Getting up at the ungodly hour of 5am in -20 degree weather was quite difficult, even if i had every bit of clothing i bought away with me on, i would still be freezing and possibly turning blue. Once up though i had my self some coffee and did my Flashdance run around and off we went.

It was still dark when we headed off, i thought today might have been a long day, but apparently it was going to be done by 9am.. well for those who weren’t heading back to Uyuni it was going to be a short day i guess. The first stop we made was at the Solar de Manana geyser basin, it is basically some sulphur pools and some man made geysers (according to our driver they are man made), it was bloody cold, so we got some token shots in the sulphur steam and jumped back in the van, the sun was still rising at this point so it was quite beautiful.. just cold!.

Sulphur Pits

Man Made Blow Holes

Maybe our driver was just smart, maybe lazy and hated cooking breakfast in the cold winds, but we seemed to be the only group not eating breakfast at the Termas de Polques hot springs. I thought the springs were going to be one of the highlights over the course of the 3 days, but how disappointed i would be.. it was nothing like the Fuentes Georginas that i visited in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Still, it may have been -15 degrees outside but i striped right down to my boardies (which was one of the items i wore to bed the night before) and went in for a paddle. It was worth it, i was the only one from our jeep brave enough to do it, and the view of the sun coming up over the desert was fantastic, i wish i could of stayed longer!

The Hot Springs!

Happy Chappy!

After getting my 3 layers of clothes back on we hopped back in the jeep and made our way to Laguna Verde, a short drive past the hot springs and we were greeted with the view of a turquoise Laguna with the stunning backdrop of volcan Lincacabur. It was quite a spectacular sight, just the water coloured green by the minerals, Arsenic, Lead, Copper was enough for me, never mind the towering volcano behind it.

Laguna Verde Panorama

Little did i know that Laguna Verde would be the last stop of the tour, as we reached the Bolivia/ Chile border posts it felt a bit sad as our group of 7 was splitting up and heading different directions, me and a couple others to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, and the rest back to Uyuni.

Overall the trip was fantastic, the driver didnt say much but was knowledgable in every way, and his kitchen skills were not too bad either. But what made the 3 days so fantastic was the group of 7 people who made up our jeep, so me and 3 others knew each other before we even reached Uyuni but that didnt matter, because by the last day we all got to know each other very well, and it worked. OK i may have offended the Canadian couple with my potty mouth, and i dont think the Korean backpacker enjoyed being called Annyong, but oh well, i think they got over it.

Onwards and Upwards!

Everyone says that the first night is not too cold, but it was for me!, i may have lived in London for years but i still have that Australian Blood that doesnt like the cold. We all woke up at 5am from the temperature, the departure time was 6.30am but instead of lying in the bed shivering for another hour i got up and did 30 minutes of running and jumping around the hotel to warm me up, as there was no hot water this was the only thing that would get me going!. Around this time, and for some unknown reason the song “She’s a maniac” from Flashdance came into my head, i would sing that song while running around the hotel, or doing exercise under the blankets.. It helped, but everyone thought i was bonkers.. (anyone that knows me should not be surprised at this!!)

First Stop of the day, if you dont count the wine stop!

The day was to be spend mostly in the jeep going through the Bolivian deserts and seeing approximately half a dozen lagunas. The first quick stop of the day was at some rocks, as the trip was done over 2 months ago i cannot remember the name of this stop for my life. Jumping back in the jeep our next stop was at Laguna  Hedionda, this is where we attempted to have lunch in 100 kilometre hour winds.. The setting was beautiful but the temperature was dropping more and more as the day went on, we found more comfort sitting in the jeep.. as did most of the other groups that were having lunch.

Second stop of the day, third if you include the wine stop!

The view and sign was alot better than the lunch!

We decided to not get out of the jeep at the Viscacha Area as the wind has gotten worse, and the temperature had dropped even further, and plus our cheap driver didn’t have any carrots!. So onto the Arbol de Piedra we went, thanks to the clear skies i managed to take my favourite photo of the whole trip, but we didnt get out for long.. we were freezing to death, even with 4 layers of clothes on.. despite that it was quite amazing!

The favourite shot!

Laguna Colorada is the last stop of the day, the red colored lake is quite stunning, as so is the backdrop, i managed to scare all the flamingos trying to take photos.. a big no no, but oh well.. i hadn’t upset anyone in a few days by this point, well except for my filthy mouth and songs on my ipod with the C word in it.

