Category: South America

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Ecuador South America

Galapagos 6

Our first activity for the morning was a panga ride in and around the mangroves of Elizabeth Bay, Isla Isabela. This was an exciting trip as we saw many turtles; two types of rays: spotted eagle ray and the golden cowray; blue footed boobies; frigates and penguins. Our cherry on the cake was a large pod of common dolphins hunting in the bay together with large amounts of pelicans and penguins.

On the way to Punta Moreno we were on the lookout for whales and hammerhead sharks but unfortunately didn’t spot any.

In Punta Moreno we had a snorkel to try and find the Giant Pacific Seahorse. Some members of the group did see one. Even though I spent my head in sea weed so the speak, my looking did not come up with any! We did see the normal array of colourful fish and also black spiky urchins. 

After the snorkel we did a dry landing at a lava field. It was luckily overcast, so we didn’t cook from the radiated heated. We went around the brackish lakes that have formed in the area. One of them is host to a few flamingos. It was great to see their colours with the black, lifeless backdrop. There were also moorhens in these small lakes. The lava is pretty abrasive and difficult to walk on. It is imperative that all stick to the trail as many lava tunnels may not be thick enough to hold up our weight.

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Ecuador South America

Galapagos 5

On Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, the youngest of the Galápagos Islands we see hundreds of marine iguanas – black in colour and lying on the warming lava to gain warmth and energy for the day ahead. Their numbers actually dropped significantly in the last El Nino when waters warmed and the algae upon which they feed retreated to deeper, cooler waters. As the iguanas were not able to dive to that depth or hold their breathe for that long many died of starvation / drowning.  

Snorkeling this morning is with the marine iguanas which are feeding on the algae on the rocks close to shore and with many sea turtles… it makes the one that we saw alone so much less exciting. It is also great to see the penguins swimming in the water. 

In the afternoon we snorkel off the beach-at Urbina Bay- just upon entering the water I spotted a spotted eagle ray and saw very little thereafter as the water was very murky due to the incoming tide. It was disappointing as the snorkeling is always my favourite here!  

When getting ready for our walk through some more mangroves and on the lookout for tortoises we were being “attacked” by paper wasps. We were introduced to poisonous apple trees- the apples are eaten by the tortoises. The tortoises on this island live in the crater of the volcano and have a 3-month journey down to mate and lay eggs and a 4-5 months journey to get back up in the crater! We spotted three male land iguanas which are various shade of yellow- orange. They are vegetarians, despite their looks. Right at the very end of our walk we see a small tortoise next to the path.

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Ecuador South America

Galapagos 4

Our day started with a panga ride around Puerto Espumilla and Buccaneer Cove. We saw pelicans, fur sea lions, and blue footed boobies that were fishing in the water. They shape their bodies and wings into torpedoes and dive in the water to catch fish. The favourite meal is sardines, which also goes to producing the blue pigmentation in the feet and legs. We also see a few turtles. The water looks fantastic, but due to a change in plan we will not snorkel here but off the beach at our next destination.

Puerto Egas was once manned and salt was mined from the volcanic hills in the area. There was no source of fresh water though, so as salt was mined and transported out to mainland Ecuador, water was brought back. The mining was stopped due to declaring the islands a national park. On our afternoon walk we completely fry in the sun- it’s really strong here in the equator and walking and night black lava does not assist! We find a fur sea lion playing in a pool of water and some that are relaxing in little rock caves. Right at the end of the walk we see an octopus in a tiny rock pool. Its head is about the size of a large human fist and is a maroon, brown colour- very well camouflaged.

Later that morning we go for a walk through mangroves to try and find some sea turtles who are nesting on the beach, however it was too hot and sunny out- they would not be back until late afternoon. However having said that, the rains came just before our pangas arrived and so we got drenched anyway.

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Ecuador South America

Galapagos 3

We wake up to the distinctive volcano named Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino) and plan to take a short panga (rigid inflatable powered boat) ride to the beach for a wet landing and short walk. A lone sea lion is on the beach and gets paparazzi-ed by nearly everyone. We see many Sally Lightfoot crabs which are a bright red and blue colours. We also get a taste of a few marine iguanas and see the American oyster catchers. The first oyster catchers were only found on the islands in 2006. Due to the climate in that year there were oysters available for these birds to eat. However, after a climate change event, the oysters died. The oyster catchers were able to modify their diet to eat the crabs and thus survived. We also spot our first penguin- named the Galapagos Penguin. These are pretty small and remind me of the Humboldt penguins.

After our walk we return to the boat and get our swimwear on for our first snorkel of the trip and the day. The pangas take us past coal black lava flows and one can see the various lava flow events by the differences in colour and cacti growth in the older area. The water is warm and great visibility. The fish are too many to mention and have such a beautiful array of colours! I then spot two white tip reef sharks within 10 minutes of one another. They are so agile and I am grateful that they don’t enjoy eating people 🙂

After lunch we head off to Rabida Island or Isla Roja (Red Island due to the colour of the beach sand). We have a panga cruise here and see our first blue footed boobies. Our guide also confuses a pelican for a booby and I give him grief for the duration of the trip about him not knowing his boobies, which leads to endless entertainment 🙂 .  We also had a really rare opportunity to see a feeding frenzy- we went out to sea a fair distance as our guide noted some activity on the surface of the water and then as we were head out more and more birds flew in from the islands. There was a school of tuna feeding and the birds on the surface were waiting for scraps. These were shearwaters.

We had a short walk on Rabida Island, through the mangrove and got eaten by mosquitoes. We were instructed beforehand not to wear bright colours as there are dangerous paper wasps on this island…but no one mentioned mosquitoes. 

The evening had a big surprise in store for us! We only had to set off again around midnight, so we remained anchored in our bay. There were many Galapagos sharks circling our vessel, together with flying fish that the sea lions were chasing- and boy did they have speed! At one point the sharks (6 of them) got into a bit of a frenzy and there was just white water and splashing everywhere- but none of us knew why? The sharks were at least 2m long each and somewhat intimidating. The flying fish were the preferred food of the sea lions- and it was amazing to see how they got caught, but they did not eat the heads and the sharks didn’t seem to like them either.

