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We´re currently in La Paz. We have been travelling through Bolivia for the last week or so and its been pretty non stop. Everywhere we´ve been we say we´ll stay longer and relax but to be honest, it´s quite hard to relax in Bolivia!!! The coutnry itself is stunning and had amazing views everywhere you go, but life here is jsut hard work! The people are very care free and things are very run down. It´s defiantely an experience!!!
From uyuni we went to Potosi...the highest city in the world. Barney and I have been really lucky since neigher of us have been affected by the altitude. Hopefully, this will help us for the Inca trail later in April. Potosi is another very small city with its main focus on the mines in Cerro Rico mountain. originally they used to mine silver but now they can only find zinc...not what they advertise however! We had a 2 hour tour through reall working mines and it was a real eye opener. The miners get paid the best wages in Bolivia so that´s why they choose to do it but it is pretty horrendous down there. Walking through felt like it had all been created for tourists, like a Disney Land experience ride. It was very strange to see people working down there for real. Its so dark and dusty.. Apparently so many of them suffer breathing problems later in life. It´s pitch black so you walk through tiny tunnels with just a head torch. The Bolivian people are really small so the tunnel are really small too. At some points we were crawling through on our hands and knees! we went about 2000m into the mountain and its so hot in there. spending more than 20 mins in that part was difficult. All the miners expect gifts from the tourists. Things like alcohol (96% - very disgusting. abit like drinking white spirit!), squah drink, cigarettes... they look at u and get really annoyed if you have nothing for them.
Then we got to blow up dynamite. It was really scary since you have to lit it at the top of a hill, run down and plant it in the ground, and then sprint back up the hill before it explodes! i left it up to Barney as i wasnt sure id make it back up the hill it time. thought my heart was going to burst when it exploded!!!
We only stayed 1 night in Potosi, and so that evening travelled to Sucre. This is known as the white-washed city since the building have to be repainted white atleast once a year. It is a much prettier city than the others but we were really unlucky and had rain for the whole of our first day. The second day there we went to a dinosaur park..bit like jurassic park! u get there in the ´dino truck!´ and then get a guided tour to a mountain that has dinosaur footprints. Appraently in 1987 Swiss palaentologists declared the footprints to be genuine but it was a little hard to believe. Got a very good insight into geography! michael ull be pleased to know I can discuss mountain formations and weathering with you now!!!
Walking through the main square, we spotted Richard again in a cafe. So far we have only arranged to meet up in mendoza and yet have seen him in nearly every city since coincidentally!
Following Sucre, we moved on to La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia. it is much more built up here and city like, but just still completely different to any western city. It was my birthday on Sat and we spent the day quadbiking around the Moon Valley, where we saw some amazing scenery and was just very interesting as we drove around peoples homes on the mountains and I really enjoyed seeing how they lived out here. All the things we have at home we really take for granted and people are so satisfied with life out here. It´s crazy how we want for so much. Oooo how deep of me!
In the evening we went to a lovely seafood restaurant. I had fantastic ceviche (dad it was so so good!!) and the lobster and seafood stuffed black ravioli with an octopus and cream sauce. I have never had such a rich meal in my life!
We´re really high up here so even though it looks sunny outside, its really cold. Makes it very difficult to get dressed in the morning!
Then yesterday we did the infamous ´death road´. Basically, u get driven up 4800m and then u cycle down a 3000m cliff edge, abotu the width of a car. and cars are going up and down, around blind corners so you have to quickly swirve out the way to avoid them. Not so easy when you might fall off the cliff. The road it really bumpy too so really hard to ride on. Its really scary that as you drive down theres crosses and flowers everywhere to remember those who have died cycling down the road...realyl fills you with confidence. But I´m still here - even though I did fall off the bike...twice! it was an experience but one I would never do again. Cycling through the clouds on a cliff edge is terrifying, especially when Im not very good at mountain biking.
Bumped into Rich again last night in a random Arabic restaurant. Jsut walked in and there he was. He´s doing death road as i write so hopefully he´ll make it too!
We join our nex t tour group tomorrow for our 3 week journey to Lima. On Wed we travel to lake Titicaca and from there we see so many amazing things. really looking forward to it.
So until next time...much love xxxx
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