of June.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Farmers Strike
We have been in Cusco for a few days now and not done all that much. There are some Inca walls in the centre of the city which are pretty cool! And a twelve sided stone set in one of the walls, which is about as impressive as it sounds.
This morning we got up at 2.30am, caught a taxi for 1 and a half hours along a seriously dodgy road to a town where you can catch a train to Machu Picchu. The visibility was reduced to less than 5 metres at one stage which had us all scared, but the driver got us there safely. After lining up for tickets for almost an hour, we were informed that there was no return option until Friday, which would have been a little difficult as we had planned to spend only one day at Machu Picchu and left all of our gear at the hostel. The reason for this is that the farmers are on strike and will be blocking the roads and train tracks tomorrow and wednesday. Apparently a bill passed last December allowing the privatisation of the water industry is making it easier for foreign companies to buy indigenous and traditional land. Everyone in Aguas Calientes (the town close to Machu Picchu) heard about it and thus the trains and buses back to Cusco are booked out for tonight.
We ended up catching a taxi back to Cusco and after much deliberation I have booked a four day trek (including mountain biking) to Machu Picchu. Because we are walking we won´t be affected by the strike (hopefully) and it means I won´t have to spend two days here in Cusco doing nothing. The girls decided not to wait around (they´re not too keen on hiking) and left for Nasca this evening. I am off to bed now as I have to get up at 1.30am for the bus... We´re leaving early to beat the strike.
This morning we got up at 2.30am, caught a taxi for 1 and a half hours along a seriously dodgy road to a town where you can catch a train to Machu Picchu. The visibility was reduced to less than 5 metres at one stage which had us all scared, but the driver got us there safely. After lining up for tickets for almost an hour, we were informed that there was no return option until Friday, which would have been a little difficult as we had planned to spend only one day at Machu Picchu and left all of our gear at the hostel. The reason for this is that the farmers are on strike and will be blocking the roads and train tracks tomorrow and wednesday. Apparently a bill passed last December allowing the privatisation of the water industry is making it easier for foreign companies to buy indigenous and traditional land. Everyone in Aguas Calientes (the town close to Machu Picchu) heard about it and thus the trains and buses back to Cusco are booked out for tonight.
We ended up catching a taxi back to Cusco and after much deliberation I have booked a four day trek (including mountain biking) to Machu Picchu. Because we are walking we won´t be affected by the strike (hopefully) and it means I won´t have to spend two days here in Cusco doing nothing. The girls decided not to wait around (they´re not too keen on hiking) and left for Nasca this evening. I am off to bed now as I have to get up at 1.30am for the bus... We´re leaving early to beat the strike.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Lake Titicaca and Peru
Lake Titicaca was really cool. It´s one of the world´s highest navigable lakes. From the Bolivian town of Cpacabana we caught a boat to Isla de la Sol which was a really cool island. We saw some Inca ruins on the island and walked 9km to the Southern part where we stayed for the night. We had a fantastic view of the lake in the morning and the boat back to Copacabana was a lot better than the one to the island. The trout from Lake Titicaca is fantastic!
We then caught a bus to Puno, Peru. The security measures at the border crossing were surprisingly lax, a quick glance at my passport and they stamped me through!
So we are now in Peru, our feet fixed firmly to the ´gringo trail´. In argentina and Chile I didn´t feel like as much of a tourist as I did in Bolivia and have so far in Peru. The two countrie´s economies rely a lot on tourism. In Peru, you realise that most travelers are here to see Machu Picchu, and tourist infrastructure spawns from any mildly interesting sight along the way.
Puno is an ugly city set on a beautiful lake. The houses and buildings all have metal rods and half finished concrete pillars extending from the top. It´s as if the builders couldn´t decide whether or not they wanted to build another floor, and then just gave up. The girls took of a tour of the shockingly commercialised floating islands of Lake Titicaca, I opted to have a snooze instead.
My trip so far has been almost as much about people as it has been about places. For this reason, I wish I could speak the language better. Being able to converse fluently instead of merely getting by understanding some and speaking even less, would add a whole new element to any trip abroad. I´m writing this on an 8 hour bus ride to Cusco, the single most tourist-oriented city in South America (for good reason). I am growing a little tired of moving from place to place so quckly, unlike the first part of my trip, but I really want to see as much as I can before my flight home in a few short weeks.