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Ecuador South America

Galapagos 2

A very early start to our Galapagos adventures with breakfast at 03h45! Then we got on the bus to the airport. Our flight left at 06h30. The first step to getting to the Galapagos is a bag scan for organic items and the purchase of a $20 tourist card- as the $100 park entry fee is apparently not enough!

All forms of plastic are also discouraged on the islands – which is great for animals and clean environment!

The flight is from Quito to Guayaquil – in the south of the country, to the islands which are actually west of Ecuador. Apparently fuel is significantly cheaper in Guayaquil and hence our stop.

We land on Baltra Island, one of three airports are located here. Hereafter we grab a bus to the ferry, just a few quick minutes get us across the channel and then a 45-minute bus ride to the southern port of Puerto Ayora where our ship, Estrella del Mar (Star of the Sea) is waiting for us. In settling into the cabins we note the small quarters. The rooms have bunk beds and tiny bathrooms with little storage. I should mention that the ship is rather small- it only takes 16 passengers; and approximately 8 crew.  

We have lunch on the ship and then head off to the island to visit the tortoise breeding sanctuary on Santa Cruz Island. Our guide gave us interesting insights into the mating rituals of tortoises. First of all, females will not mate every year- only once every two to three years, and even when they are on heat they will not make it easy for the males. Cooperation is apparently not a strength in this species. Mating takes 2-3 hours! The male gets on top of the female. It is important to note that he weighs up to four times as much as she does! As the male gets tired while penetrating he rests then tries again and rests. The female keeps spinning around or tries to walk through bushes to get him off of her!

GPS tracking has shown some interesting statistics on the mileage that tortoises cover. Male tortoises only cover 18 meters (60 feet) per day on a normal day; during mating season however they cover up to 3.2 km (2 miles)! Females move further and consistently whether it is mating season or not at 2.4 km or 1.5 miles.  So it is clear to see what motivates the males!

We also see Diego the tortoise who has fathered more than 800 baby tortoises.

Female tortoises only lay their eggs where ground temperatures are between 28C and 29.5C. This means that some of them walk up to 40km to find suitable soil.

After the tortoise visit we were off to have some free time in Puerto Ayora; Santa Cruz. People did souvenir shopping (especially those that were only doing the 7-day trip.) Some of us also hooked by the bar and enjoy some local brews and mojitos. The afternoon rain came in and ruined our photo opportunities and set in for much of the night. We head off to our next destination after dinner.

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Ecuador South America

Galapagos 1

In order to have some order in these posts I’m going to match the itinerary -to make sure I have covered all the activities. 

Day 1 is not too exciting as it is meeting day. We meet the first group (which includes those people staying for the full 2 weeks on the boat and a group staying for 1 week). 

We have several older couples , and a younger group of Norwegians, as well as us 4 singles (USA, Switzerland, England and I). There are 14 of us, a couple pulled out the night before departure.

My roommate for the two weeks is an older English woman. 

I fly into Quito from Lima on Good Friday and spent a couple of days relaxing before walking to the Hilton to check in. The weather , combined with Easter closures meant that i didn’t really get up to much before the trip. 

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Peru South America

Lima

After a 6-hour trip –inclusive of stopping by the Colorado Tambo Ruins- we arrived in Lima after 10pm. Luckily we get dropped off close to our accommodation and thus it’s just a few blocks to walk. The Colorado Tambo Ruins dates to 1500s and was on the Inca Road that travels through the entire Incan Empire. It was used as a market and housing . 

I have been to Lima on my previous trip to Peru, so I do not have any major sightseeing plans, but thought it would be good to do a walking tour as a refresher. I arrived at tourist information a while before the tour was due to start, so thought I could quickly get a haircut. The hairdresser faffed around enough to make me late though and I missed the group leaving (the ONLY tour that actually left on time in South America in my experience!) I ran the 4 blocks to catch up with the group to realise that it was huge! 40 people! As we all met in the suburb of Miraflores we caught a bus to old Lima /Downtown area where the tour would commence. The large group definitely didn’t work though! We then arrived at the Plaza de Armas to discover it had been cordoned off due to the fact the one of the ex-Presidents of Peru had committed suicide early that morning. He had done so upon the police arriving at his home to detain him for corruption charges. The reason to cordon off the place is the fact that the Presidential Palace (where the current president resides) is on this Plaza, thus for his protection in case of protests/ riots.

The following day I walked to the Larcomar Mall, it is a pleasant outdoor mall off the side of a cliff. There are conglomerate cliffs all along the Lima coast. The view of the ocean and the breeze is refreshing. I did some shopping and had lunch, then continued my walk to the Barranco neighbourhood. It can be considered as Bohemian, with many cafes and good street art.

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Peru South America

Paracas

Paracas is a small town on the coast, thriving off fishing and tourism. I was hoping for a quiet village feel and got accommodation next to a restaurant that liked loud music!

The Paracas Reserve was set up to protect the desert landscape. It is unique in that the dunes are multi-coloured. There are look outs around the reserve and we went to three of them. The first stop was at the Cathedral – however after a powerful 8.4 earthquake, the top of the Cathedral has fallen into the sea. The scenery is dramatic and stark- with a contrast of yellow sand and blue Pacific Ocean!

There is also a stop known as Red Beach due to the tiny red volcanic rocks that have washed up on the beach from past eruptions.

Ballestas Islands are the most popular reason for visiting the town. They are referred to as the Poor Man’s Galapagos. With that name I wasn’t sure what to expect so I was floored by the amount of birds, sea lions and even a few Humboldt Penguins. Seeing penguins in the bright hot sun is strange- but it helps to remember that this part of the Pacific is really cold due to a cold current passing past the coast here. There are many pelicans, turkey vultures, beautiful Incan terns- that have small white feathers that look like earrings, boobys, cormorants and more.