Accidently scaring the flamigos at Laguna Colorada

The nights accommodation was very basic, but we were there first so we managed to grab the better room, and steal some blankets. It was still cold though, and the scrappy meal we had for dinner wasn’t great either. What made it worse is that the hotel owners ignored our cries to put the fire on, after making so much noise and banging on the table they finally did.. the heat only lasted 90 minutes but it was pure bliss, we hit the beds at 9pm that night, fully clothed and under 4 blankets..

We did manage to stock up on Red Wine halfway through the day, us and another jeep ended up clearing the shop out actually as we were determined to get hideously drunk that night so we wouldn’t feel the cold.. It helped, but not fully. We froze even more than the previous night, it also didnt help that the wind was still howling and coming through gaps in the wall.. At this time i asked for a spooning partner, but everyone refused.. I knew i should have gotten drunker!

Uyuni is ugly, cold and has terrible food.. But you cannot help ending up there!

The line above says it all… We only stayed here the night because catching a night bus from Potosi was not appealing at all, when we did get here at 7pm there was no power in the whole town, and it was just at the tail end of a storm that had covered the whole town in dust. After finding some appropriate accommodation, no heating, no hot water, no lights we went out to book ourselves on a tour, that wasn’t difficult at all as there is approximately 60 companies in Uyuni selling them. In the end we went with a one that was recommended to a friend, from a friend… so from here the tour could go either way!

The day started at 11am, Thankfully the power had come back on the night before so we managed to have a hot shower to warm us up, had some food and met up with the other 3 backpackers that would accompany us in the Jeep, which by the way didn’t look to bad, so i guess we were off to a good start. The first stop was the Train Graveyard which is based 3kms from Uyuni, a few dozen empty and rusted carriages sit beside the Bolivia – Chile rail line, it screams tourist attraction but creates some beautiful photos.. I didnt take enough now that i think about it.

Uyuno Train Graveyard, Great for photographs.. as i said!

Uyuni Train Graveyard, my favourite shot.

Not too far along a dusty road brings you into the Salt flats, and soon after that a token stop at the Salt Museum alongside the 30 or so other jeeps lets you see some tacky salt statues and gives you the last chance to buy some warm gear for the next couple of days.. Nothing interesting.. Next!

Further along into the Salt Flats brings you to Isla de Pescados (Fish Island), here you stop for lunch and get a chance to walk around the cactus covered landscape. Some of the cacti are over 1000 years old and are still growing to date, despite the multitude of jeeps at the base of the island it really is quite a beautiful setting. After lunch came the token salt flat shots, we only managed to get a few before our driver hurried us off to find some accommodation for the night, i actually don’t have any of the funny ones on my camera and am still waiting to see them!

Fish island and lots of Cacti

The Salt Flats.. a photgraphers dream!

I now realise why our driver was so persistent to get us moving, because as we sat in the front room of the hotel built of salt we watched about half a dozen jeeps driving around in the dark trying to find a bed for their now grumpy looking backpackers, at this time i thought ‘yes we have one of the good drivers, lets just hope he knows how to cook!’. The toilet in the hotel may have been blocked up, and the showers not working.. and it was bloody cold, but overall i was quite impressed so far.

we used the rest of our energy climbing this hill before dusk and getting a group shot.

You can see the rest of the Day 1 pictures here and here

Not knowing anything about Potosi before i got to Bolivia, (except the fact that it was the worlds highest city) the two days i spent there turned out to be alot of fun, it was also nice to stay in a smaller and quieter hostel after being at Loki and the Point hostels.. the latter just being awful.

One of the reasons for me coming to here was to see the Mines, you could get guided tours through them and get to see how the minerals are sourced and collected. The Cerro Rico (Meaning Rich Mountain) overshadows the small city, and can be seen from the approach and from all over the town.

Back in the 1500’s Potosi was one of the most wealthiest and biggest cities in the world, home to over 200,000 people at one time it was a mix of African slaves and indigenous people, attracted to the town for the labour, at one time African Slaves were known to replace Mules as transport in the mills and it is reported that millions of people have died working in the mines.. but no tourists have. Money and wealth still come from the Cerro Rico, but another big source of income is made from the thousands of backpackers that pass through Potosi every year.

The mines started to become depleted of silver in the 1800’s, but even with the long hours, harsh working conditions and unsafe conditions is still mined for silver and other minerals to this day. We were given a chance to speak to some of the miners with, ranging from 14 year old boys to men in retirement age by western world standards. It was quite an amazing experience climbing through mines, and i mean climbing through, at times i thought i was going to pass out from either the heat, confined spaces or the dust that we were breathing in. It gave me a real insight to how harsh the conditions really are, men spending up to 20 hours at a time for just 10-15kg of Silver, it was quite insane.

