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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 05, 2010 07:00 PM City on the highest altitude -Potosi
Tyey say that Potosi is the highest located city on earth...
I am on 4060 m above sea level. And I feel that... No enough oxygen in the air... On the markets of Potosi local ladies in fashionable hats sell a piles of coca leaves. Bolivians chew them or make a special tea. Already during my first visit to Bolivian Antiplano I tried it - and it helps! A pound of coca leaves costs now 20 bolivianos. 1 USD=7 bolivianos.
Potosi has a lot of old historical buildings, churches and convents. It is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage. Why Spanish established city just here? It is because of Cerro Rico - mountain towering the city. They discovered there rich silver ore and exploited it for centuries... Little mines still works - you can take a tour for 10 USD to see underground tunels and the work of the miners.
It is also work to visit castle-like Casa de la Moneda - place where they melted the ore and made the silver coins. Locals pay 10 bolivianos for 2-hours guided tour, foreigners -twice more. Why? They do not have even short explanation or brochure in English... Bolivia...
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Feb 04, 2010 07:00 PM No electricity, but the band plays!
To save money I stay in the inside room - without the window. In the morning I recognized that there is no light... No electricity in whole Uyuni and nobody knows when they will repair that! No warm tea of coffee in the morning (I prepare it by myself on the electric heater).
But the military band was plaing music in front of the clock tower... Bolivia... I packed my backpack at the candle light and went to the bus terminal. At 10 am we departed to Potosi. Ticket cost me 35 bolivianos.
It was almost 7 hours drive in the nice landscapes. cacti, lamas and vicunias on the slopes. But 6 hours of 7 on the bumpy, gravel road, in the dust. Only one stop in the lonely adobe village on the route. I reached Potosi with a solid headache... This is the cost of adventure!
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Feb 03, 2010 07:00 PM Strong sun in Uyuni...
I have been years ago in Bolivia. I came from Brazil to cross the border to Puerto Suarez and to go by the ¨Death Train¨ to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Then via Cochabamba I went to La Paz and Puno... Now it is the time to explore the south of Bolivia.
Uyuni is a little town, some 14 000 peple live here. I already saw the little museum related to the past of the region. Entry fee is only 2,50 bolivianos. In casas de cambio they pay at the moment 7 bolivianos for the US dollar. For 30 bolivianos you can have a single room with shared bath in the hostel. Twin cost twice. So in general I can say that Bolivia is less expensive for the traveler - for similar services you will pay in Chile twice more. But the roads are bad...
Uyuni is important railway hub. You can travel from here to Ouroro - La Paz direction, Villazon - at the border of Argentina and to Chilean border but the trains depart only twice a week each direction.
Tomorrow I am heading by bus to Potosi, expecting bumpy and dusty journey.
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Feb 02, 2010 07:00 PM Salar Uyuni under the water!
Bolivia. Third day of our jeep tour took us to the famous Salar the Uyuni. Many travellers appreciated the beauty of this huge and dry salt lake. They drove on the flat and white surface of the lake to the little rocky island - Isla Pescado - some 80 kms from the town of Uyuni. We were not lucky enough ... The sky is blue today, sun is strong, but few days ago there were heavy rain here. All surface of the salar is now covered for weeks of months by the water -15-20 cm deep.
Jeeps they can drive in such a water but for the safety reasons they go very slow. One way to isla will be like 4 hours - the operators do not want to spend such a time...
We wrere driving in the salte water only some 3 kms - to the little hotel made of salt blocks - still interesting experience.
Another attraction of the day was a visit to the old locomotions cemetery - on the outskirts og Uyuni town there are left since some 50 years...
In the late afternoon I said goodbye to my nice fellows from the landcruiser - wonderful party from Paris, Switzerland and Germany. I got in Uyuni a hotel roon with a hot shower - it is time to rest...
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Feb 01, 2010 07:00 PM High in the Andes... Laguna Colorada
Blue sky, great sunrise, headache - we slept on the level of 4500 m above the sea, or so - And a new portion of adventures. I spent the morning walking around Laguna Colorada - Red Lake with a thousands of pink flamingoes. Lamas and vicunias are also present here. And the place with snowy peaks in the background is so nice that Bolivians want to put ist on the list of the new 7 wonders of the world. Then we went some 50 kms and bumpy roads to Valle de las Rocas - the place where are spectacular rock formations. Night in the another primitive settlement Colcha K - one shower and one toilet for some 16 tourists. Still very cold in the night but it is already 3700 m above the sea here and we sleept much better...
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Jan 31, 2010 07:00 PM Through the mountains to Bolivia...
There are at least three agencies offering 3-days transfer via the mountains and lagoons to the Bolivian town of Uyuni.