There is infrastructure on the island that is used for several months a year to collect guano (bird poo). It is literally a gold mine at a ridiculous 350 USD per kilogram! There was not much guano around when we were there but the smell was really potent and nasty! The ocean is actually really frothy due to the waves washing against the rock surface, washing off the guano and mixing it with the salty sea.

On the large island there are thousands of birds visible- and as they take off the sky fills with dark waves of hundreds of birds- it’s pretty amazing. 

On the way to the island we get a view of the huge 170m long Candelabra pattern in the desert- no one knows why it is here or for what reason really.

There are a large amount of sea lions and pups on the beaches too!

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Peru South America

Huacachina

I took the bus from Arequipa to Huacachina…one that ran over 2 hours late. So a 14-hour bus trip it was! At least the trip had a few stops- one for lunch in Chala and one for the Nazca lines. Three of the many hundreds of shapes/lines can be viewed from the viewing tower. As we were running so late we nearly missed the lines due to the fading sunlight, luckily, we were the last group up!

The whole trip is a sparse, harsh desert landscape that meets the Pacific Ocean. There are varying landscapes of towering dunes/ sedimentary mountains and volcanic flows. The one thing in common is a complete lack of vegetation on the mountains. As a stark contrast though, the valley floors are irrigated farmlands.

Arriving in the early evening in Huacachina it was dark and thus I just went straight to the place I was staying and settled in for the night. The next morning, I went up to the terrace for breakfast and was taken aback by the scenery – the tiny little village oasis is surrounded by giant sand dunes! It is a rather different sight- a little lake in the desert, complete with palms, surrounded by offices and restaurant and hotels… not many people stay here but it is quaint. Popular activities include sand barding and dune buggies.

Part of the bus perks was also getting a free Pisco tour. It was fun and interesting tour that was held at El Catador. We also had a tasting of 6 wine and pisco shots. The wine is super sweet!! As the Peruvians like suck sweet drinks and due to the minimum European immigrants’ influence it has remained so for hundreds of years. The other countries’ tastes and wines were influenced by millions of European immigrants into the respective countries. The grapes have really hire sugar content here due to the very dry and hot climate, which concentrates the sugar. More sugar=more alcohol % too!

The fermentation process only takes two weeks in the heat around Ica! Due to the fact that there is no oak around Peru the Spanish used local Incan pottery to ferment the wine in. Incans used to ferment their local maize drink- Chicha in these types of vessels. 

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Peru South America

Colca Canyon Trek

There are two different Colca Canyon trek options: 2D/1N or 3D/2N. The difference being that in the 3D option the first day is split into two, after the long downhill section into the canyon you get lunch and rest up at shared accommodation. The last day remains the same. The accommodation is very basic, and by basic I mean basic! A bed, half completed walls and ¾ of the glass in the window- easy access for the cats :).

After a delayed 03:00 pick up- some people waiting until 04:00, we headed off on the long trip towards to start of the trek. Breakfast stop at Chivay was only bread and jam- not particularly filling! We stopped at the condor look out, along with approximately 25-30 other small and large buses!! (Note it is not even high season here!) We were lucky to spot four condors gliding on the thermals. We headed back on the road after 30min.

We finally started our downhill trek at approx. 10:30- in the heat of the day! It was to warm up to 26°C- a normal temperature all year around in the canyon. The trek is literally all downhill across pretty rugged terrain! The views are really great though- the canyon is the fourth deepest in the world, and hence draws many tourists. The number is actually up to 300,00 per year! Most come during the European summer holidays. We only make it to our accommodation and lunch stop in San Miguel village around 14:00 due to some members not feeling well and us taking lengthy breaks. We have a small lunch and everyone except me takes an afternoon nap.

Dinner is also not very filling, and we are all glad to have bought some snacks! We have a bit of a chat after dinner over some beers and head off to bed before 21:00- well all are in bed by 20h00 but that is way too early for me. 

Breakfast is ready at 07:00 the next day, nice but not very filling pancakes and a few slices of banana. Before we commenced our hike our guide told us he had some bad news. The bus that was bringing the next group through this morning had a serious accident and rolled over. Some tourists were badly hurt; others were not; luckily no fatalities. This really concerned some of the group as they knew people on the bus. Later on in the day they were confirmed to be uninjured! This was the same bus and driver that brought us in- just one day earlier! This did not go unnoticed by us!!! I saw photos of the bus on its side, just a few meters away from the canyon edge- a miracle it did not go over!!

We have a day of uphill, flat and downhill into the village of Sangalle where we will sleep. Here we can see how the mountain sides have been carved into terraces where the villagers farm maize and other crops. The size of the canyon is again apparent, from a different angle and we can see and hear the river that has carved this natural wonder. We can see Sangalle from afar and note all the swimming pools in the village- a draw card for tired tourists. The village is also an oasis with palm trees to boot.

I think most of us enjoyed this day of hiking with the variety of scenery and terrain. We all hit the pool before lunch and then naps all around (except me again 🙂 ). Dinner is again small (by this time we are pretty hungry from lots of hiking and small meals). We head off to sleep at a very early 20:00 after checking out the great night sky- helped by a lack of electricity to the village on this night.

The last day is the toughest. Another early morning wake up at 04:00, quick banana, as breakfast will only be served on top of the canyon. We are off at 04:36. The estimated time of uphill slog is 3 hours. Some of our group make it in 2 hours 20 minutes, I took 3 hours 10 minutes. The night time walking is actually nice as it is cool- not like the heat of the day walking we did before. You can also not see what is ahead of you- which helps! It starts getting light at about 05h30 and the German couple that I was walking with and I were happy when we saw our progress. The path is very uneven, rocky and full of high rock steps, it is also shared with mules who carry out supplies, rubbish and tourists. As we start to reach the top and after the sun peaks above the rim, we also note the thinner air, as we huff and puff even more than before. The rise in elevation for the day is over 1,100m! Once we arrive on top we have a 20 minute walk into the town of Cabaconde and the restaurant where we have our first filling breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread.