We then caught a bus to Puno, Peru. The security measures at the border crossing were surprisingly lax, a quick glance at my passport and they stamped me through!
So we are now in Peru, our feet fixed firmly to the ´gringo trail´. In argentina and Chile I didn´t feel like as much of a tourist as I did in Bolivia and have so far in Peru. The two countrie´s economies rely a lot on tourism. In Peru, you realise that most travelers are here to see Machu Picchu, and tourist infrastructure spawns from any mildly interesting sight along the way.
Puno is an ugly city set on a beautiful lake. The houses and buildings all have metal rods and half finished concrete pillars extending from the top. It´s as if the builders couldn´t decide whether or not they wanted to build another floor, and then just gave up. The girls took of a tour of the shockingly commercialised floating islands of Lake Titicaca, I opted to have a snooze instead.
My trip so far has been almost as much about people as it has been about places. For this reason, I wish I could speak the language better. Being able to converse fluently instead of merely getting by understanding some and speaking even less, would add a whole new element to any trip abroad. I´m writing this on an 8 hour bus ride to Cusco, the single most tourist-oriented city in South America (for good reason). I am growing a little tired of moving from place to place so quckly, unlike the first part of my trip, but I really want to see as much as I can before my flight home in a few short weeks.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
La Paz
Hanna and I arrived at La Paz at 5 30am to find that the hostels we wanted to stay in were all full. We left our bags at a hostel and went to find some food. At a 24 hour restaurant we ordered coffees and breakfast but then two men (one Bolivian, one Mexican) came and sat with us. They bought us drinks (whiskey and coke) and chatted to us for a couple of hours before paying for everything and a taxi back to our hostel. We were apprehensive at first but they turned out to be really nice chaps.
We eventually got a hostel, moved the next day to a nicer one and have been there for a few days. The hostel is Irish owned and is one of the best I´ve stayed in here. They serve bacon and eggs, first I´ve had since Australia!
The city itself is big, dirty and crazy. The houses sprawl all the way up the surrounding hills. It seems so silly to have a city at 3700m but it seems to be working out alright. The altitude hasn´t caused me any real problems so far although a few friends have had mild altitude sickness. Chewing coca leaves in Potosi didn´t seem to make much difference so I have just been taking it easy.
So touristy stuff... We have been a few times to the witches market where you can buy loads of stuff cheap. They sell preserved baby llamas which you are supposed to hang above the front door of your house for luck. We have been to a few lookouts and all of that, but the highlight for me was the quad biking.
We ran into an Israeli couple the other day (you run into people you know everywhere here... it´s crazy!) that both Hanna and I knew but from different places. They told us that you could go quad biking in valle de la luna (valley of the moon). We went the next day, got kitted up and rode quads for 2 hours through this huge valley! The views were amazing and we went through small communities where little Bolivian kids waved at you, farmers stared and malnourished cattle remained indifferent. It was great fun and something that I would do again if I had more time here.
WAIT! A window just broke outside the internet cafe and there´s shattered glass all over the road... OK no problems, no one copped any glass.
A popular activity for tourists here is to ride mountain bikes down ´the world´s most dangerous road´. On the day we arrived, an English traveler went off the edge, fell 60m and died later in hospital (or on the way, no one is really sure). A French girl got hit by a truck about a month ago. We decided that it wasn´t worth dying for some nice views.
Tomorrow Hanna and I are parting ways which will be a bit sad, it was good to have someone to travel with after travelling alone for the first part of my trip. I am going to Copacabana to see Lake Titicaca with some French friends that we have been hanging out with here in La Paz. Hanna is catching a bus (36 hours) back to Santiago to catch her plane back to Germany.
Then Peru!
We eventually got a hostel, moved the next day to a nicer one and have been there for a few days. The hostel is Irish owned and is one of the best I´ve stayed in here. They serve bacon and eggs, first I´ve had since Australia!
The city itself is big, dirty and crazy. The houses sprawl all the way up the surrounding hills. It seems so silly to have a city at 3700m but it seems to be working out alright. The altitude hasn´t caused me any real problems so far although a few friends have had mild altitude sickness. Chewing coca leaves in Potosi didn´t seem to make much difference so I have just been taking it easy.
So touristy stuff... We have been a few times to the witches market where you can buy loads of stuff cheap. They sell preserved baby llamas which you are supposed to hang above the front door of your house for luck. We have been to a few lookouts and all of that, but the highlight for me was the quad biking.