Pamela Tours offered me 3000 pesos discount from the standard 60000 pesos price. We started at 8.30 am by the minibus. It took us in one hour from the level of 2450 m to 4500 m above sea level. On the outskirts of San Pedro there is immigrations post where i stayed plolitely about an hour in the line to get exit stamp in my passport.
Only the last part of the route to the border - some 2 kms was unpaved. In the high mountains there is only tiny and dirty Bolivian checkpoint. They do not have even the toilet. We got entry stamps, eat a field breakfast and boarded waiting Bolivian landcruisers. At the National Park entrance - faw kms further we peid entry fee- 30 bilivianos or 3000 pesos. Bumpy, gravel roads but what a views! Laguna blanca with dozens of flamingoes. First jeep broke here... Repaired after some 2 hours... Laguna Verde - beautiful lake with a volcano in the backgroun. Thermal area Sol de Maniana on the level about 5000 m - fumarolas and mud geysers... Cold night in the primitive hostel - I apprecciated my sleeping bag!
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Jan 30, 2010 07:00 PM Hiking the Atacama hills...
There is a little museum in San Pedro. In front of the museum they installed interesting ¨Traffic light¨ - it shows the strenght of UV radiation. Today there is veven more then red light: blue light is flashing - it means the UV radiation is extreeme! Do not forget your high-factor sun screen coming here!
Sunday. 2000 people live in San Pedro but only like 100 attended the only Sunday mass. Interesting celebration anyway!
I took a walk to the entry of the oasis, then I climbed the hill with a white cross expecting the nice panoramic view. Yes - the view is great! But what a heat! On the cross I found the plaque dedicated to Juan Pablo II - the Pope from Poland. We are very proud of him...
If you are heat-resistant you can rent a bike (6000 pesos per day) or a horse to see the picturesque places around. The most popular day minibus tour to the lagoons cost 20000 pesos)
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Jan 29, 2010 07:00 PM Hot, bright sun of Atacama...
San Pedro. Why I am here again? First - I think that it is one of the most picturesque regions in Chile - worth to visit again. Second - it is locaded close to the point where the borders o Aggentina, Chile and Bolivia meet. I am headind to the unknown part of Bolivia and the most intersting trail goes just via San Pedro...
So far I try to adjust to the high altitude. It is very dry here (gentelmen - bring also your transparent lipstick). You have to drink a lot of water (2.5 l bottle cost 1100 pesos, they pay here 510 pesos for USD) But I as ussual boil tap water every morning and evening - this give me a chance to save some money.
The big attractions of the region are geysers and salt lagoons of wonderful colors. Some of them I saw years ago. Tours are offered at every corner, but they are expensive - at least for the backpacker. I wanted to go for a day to Tara Lagoon and Cathedral Rocks - they wanted me to pay 38.000 pesos -like 75 USD! Sorry! Instead I took a local bus for 1000 to the little pueblo of Toconao to see San Pablo churs and Jere oasis hidden in the little gorge (1500 pesos entry fee)... Hot, but nice day!
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Jan 28, 2010 07:00 PM San Pedro de Atacama
In the morning from the bus window I saw the Atacama Desert around. We crossed Domeyko Range (Ignacy Domeyko was Polish Scientist and Explorer working in Chile in the 19th century - pleasure for me to see this ¨Polish¨ range again...). It was almost midday when we reached the San Pedro oasis...
I have been here some 15 years ago... This is very hot but very nice place on the altitude of Polish highest peak - Rysy -2450 m above sea level. Walk slowly carrying your backpack!
San Pedro is very tourist place. There is a lot of small residenciale and hostales but it does not that it is easy to find cheap accommodation. I advice you to book in advance or to come by the early bus. I left my backpack in the first full hostel and wonder around for the best place. And I found it: it is very quite Residencial Vilacoyo, Tocopilla St 387. Single room with shared bath cost ne 8000 pesos and believe me - it is hard to find something cheaper. San Pedro is more expensivie then 15 years ago. In Santiago 1 hour of internet cost 600 pesos - here it is 1000.
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Jan 27, 2010 07:00 PM Cama was too short for me...
I spent last night in Santiago in Aji Hostel, close to Salvador metro station. They are worth to recommend. Nice, young team work there. Every Wed evening they serve free pasta and glass of wine to their guests...
When I was for the first time in Chile years ago I was surprised that wine is cheaper then coca-cola! Now you pay 1000 pesos for the bottle of standard table wine - same price is the coke!
It was 11.50 am when I bosarded Tur-bus coach at Borja terminal. I paid for the cama seat - like the semi-couchette but once in the bus I recognized that their cama is for the people of the height of 160 cm or less. I am 182! So it was not worth pay for that comfort! Durind 24-hours trip (bus was 1 hour delayed) they served three times snack boxes but sorry - no coffe in the morning...
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