The rest of the day we have a stop at the thermal baths to rest tired muscles, lunch and great terrace viewpoint and drove past the crashed bus, which was now back on its tyres. The Volcano lookout was unfortunately not clear due to cloud over.

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Peru South America

Arequipa

The border crossing between Bolivia and Peru went smoothly. The bus trip continued from Copacabana to Puno. We had a group dinner in Puno, which is a nice way to get to know the other travellers on the bus and not having continuous feasts of junk food if you are on the bus all the time.

The bus I was on continued to Cusco, so around midnight we met with the bus going to Arequipa and the people headed there got off grabbed luggage and swapped. The bus arrived around 6:00 and I was lucky that I could check into my hostel straight away. I had a shower and nap and then went off walking around the city centre.

It is probably one of my favourite cities that I have been to on this trip. It was clean, and the architecture is very unique in that many buildings are made from a white sillar volcanic rock. The main square hosts the cathedral, which is built along one whole side of the square, it has an impressive size from the outside, runs long and narrow though.

I did a walking tour at 15:00 and learned a bit more about the importance of Arequipa and its history. Arequipa is surrounded by three volcanoes- Misti being the closest at 17km. It is over 5,800m tall! 

Unfortunately, I didn’t spend more time in the city as the next day I was headed off to do the Colca Canyon trek, pickup commencing at 03:00!!

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Bolivia South America

Copacabana

Not to be confused with it’s namesake in Brazil, this Copacabana lies on the highest navigable lake in the world- Lake Titicaca at 3,800m. It is a calm and quiet town that is best known for trips to Isla del Sol and Isla da Luna- both hosting important Inca sights. Due to infighting though between northern and southern Isla del Sol tribes, the north is not open to the public. 

I was going to visit the islands, however came down with a big headache and decided against it. Strangely I have been at much higher elevations, could be altitude or not drinking enough water. 

I did hike up the Cerro Calvario, which is a Stations of the Cross up the hill next to town. The view is great from there. 

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Bolivia South America

Tiwanaku

Tiwanaku is a thought to be a ceremonial centre or capital city of the ancient civilisation. It is based near the shores of Lake Titicaca. The lake shore was 6km away in the past, now 20km. The lake shrunk due to a 40-year drought; which is also believed to have been the reason for the downfall of this nation as they were highly dependent on farming.

Only a small portion of the site is actually excavated and restored. Bolivia cannot afford to excavate and preserve the rest of the site. This is a shame as the civilisation lasted from 5BC to 1200AD. The museum also contains large Shaman (witch doctor) statues in sandstone and andesite. They have symbols carved in them that lets us know that they are Shamans. This includes having a square shaped cap, wide eyes, showing him to be in trance, holding a vessel to drink chicha from, symbols on the adornments, which are assumed to be covered in gold leaf in real life.

The Akapana Pyramid is thought to be an astrological centre. There are 7 levels (an important number in Pre Incan and Incan times). It is believed that the top was flat and filled with a layer of water so that the reflection of the night sky could be studied. The top also has 14 magnetic andesite rocks, their purpose unknown. Much of the pyramid seems to be raided for use as building materials in the town church and buildings as far as La Paz.

North of the pyramid is Kalasasaya – a large ceremonial ground. There were little storage huts along the northern and southern walls. It is here that you find the Sun Gate (Puerta del Sol). It was however not found here originally- archaeologists found it on the road to Tiwanaku. The gate is decorated with carvings of Sun God (possibly), and rows of Pumas, Condors and Serpents.

The Cemetery is used for Shamans only. They were buried with pottery and gold adornments. Unfortunately, much of these artefacts have disappeared.  

We also visit the site called Puma Punka which was the beginning of a pyramid excavation when archaeologists found a great deal of carved stone, and left the excavation like that. The stones- both sandstone and basalt again, have very precise carvings and the rock is so well polished. Angles are cut at 90 degrees perfectly, as are multi depth carvings of what is referred to now as Incan crosses (Chakana) – but this is before Incan times. The three levels signify time- past, present and future and the four sides represent the cardinal points and the southern Cross.

The visit was interesting, though nothing compared to sites like Machu Picchu.

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Bolivia South America

La Paz

Being spoilt by relatively cheap flights and after the long minivan trip from Torotoro I flew from Cochabamba to La Paz, well technically it is the city right next to La Paz- El Alto. The airport is at over 4,000m elevation.

This wasn’t a city that I particularly looked forward to visiting due to its sheer size, traffic and noise! South American drivers need to hoot/blow their horn every 2 seconds, with La Paz being no exception! So it is ironic that I spent nearly a week there- mainly because Coroico –the place I was going to visit- had forecast a great deal of rain- so I stayed in the city.

On my first day I did a walking tour. However; due to Bolivian law, where nothing can be free, the tours are paid plus a tip is expected. The tour was pretty interesting. We started in front of the prison- which is in the centre of the city! San Pedro Prison is unlike all I have heard of- as a matter of fact tourists were allowed to visit up until approx. a decade ago!! Prisoners live inside with their families; they pay rent for their cells based on what they can afford. The innocent children and wives can come and go. The kids go to school just on the other side of the square. The rich have near apartments, while the poor have shared cells with many mates. There are drug factories inside. The maximum sentence in Bolivia is 30 years with no death sentence. Judges send murders and people who commit heinous crimes into this jail for the perpetrators to “disappear” and inflict their own justice. There are only 10 guards working here, and only guarding the doors not interfering with ‘the running of the prison’; that is done democratically. Now, this is all info from the walking tour guide… but is pretty eye opening!

