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After a tiring journey over the border from Peru i am now well and truely in Bolivia. We arrived in La Paz the highest capital city in the world at over 4000 meters. Its a busy place, smelly and typical of most South American cities, just the way I like it!!! We had 2 days to kill here before heading to Uyuni to visit the salts flats, so this involved mainly wondering round, visiting the local witches market and buy fake goods and electrical items at bargin prices. The trip to Uyuni involved a night train which was not the best experience. The cabin we travelled in filled with smoke/dust for a while and the train had to stop. What ever happened it was fixed and we were on our way again. On arriving in Uyuni we transfered into 3 different Nissan patrol 4x4 for a four day adventure over the salts flats and through the dessert. Spectacular scenery is all i can say, miles and miles of what seemed to be endless brilliant white salt plains, volcanoes, mountains, lagoons, glaciers. The nights were very cold during our stop overs, -20 or so, single sex dorms and trying desperatley to keep warm in our sleeping bags, not wanted to get out to go for a pee! On the last day we went to a high altitude hot spring for a dip. At nearly 5000m the springs provided welcomed relief after all those cold night and for all those aching muscles.
After returning to Uyuni, we travellled to Potosi to go and visit the silver mines and play with some dynamite. Its a pretty horrible place down there, cold and dark and with kids as young as 12 years old working there, and whole generations of families. There is at least one accident everyday with many deaths. Just what you want to hear when your down a 300m mine.
The last stop in Bolivia was at Sucre a nice colonial city, however this again meant the end for some others in the group and time to say goodbye, leaving us down to nine soldiers. After many a drunken night here it was time to head towards Brasil, dreaming of sunshine and Copacabana beach!
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