We ran into an Israeli couple the other day (you run into people you know everywhere here... it´s crazy!) that both Hanna and I knew but from different places. They told us that you could go quad biking in valle de la luna (valley of the moon). We went the next day, got kitted up and rode quads for 2 hours through this huge valley! The views were amazing and we went through small communities where little Bolivian kids waved at you, farmers stared and malnourished cattle remained indifferent. It was great fun and something that I would do again if I had more time here.
WAIT! A window just broke outside the internet cafe and there´s shattered glass all over the road... OK no problems, no one copped any glass.
A popular activity for tourists here is to ride mountain bikes down ´the world´s most dangerous road´. On the day we arrived, an English traveler went off the edge, fell 60m and died later in hospital (or on the way, no one is really sure). A French girl got hit by a truck about a month ago. We decided that it wasn´t worth dying for some nice views.
Tomorrow Hanna and I are parting ways which will be a bit sad, it was good to have someone to travel with after travelling alone for the first part of my trip. I am going to Copacabana to see Lake Titicaca with some French friends that we have been hanging out with here in La Paz. Hanna is catching a bus (36 hours) back to Santiago to catch her plane back to Germany.
Then Peru!
Friday, May 8, 2009
The World Rally Championship Bus Ride and Potosi
Hanna and I set off for Potosi (the highest city in the world at 4000m) when we returned from the salt flats. Our bus driver seemed crazy from the start, driving through intersections without stopping and generally driving agressively. It got worse.
About 40 minutes into the ride, around 9pm, a faster bus behind us tried twice unsuccesfuly to pass. On the third attempt, he honked the horn for a while, then went for it. Our bus driver seemed to think it was a race, and wouldnt let him past. The road narrowed when the other bus was halfway past ours, and it came within 5 inches of hitting us before it backed off. From that point, our driver decided that he had to prove he was faster, and continued like a rally driver down the mountainside dirt road. It got to the point that the Bolivians, also fearful for their lives, started yelling at the driver to slow down. Two of them went to reason with the driver who eventually slowed and let the other bus pass, but the adrenaline rush made it impossible to sleep for the rest of the 6 hour journey.
Upon arrival in Potosi, we were ripped off by a taxi driver (weve learned our lesson now - bargain, bargain, bargain!) before finding a nice hostel and going to sleep.
The following day we took a tour of the functional mines of Potosi, where they mine silver, zinc and I think bronze. We got kitted up with hardhats and overalls then they took us to buy gifts of alcohol, cigarettes, coca leaves and soft drink which we would present to the miners. We also purchased some dynamite ($3AUD) for a demonstration.
The mines are pretty atrocious, around 40 people die there per year. Thats the recent average, anyway. We walked down operational mineshafts where we had to get out of the way of trolleys carrying rocks, being pushed by one or two miners. We continued until we found an area where about 8 miners were working. Shovelling rocks and using a pulley system to retrieve rocks from lower levels. They stopped working when we arrived, chatted with us and shared with us the alcohol that we bought for them. The alcohol (96%) burns your throat on the way down. It is a tradition to spill a little on the ground for pacha mama (mother earth) before drinking yourself.
After around an hour of sitting, talking, drinking and helping a little with the miners work, we left for what turned out to be an amusing sight. In the mines, they have a statue of a devil (apparently hes supposed to be married to mother earth) which brings the miners good fortune and helps them find more minerals. He has a huge penis which sticks out, as a symbol of fertility, and it is tradition to light a cigarette and stick it in his mouth, and give him alcohol.
We left the mines and, all of us breathing a little easier, watched the demonstration of the dynamite. Our guide asked me to mould the stick into a ball before he shaped it as a face and stuck the fuse in. Fuse lit, we got some photos and then ran for shelter... The explosion was a lot bigger and louder than expected. I had my finger on the button of my camera, but the shock meant my photo was shaky and blurred.
It was a really great experience and something I will remember for a long time. This trip has made me realise how lucky we are in Australia. We dont have to work Monday through Saturday every week of the year (although some do) to make a good living.
We are heading to La Paz tonight which I am really looking forward to, and then on to Peru.