Another interesting explanation was regarding the witches market. Bolivians regularly set up offerings when asking for money, success in business, love, more clients, sickness cures. The picture shows a typical example of such an offering. The baby llamas are a must. Candies- a gift to Pachamama (Mother Earth) –due to her liking sweets. The rectangular sugar blocks have drawings of what it is you are asking for. Further; once you have a Shaman bless this offering, then you also ask your priest for a blessing. The Catholic beliefs and indigenous beliefs are all intertwined here.

An interesting fact is that over 80% of Bolivians are employed in the informal sector. You can buy nearly anything off the street and there are few actual supermarkets.

Something else that you may not consider, is that due to the altitude, water boils at 86°C here. This makes the brewing of coffee and entirely different ball game.

The sheer number of people who live here and the traffic is overwhelming! There are 1,000s of minivans and small buses. The whole metropolitan area has a population of over 2.5 million. So it is a really convenient public transport option to take the Teleferico (cableway) and travel over all the hustle and bustle!! A trip between stations costs a tiny 3 Bolivianos. It is also excellent way of seeing the expanse of the cities through the whole valley! There are 10 lines operating now. I think this is by far my favourite part of the city! I must add that a fear of heights is not conducive to this mode of transport! The quality of the photos is not great through the windows, but it gives good perspective of the sheer size of the metro area.

 

 

 

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Bolivia South America

Torotoro National Park

Torotoro National Park is only accessible from Cochabamba- and my only real reason for visiting the city. Having done some research as to where one needs to catch a bus or minivan from, I planned to depart at 05h30 to catch the 06h00 bus. However, in the process of making these plans I met my German neighbours, who were also planning on going to Torotoro the next morning. This was strange as I didn’t know I had neighbours :). It was two Airbnb apartments that were next door to one another. So we made a plan to head off to catch the quicker minivans later the next morning rather than at 05h30.

We arrived at the minivan stop at 08h05….and bought tickets …but we were only three people on the list 🙁  So we waited…and waited….and two more tourists rocked up (Lena from Austria and Diego from Spain)- we were very happy! BUT this meant that we were STILL only half full! So we waited…and waited…and waited!! We kept asking when the van would leave and got different answers each time. Then, eventually were told that if by 10h30 no one else arrived we would leave. Having had enough of waiting though we asked if we could leave immediately if we purchased an extra ticket between us. The answer was YES! So we gathered an extra 7 bolivianos each, got in the van… and watched four more people arrive…and we left at 10h30!!! So not a very good investment on our part!! Dumb tourists! 🙂

Having waited for 2.5 hours we were delighted to be off! However firstly we went around the block…to our starting point…then we stopped to try and figure out where to pick up another passenger…the driver was told she was east of us…very handy in a large city! If you are wondering how I know this… the German couple (Clemens and Nicole) spoke very good Spanish- mine has not improved to that level! We eventually found this girl, whose dad got off, she got on and we were off! Not for too long until we stopped at our first petrol station. The rule is that everyone gets out the vehicle while you refuel- which to me is dumb as you have a whole lot of extra bodies wondering around the petrol station with all the traffic… and I had to do a whole load of gymnastics to get over the bags next to me to get out. We took the opportunity to get a snack and use the toilets. All of us clambered back in and we were off…until about 20 minutes later when we stopped at another petrol stations and filled up, same procedure as last time. Not sure what we were filing this time? BUT WAIT- THERE’S MORE! 15 minutes later we stop to check our tyre pressure- this is just by the side of the road vendor. Our driver is concerned about the front tyres and keeps sticking his head out and asking the passenger to check the other tyre. In another 10 minutes we stop by ANOTHER petrol station!!! Yip…same procedure as last time again! This time the driver promised it was the last…PHEW- he was right! Though it was also the last petrol station until we reached the village of Torotoro!! We were joking that the only thing I’m going to write about in my blog was not about the National Park but the petrol stations on the way to the National Park! I don’t think that we were far off!

We were finally on our way…and joked around as to what else we could stop and fix/check or replace enroute! However, all was OK for the next few hours. We stopped by a market-which we thought meant that someone was getting off, however it was only for a few people to do some shopping, then we were back on the road! The whole road is being worked, construction everywhere and yet nothing is completed anywhere! To give you an idea the road is only 136km and takes 5-6 hours!!

As we got more uncomfortable on the longish journey we ended up stopping to check tyre pressure again at a local vendor…and didn’t get much further before we stopped on a bridge and had to change the tyre that had been giving up the ghost for the last few hours of bad road conditions! I’m glad that we changed this tyre as we were about to gain a whole lot of weight!! We were flagged down by a lady and her few kids and pallets of farm produce, all got in at a very tight squeeze! A few kilometres down the road a man flagged us down, and his whole family came to the road from the house. The driver asked how many people had to travel- he said all 5! Not wanting to lose any income all 5 got in. So we had 4 in the front- a girl sitting on her sister’s lap in the middle seat, myself and all the bags in the next 3 seats and 13 more people behind me! 18 in total! Some ladies were standing- or bending over for the next 45min- 1 hour! Even funnier was that with the stopping, fuss and 10 additional people, Diego did not wake up from his nap! 🙂

The road passes through tiny villages and through riverbeds and towards the end climbs steeply by way of switchbacks to the village of Torotoro. The view becomes amazing from here too- you can view the strangely shaped mountains… they look like dinosaur teeth or spines that run along their backs! This is ironic as the National Park has been created to protect dinosaur heritage – most specifically fossilised footprints.

Our journey lasted nearly 6 hours so we were super happy to get out and find our respective accommodation and meet up later for dinner! All most of us had eaten the whole day was junk food!

The next morning, we were excited to be headed into the Park. The first thing that needed to be organised was tickets, then guides- no one enters the park without guides. (if you ever go to Torotoro note that the Dirrecion de Turismo in the main square is NOT where tickets are organised- there is a Parque Nacional office that is next to the large sport hall type building that has a huge orange roof.) All of us proceeded to discuss how we would split the tours (6 people splits the fixed cost 6 ways and is thus the cheapest). The problem was me- I didn’t want to go the cave- as caves don’t tickle my fancy much, I have seen many of them and I didn’t want to get stuck in the tiny crawl spaces in this particular one! Diego really wanted to go and had limited time as so wanted to go on this day- I’m grateful to Diego for keeping us together and staying an extra night and going to the cave with the group the next day!

