We have been v busy since our last update. We have been roughing it without electricity so needless to say no internet access for a while. We have to remember we are now in Bolivia which is a v poor country without even tarmac roads!!

So since our last update we took a day trip out to Cafayate in Argentina, which was an awesome day with some stunning spectacular rock formations. All different colours and shapes, it really is a magnificent example of mother nature. Very mineral rich within very short distances. The afternoon was spent visiting a winery and a goats cheese factory. They were both v interesting, however the whole cheese tour was in Spanish so we didnt pick up on to much haha I really wish we had made the effort to learn more Spanish before we came to South America.

Leaving Argentina to cross the border into Bolivia on a bus was not as easy as we had hoped as ariving at the border town we had to walk across a bridge to the immigration, the Argentinia stamp out no bother, but we could not cross to the Bolivian side as some kind off barracade and protests were happening. Still we were only held up under an hour, then walked further to the bus terminal to get a bus straight north to Tupiza, which is a lovely town where we booked the 4 day tour of the salt lakes.

Now the 4 day tour, WOW. 6 people in a 4x4 roughing it. We had a driver, a cook and 2 blokes from Grimsbey in our car. Unfortunatly the guides didnt speak any English but we got by, the only mishap was me on a vegetarian diet eating dried llama. Yuck.. no seriously before I found out what it was, it was ok.. The landscape is really something v special and like nothing you could imagine seeing anywhere else. Differet colour lakes and lagoonas. We also spotted awesome wildlife, flamingos, condors, picunas. Karen did suffer from rather an upset tummy one night tho, which was not ideal spending ten hrs bouncing up and down off road when not in control of bodily functions. But everything was fine. The highest point we reached was 5000mtrs, which you really do feel with the thin air making it hard to breathe. Altitude sickness is so common but we have managed to climatise ok. The altitude also has an effect on the temperature, which reaches 25+ in the day and plummets to minus 18 at night. Seriously I have never experienced cold like this, especially roughing it sleeping in barns. The last day was the highlight as we enjoyed brekko whilst watching the sun rise over the salt lake, wow amazing experience, it is hard to believe it is salt as it is white as snow! Fantastic tour much enjoyed!

Now in Potosi which claims to be the highest city in the world, after an interersting journey to get here, the roads are seriously bad and there are road blocks and fuel shortage. Today is also Bolivian independance day so nothing has been open but we have enjoyed the parades and are staying in a great hostel with heating and free internet so all is good.

Miss you all lots, not long left now. So much to do we have so little time to do it!!

xxxxx