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OK, Luke got a little behind with the blogs and we are posting the last couple of blogs from Australia (just got home).
* Loving Bolivia is easy - its the cheapest country in S.A. & it also has incredibly diverse landscapes including salt plains, lagoons, geysers & jungle. Being worn down by Bolivians is also easy - everyone wants to make a buck from you, prices vary wildly for gringos & buses are crowded, smelly & flooded with people trying to sell you crap.
* Our time in Bolivia started in the world´s highest altitude capital city - La Paz. It´s always intriguing when you enter a new place and see a man pushing a wheelbarrow down the road with a chopped up donkey in it. It sets an interesting tone and makes you think twice about buying a kebab. We also spent the best part of a day trying to get into jail (the infamous San Pedro jail, where families live with their in-mate loved ones and bribing the guards can get you a guided tour). Unfortunately no one would let us in - there may have been too many officials present to allow this nefarious activity to proceed.
* Our highlight in La Paz was definitely our mountain bike trip down the Death Road which they say is the world´s most dangerous road (starting at 4700m & winding down to 1200m). The consequence of going off the edge of the road are falling hundreds of metres to your death down vertical cliffs. Fortunately the only mishap was Jodi falling into a 30cm deep creek, thus maintaining her impeccible accident record on tour (though it was only her pride which was damaged this time).
*Potosi - after a night in nearby charming Sucre, the silver mining town of Potosi (also the world´s highest city) was a sad lesson in the poverty & exploitation to be found in Bolivia. Our tour of the silver mine was a definite highlight. Crawling on hands & knees through the mine shafts to watch miners as young as 17 work in appalling conditions was a real eye-opener. Health & Safety legislation does not exist here (& life expectancy reflects that). We bought presents for the miners including dynamite sticks, coca leaves (which cocaine come froms), cigarettes & soft drink. Coming out of that mine alive was certainly a mighty relief. The $5 (AUD) steaks in Potosi´s most flashy restaurant were to die for. Given that we almost did die by going in to the mine our oppulence was entirely justified.
*Our last stop in Bolivia was the s*** hole desert town of Uyuni, notable for its abundance of pizza restaurants & tour companies flogging trips to the salt plains & Atacama desert. We opted for a 3 day tour ending in San Pedro in Chile. Highlights included:
- visit to the salt plains of Uyuni & trying to create weird and whacky photos
- Jodi finally chalked up another injury to keep her impressive record in tact. Who knew that kneeling on salt would cause such a nasty purple knee grazes
- visiting various coloured lagoons. Our favourite was the Laguna Colorada, which was rust red in colour & was home to hundreds of flamingos
- visiting weird & wonderful landscapes where volcanic rocks from all kinds of shapes including a stone tree
- relaxing in a thermal pool at almost 4900m above sea level (getting out is not much fun - so cold!).
Next stops - Chile and Argentina
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