We headed off to Cuidad de Itas (City of Rocks) first in rainy and very misty weather. The drive is about an hour long and a few views we have between clearings is pretty fabulous! We tart our 2 hour walk in drizzle but it clears up fairly quickly and the low lying clouds also start to fade. The walk is really diverse and we see many different landscapes and superb views! There is climbing down narrow passes, up ladders and hand holds-so not recommended if you have mobility issues or serious fear of heights! (let’s pretend I don’t have the second problem!!)

We then drive back to the village for lunch before heading to El Vergel Canyon and waterfall. The lookout is a semicircular steel structure that overhangs the canyon and is pretty scary and spectacular! The canyon is approx. 250m deep here and goes down to a depth of 500m!

After enjoying the views from above we take the 800 stairs down into the canyon and jump over many rocks and creeks to finally get to the waterfall. It is quiet an adventure and the canyon walls tower above us as we walk through it! There are humungous rocks that the river weaves around and over in mini waterfalls.

The guys take a swim in the water pool under the waterfall, while us girls take in the views. When we are done the group peer pressures me into climbing up some boulders for a fab photo with the waterfall as a back drop- crazy youngsters! J The 800 steps back up had me huffing and puffing ‘in the dust’ of the fit youngsters. It was a great day and we head back the short distance to town, all glad that we had a fabulous day and that the weather cleared up wonderfully!

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Bolivia South America

Cochabamba

I decided to take a flight from Sucre, rather than the bus – 26 minutes vs 10-12 hours. The airport is a 45min drive from Sucre, but overall a much shorter trip.

My next stop was Cochabamba, a large city but not one that I took a liking too. The most famous sight here is the large statue of Christ (Christo de la Concordia; Christ of Peace) that looks over the city and valleys. This statue is larger than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil (30 m) but smaller than Christ the King in Poland (36m tall including crown). The statue is accessible by 1399 stairs or a telferico/ cable car.

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Bolivia South America

Sucre

Sucre is known by several names, one of which is the White City. The buildings around the city center are UNESCO Heritage listed and protected. They are all white and well maintained. The city has a metropolitan feel and is the first time I have a cappuccino in Bolivia 🙂

The city is Bolivia’s constitutional capital, while La Paz holds the other statuses, after a civil war was fought over the matter. The signed Bolivian Declaration of Independence is housed in Freedom House. One fact that stuck with me was that the current Bolivian Flag has 10 stars on it, but only has 9 departments/provinces. The 10th one is for the land they lost to Chile- now the land North of Antofagasta.

Many wars fought for Independence were around the Sucre area. An interesting independence war character was a lady who fought for years, alongside her husband and the men and at the cost of losing her four children. Her name is Juana Azurduy.

I visited the Museo de Arte Indígena (ASUR) which shows off the amazing local textile creating talent and history!  Photos were not allowed in the museum but it was pretty beautiful and also showed some local costumes.

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Bolivia South America

Potosi

The bus trip from Uyuni to Potosi is rather pleasant, passing through small villages and hills and mountains. One climbs approx. 700m on this trip.  Potosi is the highest situated city in Bolivia just after La Paz.

Upon arrival in the city centre I took a liking to the old town. As there has been mining here for over 470 years you can see how much wealth was accumulated. Potosi was one of the places where silver coins were made for the whole Spanish Empire! Unfortunately, the buildings have not been maintained and the infrastructure thus looks unkept. The 10 de Noviembre Square, the main square is filled with flowers and surrounded by stately buildings and the cathedral.

I arrived on a Sunday and the city was celebrating a Saint’s day- and what a celebration it was! A huge parade consisting of hundreds of people that went on for hours! There were so many bright colours and finely adorned garments for girls, men and women. The men wore very heavy costumes, they even had big American football type shoulder pads to help spread the weight. The younger ladies wore tiny little layered minis and the older ladies wore ¾ length multilayered skirts. Nearly all wore knee length high heels. I cannot even imagine how much a full outfit would cost?

As the parade passed, each group had their own band- because I can see that Bolivians do not celebrate quietly! The drums were so loud that you could feel it in your chest!

At the end of the parade was the saint in question, priests and altar servers blessing temporary saint chapels that people in the city had decorated with fresh flowers and embellishments. And strangely, behind this was a long parade of cars that were covered in blankets and decorated with expensive silver plate ware, cutlery and art. I wonder if this attested to the silver mines all over Potosi but I am not sure how this ties to the Saint?

On my last day I pay a visit to the Mint (Casa Nacional de la Moneda). The building takes up a whole city block and was very important in the production of coins. All the machinery that is at the mint is original- which is impressive as it was used for over 100 years. The machines are nearly all made from wood. A few interesting facts, the dollar sign ($) originated from the stamp that coins made in Potosi were identified with. The original stamp included overlapping PTSI, later the P&T were dropped and S & I overlaid gave the dollar sign. It was also in Potosi that they put borders around coins. The reason for this is that people used to break off little pieces of silver off the borders and steal it that way, to the point that round coins became square.  

I also paid a visit to the Santa Teresa Convent of Carmelite nuns. This was a fascinating visit. 

The convent was opened in the 1600s and housed a maximum of 21 nuns. The Carmelite order is a silent order and traditionally the second daughter of wealthy families were sent to Convents. The first daughter and son was married off, the second were sent to clergy / convent and the 3rd son was sent to the military. 

Girls entered the convent at the age of 15. It was not a cheap practice; the family had to pay 2,000 gold coins for the privilege of sending their daughter to the convent. If you didn’t have that cash, then art or equivalent valuables could be used. 

