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Hi everyone,

OK, first of all we know that we haven´t blogged for a long time, but it isn´t easy to find somewhere with a good enough internet connection or to grab enough time to update the blog or more importantly to upload some pictures. I know it sounds like an excuse but you can see from the pics that we´ve uploaded and the blog below that we´ve been reasonably busy for the last few weeks - since the start of the trip infact!

Anyway, we´re here now so carry on reading and we´ll give you a bit of an update of whats been happening......

We had originally booked onto a Jungle Tour which was due to fly out of La Paz early on the 18th October. We packed and left our hostel with all of our gear and caught a taxi to the airport. We were told when we arrived that the plane may not be flying due to poor weather conditions in Rurrenabaque (it was about 30C outside and not a cloud in the sky). About an hour later we were told that there would be no flights that day and so ended our expedition in to the Bolivian jungle (may have chance to get into the amazon from Brasil though).

We decided to leave La Paz the following day to head down to the Salar de Uyuni in southern Bolivia - a mere 10 hour bus journey along the most rutted and bumpy road in the whole of Bolivia (and that is really saying something!).

We arrived about 6am and met up with our guide for the next 3 days together with our car companions. That´s 7 people together in a Toyota Landcruiser (a 4x4 jeep for the un-initiated) for long periods over the next 3 days - 2x Brits (us), 2x French, 1x Spaniard and a Bolivian plus the driver (who spoke no english) although our Spanish and Bolivian friends were very helpful.

The Salt Flats were amazing and although we have posted a few of the pics which we took, they really don´t do it justice. The salt pan is huge and the geographical oddities which surround it (flocks of flamingos, gysers, volcanos, high altitude deserts plus stark red and green lakes) were simply amazing as anyone who has been lucky enough to go will tell you.

Despite having plans to leave Bolivia via the Southern border with Argentina and head straight to Mendoza, we decided instead to pass through into Chile via the south west border crossing and into the town of San Pedro de Atacama.

As soon as you cross the border you can tell that you are in a totally different country - the roads are covered with Tarmac and things seem to work as they should! Truely this is amazing when you have spent time in somewhere like Bolivia. The other stark contrast is the cost of things. For comparison, a 1ltr bottle of Beer in Bolivia is roughly US$1 and in San Pedro for a 300ml bottle - US$4 (and it´s not just the beer thats expensive). Oh My God!

Don´t get me wrong, San Pedro is a lovely little village in the middle of the Atacama desert and the temperature change from Salar de Uyuni was more than welcome (from roughly 12C to 28C in less than 3 hours!). Due to its cost however and a very busy schedule, we did only stay 2 days before headed for Antofagasta on the coast and our flight to Santiago.

We arrived in Santiago to spectacular views over the Andes, very glad that we had opted for a 1.5 hour flight rather than the 20 hour bus alternative. Disapointed about missing the Prodigy gig in Buenos Aires in a few days time due to the change in our route, we were more than slightly pleased to see an advert for the gig they were playing in Santaigo on the 28th - in 2 days time.

Long story short - we got two tickets and went to the gig last night. It was well worth it and to celebrate we decided that today we would both jump out of a plane over the Andes.... well it was Jo´s idea really but she wouldn´t be able to do it if I didn´t go too - something about minimum numbers!

AWESOME!