About 40 minutes into the ride, around 9pm, a faster bus behind us tried twice unsuccesfuly to pass. On the third attempt, he honked the horn for a while, then went for it. Our bus driver seemed to think it was a race, and wouldnt let him past. The road narrowed when the other bus was halfway past ours, and it came within 5 inches of hitting us before it backed off. From that point, our driver decided that he had to prove he was faster, and continued like a rally driver down the mountainside dirt road. It got to the point that the Bolivians, also fearful for their lives, started yelling at the driver to slow down. Two of them went to reason with the driver who eventually slowed and let the other bus pass, but the adrenaline rush made it impossible to sleep for the rest of the 6 hour journey.
Upon arrival in Potosi, we were ripped off by a taxi driver (weve learned our lesson now - bargain, bargain, bargain!) before finding a nice hostel and going to sleep.
The following day we took a tour of the functional mines of Potosi, where they mine silver, zinc and I think bronze. We got kitted up with hardhats and overalls then they took us to buy gifts of alcohol, cigarettes, coca leaves and soft drink which we would present to the miners. We also purchased some dynamite ($3AUD) for a demonstration.
The mines are pretty atrocious, around 40 people die there per year. Thats the recent average, anyway. We walked down operational mineshafts where we had to get out of the way of trolleys carrying rocks, being pushed by one or two miners. We continued until we found an area where about 8 miners were working. Shovelling rocks and using a pulley system to retrieve rocks from lower levels. They stopped working when we arrived, chatted with us and shared with us the alcohol that we bought for them. The alcohol (96%) burns your throat on the way down. It is a tradition to spill a little on the ground for pacha mama (mother earth) before drinking yourself.
After around an hour of sitting, talking, drinking and helping a little with the miners work, we left for what turned out to be an amusing sight. In the mines, they have a statue of a devil (apparently hes supposed to be married to mother earth) which brings the miners good fortune and helps them find more minerals. He has a huge penis which sticks out, as a symbol of fertility, and it is tradition to light a cigarette and stick it in his mouth, and give him alcohol.
We left the mines and, all of us breathing a little easier, watched the demonstration of the dynamite. Our guide asked me to mould the stick into a ball before he shaped it as a face and stuck the fuse in. Fuse lit, we got some photos and then ran for shelter... The explosion was a lot bigger and louder than expected. I had my finger on the button of my camera, but the shock meant my photo was shaky and blurred.
It was a really great experience and something I will remember for a long time. This trip has made me realise how lucky we are in Australia. We dont have to work Monday through Saturday every week of the year (although some do) to make a good living.
We are heading to La Paz tonight which I am really looking forward to, and then on to Peru.
Salar De Uyuni
The salt flats of Uyuni were pretty amazing. Driving in a Land Cruiser across sheer white and completely flat ground was a great experience. The perspective is pretty much non existent as there are no objects with which to judge distance, so you can get some pretty cool photos.
We saw coloured lagoons, llamas, flamingos and some cool rock formations (apparently youre not supposed to climb them, but they didnt tell us that until afterwards!).
One of the highlights for me personally was the offroading. It reminded me a lot of four wheel driving as a kid (not driving of course) and I think Ive caught the outdoors bug again (Dad, the Hilux might go missing for a few weeks when I get back!). My only real regret of this trip is not having brought camping gear, which makes it difficult to hike and you miss out on a lot of cool places.
Adam, an a American living in Sydney, and his partner Reena, who used to work as a reporter for Prime, were great fun and a wealth of information. They are nearing the end of their around the world trip. Graeme and Mel from New Zealand were also really cool fun, and I picked up a few New Zealand-isms along the way. Hanna and I enjoyed the whole experience and playing arsehole (a card game) in the freezing cold evenings.
We saw coloured lagoons, llamas, flamingos and some cool rock formations (apparently youre not supposed to climb them, but they didnt tell us that until afterwards!).
One of the highlights for me personally was the offroading. It reminded me a lot of four wheel driving as a kid (not driving of course) and I think Ive caught the outdoors bug again (Dad, the Hilux might go missing for a few weeks when I get back!). My only real regret of this trip is not having brought camping gear, which makes it difficult to hike and you miss out on a lot of cool places.
Adam, an a American living in Sydney, and his partner Reena, who used to work as a reporter for Prime, were great fun and a wealth of information. They are nearing the end of their around the world trip. Graeme and Mel from New Zealand were also really cool fun, and I picked up a few New Zealand-isms along the way. Hanna and I enjoyed the whole experience and playing arsehole (a card game) in the freezing cold evenings.
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