Up until 1965 the families and nuns were not allowed to see or touch each other. They were only allowed one visit per month for one hour. The daughters were dressed up in glorious dresses on the day they entered the convent, signifying a marriage/commitment to their faith. The dresses were sometimes reused in making vestments for priests. Each nun had a small room, with a bed without a mattress- they slept on wood. The first of seven prayers during the day was at 4am. 

There are many altars that have been restored from several different convents that are now museum pieces. They are wooden and covered in 24ct gold leaf.

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Bolivia South America

Cerro Rico Mine

I had read a fair bit of information about tours to see one of the oldest silver mines in the world, and none of them paint a pretty picture…so I am a bit apprehensive that I am going to fit where the considerably smaller Bolivian men work. I suspect that being a mining engineer may increase my fear upon entering the mine as lack of safety systems will be more obvious. My fears are not lessened once I sign my voluntary waiver and read the “advert” outside the offices of the company that I will be going with. See below photos.

Twelve of us take the morning tour, first stop is the warehouse as they call it- change house would be more correct. We get rubber boots, head lamp and hard hat as well as thin coveralls.

We get back on the bus and go to the miner’s market. The deal is pretty much as follows: the miners do not mind us visiting them underground as we, the tourists, bring them presents which help them reduce their running costs.

So what can you buy at the market?

  • Fizzy drinks
  • Coca leaves for chewing (the miners do not eat underground due to silica dust, and the leaves are appetite suppressants and help with altitude)
  • 96% alcohol – which I will explain in more detail
  • And explosives- yes, dynamite, detonators and ANFO packages. All three are called a “completos”. The completos are transported underground together, in little plastic shopping bags, not separated like every country requires! Any person can walk off the street and buy some??? A completo costs 20 BOBS or 4 AUD.
  • All other pieces of equipment and spares that miners require

So none of this is making any sense if you are used to working for a mining company, so I will provide some more background. The 15,000 miners that work the reefs of Cerro Rico (Rich Hill) belong to cooperatives. They pay for their claims and pay taxes off their earnings. There are approximately 400 tunnels through the mountain, of which 180 are being worked. The miners make their own working groups and can work as much or as little as they want. Most die due to silicosis after 15 years of underground work.

The mine has been operating since mid-1540s (over 470 years) and has over 8 million fatalities in that time!! Yes, 8 million, that is over 17,000 per annum!! Many of the deaths occurred in the earlier centuries when enslaved natives were forced to work for 20 hours per day and were not allowed to leave underground for months at a time!

Let me also explain the gift of alcohol to Tio (Uncle). Every Friday the miners gather by their sections’ statues of what they determine to be their protector. He has the look of the Devil. They offer him gifts of cigarettes, coca leaves, alcohol and get completely pissed! So let me just say that going to the mine on a Friday was out of the question for me! I do not know how these guys survive drinking the 96% alcohol?? The miners ask for more minerals and safe conditions in return for their sacrifice. You will see on the photo that Tio is decorated- this is after the recent Carnival festivities.

Women are generally not allowed to work underground as the miners believe that Pachamama (Mother Earth) will be jealous and cause minerals to disappear and safety to decline (well, I am not sure the stats support that view!)

The time has come that we got to the mine tunnel and we all wonder what the next two hours will hold! Before entering, our guide told us not to touch the electrical cable that entered the mine- the cable is thinner than those you would find wiring your house!

We walk in single file but fast as the next wagon filled with ore is being pushed out of the mine by 2 miners. Our guide shouts “Run quickly, another wagon is coming! “and we line up against the tunnel to get out of the way. The main tunnel is small and most of us have to be bent over already.  It’s important to know that running quickly, bent over at 4,400m above sea level does take it out of you a bit!

After about 800m we gather as a group and get some information from our guide. He tells us that the mine we are in has 5 levels, approx. 60m apart. Ore from above is fed into ore passes /chutes and then into the wagons. Ore from below is loaded into rubber bags and hauled by a pulley system from below.

Once the wagons are loaded they weigh 2tonnes and are only pushed by 2-3 men. They have no brakes and with the very dodgy rails can derail at any time too.

We walk further into the depths of the earth and come across two very large holes that have 2 x planks going across them. I thought that they were continuations of ore passes, until our guide tells us that the first working place we are going to is 60m vertically down from us! We all nearly choke…you mean we are going down there?? HOW? Again the guide says not to touch the wire that is going down. It is some 2in away from us as we crawl through tiny spaces. There are some cut in steps, but they are at an angle and sandy /slippery.  I am one of the last to go down as I decide whether this is smart- def NOT! But I have come to see work areas. Descending the 60m is tough- slippery and at the bottom there are two further shafts that are not in any way covered by a grid or anything! If you slip- which is highly likely- you end up carrying on going uncontrollably down!  The second hole, about 3m wide needs to be crossed on a 2-3in plank. The only thing you can hold on to is the rock on either side while you contort yourself due to the hanging wall being low! The miners are drilling 5m below us. Everyone starts going down again and one of the girls inadvertently touches the wire and gets an electric shock- she screams from fright but seams OK. Her skin is still warm a few hours later where contact was made. I decide not to go down further, as I consider how the hell I’m going to make it back up to the top?!

The orebody is very steeply dipping and only about 1 m width gets taken out. The way back up is challenging- trying to avoid falling into the never-ending shafts without too much to hold onto. I get a hand up and then hang onto some metal jutting out the floor. I keep thinking that the miners carry 40-50kg bags of ore up here too as there is no other way out! I must confess that my muscles hurt today!

We move along to a different section to see the pulley system for drawing up ore. Here we split into two groups- one that goes down to another level- def not me this time! And we go up a 5m ladder to a work area. Here the men are literally using hammers and chisels to break the waste from the ore to carry less. The blasts break the rocks up into too bigger pieces to carry in the sacks. As we continue talking it turns out that we are sitting in an ore pass! Oh dear me!