The town itself is pretty, not as beautiful as Sucre.. but i didnt come here for the churches or squares, i came here to see the mines and eat some good street food.. and thats what i did.. Oh and i learnt a thing or two about silver mining, mission accomplished and onto the next!

The Cerro Rico, seen from the streets.

Pretending to throw Dynamite into a crowded Bolivian Market.. Do not try this anywhere outside of Bolivia!

BYO PPE, 80 Bolivianos does include a mask!

The Main Square, Potosi at Night.

Salchipapas... Step right up!

I went with Koala Tours and stayed at the Koala Den Hostel.. Patriotic??.. No just coincidence!

One of the reasons for going to Bolivia was to cycle down the world most deadliest road, being the one for adventure this is another activity i was keeping from the parents.. if travelling through South America on your own was worrying enough for them, this would make them even more worried.

The mountain bike down road is 64 kilometres in total, the first 20 on a paved road in which you can get speeds up to 60km per hour, and the rest is on a single lane gravel road, which is actually meant for 2 way traffic!. The tour leaves from La Paz at 7am and you start the ride about an hour after that from an altitude of 4600 metres, its bloody freezing but once on the bike you warm up pretty quickly. A quick ride on the bus in between the paved and gravel roads and your back on the bike zooming down the mountain, but not overtaking the instructor!!. There was 12 of us on the ride that day and the 4 french boys lead the pack the entire way, without falling or slipping once.. the french can cycle!. A couple of the girls came off in the middle somewhere but escaped with just a bruised ego… me i stayed safely in the middle of the pack trying to soak up the scenery and watch for holes in the road.

For 3 hours i kept at a good pace and it wasn’t until the last 10 kilometres when the road became flat and there was a slight gradient uphill that i managed to take them all and be first to the pub, leaving the 4 french boys scratching the heads wondering where i get all this energy from. Living in London i have developed good legs for cycling on flat roads and uphill, and reading up on the road the day beforehand i took all tips to save that energy for the last bit of the ride, because you’ll need it.

I went with madness tours after a recommendation from a mate, and even though they may have been more expensive that many of the other companies, the bikes were new and reliable, excellent safety gear, the instructors were friendly and well aware of the dangers of the road, and at the end you got the photos from the day and complimentary t-shirt. Also included in the price was a lunch buffet at the bottom of the mountain, this was based at 1200 metres so it was not only very warm, but it was good to swim in the pool, or have a shower to get refreshed.

Overall, it wasn’t as scary as they say, if you go with the right company that is. I read an article a few days before i went on the ride that a backpacker had come off the road and fell 50 metres down the ledge, the company he went with didn’t have any safety harness equipment and by the time that did arrive he was pronounced dead, im not sure who the company was but there is alot of unskilled ones in La Paz, and after the day i would recommend going with either Madness, or Gravity Assisted which are also highly spoken of.

The Journey begins at 4600 metres

The beginning of the Gravel, the view would of been lovely if it wasn't for the cloud!

Me and the Instructor

The Token cliff shot

The finish Line.. Sweaty, muddy and exhausted.

Wrestling is not real, we all know that. On getting to La Paz on the Monday everyone was speaking of the previous nights event, it was called Cholitas Wresting and it was bolivians in costumes beating the crap out of each other.. Immedietly i had to see this and i was going to stay around to see it.

The easiest way of getting to the wrestling is going on the tour, hostel straight to door and no lining up for tickets, from there you get ringside seats and have the opportunity to buy a mask, of course that wasn’t an option.. i had to have one!. The evening lasts about 3 hours and consists of half a dozen flights, men and women running around the ring and pulling WWF moves off anything they could, and sometimes spilling into the crowd. I have probably never laughed so much in my life, all wrestling in real life probably is this hllarious.. but when you have ring side seats, can throw orange peel at the performers and can see every move in full view it nearly makes you’re sides split.

The highlight of the night would of been the final battle, What started off with two traditional women, completely in traditional dress ended up with 2 men, possibly the husbands joining in and having a 4 person punch up,  which in the end lasted a good 30 minutes. I suppose its one of those things to be seen to be believed, you could never really explain in words what happens at these things.. but if you ever make it to La Paz, i highly recommend you see it.

Round 1, a bit of ass slapping.

2nd Round.. Spiderman!

Round 3 - Masked Men

It gets better than this!

Women, Soft Drinks, Chairs, Crowd = Messy.

Get in the Ring!

