Bolivia

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  Tupiza, Bolivia
Saturday, July 11, 2009

We arrived in la Quiaca at 7am on Saturday morning which is the border town in Argentina and gateway to Bolivia.  There were alot of backpackers got off the bus and we were all waitng around in the bus station trying to get warm.  It turned out that everyone was waiting for someone else to make the first move so one Dutch girl went up to a desk and found out the the border was open so off we all went in search of it.  The weather can only be described as BITTER.  When we were in South Argentina there was no sharp wind blowing so it disn't seem that cold but that was freezing.  We all got our Argentina exit stamps pretty quickly and then walked over the international bridge and had a bit of a wait for our entry stamps into Bolivia.  While we were waiting I started to feel a bit faint so I sat down on my backpack and put my head in between my legs to try and get the blood back - Ror said I was so pale.  The feeling came and went - I didn't know what was wrong but I guess it was my first taste of altitude sickness.  We eventually got through and we all headed up to the bus station

Bolivia Border

.  This town was called Villazon and a bit crazy.  There was meant to be a bus at 8 going to Tupiza but by 8.30 when we arrived it still hadn't left so we got tickets and hopped on.  Now we have heard alot about the buses and more so the scary bus journeys in Bolivia but I have to say the bus was fine - we were sitting in the back and my windown was open a bit and the ledge was all dusty but it was grand - we have learned quickly that we had to lower our expectations in Bolivia compared to Argentina.  Ror had gotten biscuits before we got on so we were munching on them for our breakfast - it was good to get some food into me and I started to feel better.  There was an old Bolivian woman sitting next to Ror and he gave here some biscuits and she was delighted with herself!  I think the bus journey was about 3 hours.  The journey was unreal - the roads are not tarred, just flattened dirt roads so they are quite bumpy and you are travelling around mountains.  We passed very few houses on route and those that we did were literally mud huts - they were made from what looked like mud bricks and had flat slopping corrugated roofs and they were the size of an average room at home and that was their house - crazy stuff!  The country just seems to have one colour - brown and the dust from the roads covers everything.  It was such a shock to think that this country is so poor and Argentina is right next to it and so rich in comparison.  We were nearly in Tupiza when I thought I heard the wheels go funny and I thought we had a puncture

Argentina Border

.  Everyone started getting off the bus as we stopped and sure enough the back wheel was in shit - I mean the rubber had totally collapsed.  I guess the locals are just used to this as they were all just sitting around waiting for it to be changed but all the 'gringos' were out with their cameras lol.  We took this opportunity to find a nice spot to go for a wee - no toilets on board these buses - which was to be a common practise in Boliva if you find yourself caught short!

We arrived in Tupiza and we were the last to get off the bus but the locals didnt wait for us so they started to get on at the same time so we were trying to squeeze our way out.  We had booked a hotel which had good reviews online so we went off there with an irish couple and 3 english girls.  They decided it was too expensive so went back to a HI hostel but we were happy enough with it.  There was a tour agency in the hotel so we went and booked a 4 day jeep tour of the salt flats, lagoons and geysers for the next day.  Tupiza was a lovely little town - its the real wild west.  Apparently 40k away Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid were gunned down - I didnt realise that was real life, I thought they were just in the movies!  Anyway we went out for a stroll around and looked for a place for lunch - they all seems to be Italian restaurants so we got pasta and pizza and bumped into the Irish gang and Eng girls again

Puncture

.  They said there was markets around so we went off in search of them and got the cool knitted hats and the plaits that EVERYONE over here wears, Ror got leg warmers which are very fetching on him lol and I got gloves as I lost my purple pair I got in Argentina.  We met the Eng girls again who were looking to join a tour of the salt flats and they signed up with us as we were going to have an english speaking guide whereas alot of the rest would only have a spanish speaking guide.  After this I went back to the market to look for a coat as we were told it could get down to -25 degrees in the night.  I found an okay red coat which I bargined down to 50 Bolivianos which is a little over 5 euro - some of the style left alot to be desired and I know being a backpacker is far from a fashion parade but still I have my standards lol.  The girls were going to buy a dinosaur for our funny pictures on the salt flats - you will have to wait until I get those photos up to explain what I mean for those that dont know!  After this we went up to a mirador which means lookout and had a lovely view down on Tupiza which is built within the mountains which are really red - pretty cool.  The walk up was only 10 minutes but we were really caught for breath and my legs and back were aching - it was the altitude.  Thank god I didnt feel faint anymore though.  We read that if you go over 2500m over sea level you start to feel the effects of the high altitude and Tupiza is 2950m above sea level.  We went out to another Italian for dinner (seriously there was nothing else) and turns out the menu was the exact same so they are obviosuly all run by one family.  It was nice and warm in there and they had a music channel on so we happily sat in there for a while.  Got back to hotel and our room was ARTIC - I had to hop into bed with my clothes and coat on me - it was to prepare us for our tour the next day anyway!

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Tire in complete shit!	View which tyre being changed!	Tupiza	Women carring babies
Tupiza	Tupiza from Mirador	Tupiza from Mirador	Wild West country

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