La Paz, one of the worlds highest cities in the world and also one of the best party cities according to many backpackers. Now recovered from the altitude sickness and some walking completed on Isla del Sol i was reasy to have some fun again, and what fun did i have. After meeting an ex work collegue from London i met a great group of people and took advantages of the La Paz nightlife, the next thing i realised that the 3 nights i initially planned turned into 8 nights.

We broke it up with a couple of nights by heading a few hours north to Sorata to do some walking in the mountains, but after purchasing some wine and the biggest bottle of rum we could find we didnt get much walking done unfortunately. In the end it was quite a blessing going to Sorata, the 200 year Bicentenary was in full swing and every person of this small town came out to party and dance into the wee hours, i had never seen anything like it, even the rain didn’t stop the night.

Now the La Paz setting is something to wow at, from the first initial drop in from El Alto the view of the city sitting in  the bowl is stunning, El Alto sits at 4100 metres and La Paz at 3800 metres.. walking around both are equally as exausting as each other, but you could spend days strolling around and appreciating the near modern and colonial architecture, which we did when the hangover wasn’t too rife!.

Take me back to La Paz anyday, there is so much to do in and out of the city and i have no regrets overstaying my welcome, but just judging by the top 10 bar tabs at Hostel Loki it seems that 8 days doesn’t even touch the surface!.

La Paz Panorama from 3800

La Paz from El Alto.

La Pax and the magnificent backdrop.

Plaza Murillo, La Paz.

Sorata, When we did get out walking that is!.

I set my camera up to get the perfect beach picture, and all of a sudden this pesky squirrel drops right into the frame.

Who knew they had squirrels on a small island in the middle of the caribbean!

Talk about ruin the perfect photo!

In all seriousness, what else are you supposed to do on a stormy winters day but click on The squirrelizer and make you’re own fun picture.. i thought i would get in before the story gets more boring than it already is.

Before i reached Arequipa i had heard that it was a nice city, with equally beautiful surroundings.. and i wasn’t disappointed.

The city itself has an abundant of beautiful Spaniard architecture and an amazing backdrop of the El Misti Volcano and the Chachani mountains which can be seen from any spot in the town. In the centre itself the Plaza de Armas has the backdrop the stunning Cathedral, which at night lights up the whole square, its probably the most impressive Cathedral i have seen the whole trip.

Even though i was in Arequipa for four days I didn’t get much sightseeing done, my body decided to react badly to the altitude and i was ordered to rest by a doctor. It was probably my fault, pulling an all-nighter in San Jose, Costa Rica and then getting a flight to Lima where i had a non stop 3 days of sightseeing and drinking followed by a freezing nightbus.. that’s not really looking after yourself!.

But before the illness sunk in i was able to visit the Santa Catalina Monastery, a walled convent that was constructed in the 16th century but closed to the public until 1970. The convents cloisters, alleyways and squares have been restored over the years to its original colorful state. I thought the $10 entry fee is a bit extortionate, but it was truly an amazing few hours walking around and learning the history of the walled city, and you could see that any money taken was put straight back into the restoration and running of the convent. There was up to 450 nuns living here at one time but this now stands at 20, in some of the kitchens there was even a burning smell from the ovens, but its a shame they were not to be seen on the day as it would of added to the experience.

The imposing 'El Misti' overshadows the city.

Arequipa's Cathedral, best to photgraph at night when not surrounded by hundreds of people.

Plaza de Armas at night.

Sevilla Street, Santa Catalina Monastery.

Woodfire Pizza anyone?, Santa Catalina Monastery.

All in one toilet, Santa Catalina Monastery.

You can see the rest of the Peru photos here

Lima alongside Buenos Aries and Sao Paulo are the 3 cities in South America I have wanted to visit in many years, on this trip ill only make it to Lima and I don’t think that would even to begin to match up to the size or nightlife of the latter two. Alot of people say that Lima is a dump, and has nothing to it.. but i found different, and this is why.

I avoided the hostels in the Miraflores district like the plague and skipped over to the neighbouring district, Barranco, this turned out to be the best decision of the trip as the area is not yet on the backpacker circuit of Lima and only has a couple of hostels that fill up quite fast. From the blue skies and the empty beaches, to the Parque Del Amore and architecture, parts of the city reminded me of Melbourne, my hometown.. which i love.

Unfortunately there was a transport strike on when I was in Lima so getting around became hard, I ended up getting a expensive taxi to Plaza Mayor one of the days, its just a shame that this was the only time it decided to rain so I got no pictures.

Lima, to the beach.

Parque Del Amore

Lima Coastline, paragliders not in sight.

Petrol Pumps.

The infamous yoghurt ladies.. find them in a supermarket!.