On our way out we hear multiple explosions, though most miners blast in the afternoon. There are no methods of communication between the different levels or working parties- so I am unsure as to how they clear for blasting considering that the whole hill is like a termite mound? The only ventilation is via compressed air, and that doesn’t really make it to the working areas.  

Considering how there is absolutely no control over what happens on this mine, how the environmental and other regulations have purposefully been relaxed, I wonder how this effects that quality of the water that the town has- and how polluted with heavy metals it is?

As we talk more on the way to town in the bus it turns out that the guys were much more fearful than they made out to be. Especially in the first 15-20 minutes. They were all quietly panicking! We were all glad to have made it back and decided it was among the scariest things we have done, if not top of the list!

In conclusion, like the advert said, it is def not for woosies!

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Bolivia South America

Salar de Uyuni Trip – 4

Our final day starts out early, with us being on the flats just after 5am to position ourselves for the sunrise. We park the vehicle on the flats, facing east and wait in the cold. The salt pan is partially covered with rain water at the moment after rainy season and thus we have an opportunity to get many reflections shots. Once getting out of the vehicle and stepping into the icy water we nearly all have cold and wet feet pretty quickly but hold out until the sunrise. As it most often is, the west is a prettier sight than the east, with baby blue pinks and blues and the full moon!

We drive across the Uyuni salt pan to Hotel de Sol (Salt Hotel) which was the first hotel on the salt flat but was closed in 2000. Now it serves as a stop for travellers like us and is the start of the Dakar race across this Bolivian natural wonder.

After breakfast we head off to some drier parts of the salt flat as an opportunity for the group to take some perspective shots. We all decided that it is harder than the photos make it look! Fun was had with several traditional and less traditional props.  We also had a proposal …our English / Canadian couple got engaged! Blake asked after 7 years of dating and Grace said “Yes”!

Our final / final stop of the trip was the Train Cemetery near Uyuni. These are abandoned trains from the 1920s-1930s when English technology took over and they were no longer used. This together with a loss of access to Iquique port, in Chile and a drop in mineral prices. Considering it is also Bolivia, you can climb all over, into and under them- do whatever you please really. 

We all hugged and said goodbye before leaving our separate ways. I stay in Uyuni for one night, a town which is surprisingly dirty and very non-inviting, despite the hordes of tourists that come through its “doors”. I but a ticket to get out on the first bus out the next day.

Detailed map of Salar de Uyuni Trip with Tupiza Tours. Marked in red
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Bolivia South America

Salar de Uyuni Trip – 3

Our day starts earlier so that we can make it on time to Uyuni Salt Flats before sunset. We commence by travelling through Siloli Desert and stop by rock formations that include The Stone Tree. We still travel north alongside the Chilean border, passing a chain of beautiful lagoons, that are still with little wind and thus reflect the mountains and surrounds stunningly! They are in order of appearance; Ramaditas, Honda, Chiarkota, Hedionda and Cañapa. We do some short walks around these lagoons and head off down a rocky pass called Pasito Tun Tun.

When the pass is conquered we drive towards a main road to get a view of the always active Volcano Ollague. It is split 50/50 between Chile and Bolivia and has a steaming fumarole on the Chilean side. After this quick stop we have a long drive east to Uyuni and then Colchani where we will spend the night. We pass many small villages and larger towns as well as Bolivia’s largest mine: San Cristobal; which is an open-pit silver, lead and zinc mine.

We arrive at our “Hotel” for the night: called Palacio del Sal. It is self-rated at 7 stars; which is nowhere close to reality. There are 2 toilets to share for 30 people and no running water at all, not even to wash your hands or brush your teeth. It is however a novelty to sleep in a building made entirely of salt bricks. This hotel also has a view across the Uyuni Salt Flats. We have about an hour to spare before heading off to join the hundreds of people for sunset. There are no rules as to where one can and cannot drive on the salt pan; so it is a free for all!! Which also means that you have people parked in front of you, in the way of your photos…

The sunset was a great golden colour, without any clouds in the western sky. We head off to dinner after the sun says goodbye for the day.

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Bolivia South America

Salar de Uyuni Trip – 2

We awake before 06h00, get packed and eat breakfast. We are on the road at approx. 07h15.

Our first stop is to check out a kraal of llamas, and we get treated to some llama porn too 🙂 .

The second stop is Laguna Hedionda (which means stinking); and it does; though the wind is strong here and this dilutes the smell. There is also a thin layer of ice around some parts of the lake- a tribute to the cold night.

The next stop is Kollpa Laguna and then Salar de Chalviri.

We travel past the thermal baths to go to the base lakes of Volcano Licancabur (you may remember I named this my favourite volcano when I was in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile and saw it from the other side of the border). The base lakes are Laguna Blanca (White Lake) and Laguna Verde (Green Lake) .

There is a huge amount of pillow lava in the area, attesting to the large explosions of the past and the distance that these volcanic activities covered. The flat valley around the volcanos is also covered in volcanic rocks that were spat out of the volcanos in previous explosions.

Before lunch we get to the Thermal baths at Laguna Polques and take a 15min dip in the 33°C fresh water springs while having a view of the expansive lake and snowcapped mountains in the background.

Once we eat lunch we head off towards the Chilean border to see the Desierto de Dali, named after the artist Salvador Dali and his art style, which can be imagined in the rock forms. There are also volcanoes that have multicoloured layers after many explosions. I can’t help but think that they remind me of sand bottle art. We are now in the south west corner of Bolivia. The next day we will travel parallel to the Chile/Bolivia border along the Andes.

Our next activity is a walk around Geisers Sol de Manana, 5,000m, which in any other country would be on a boardwalk or across a mark path, but not in Bolivia. Here you can just walk around wherever you please, without knowledge of depth of ground below you! Two weeks before a Japanese lady fell into an acidic, high temperature pool and died.

We spend the night in Huayllajara at 4,000m. We don’t settle in for very long before going for a sunset trip to Laguna Colorado (Coloured Lagoon). This lagoon is very intriguing as it contains algae that changes colour depending on the time of day and amount of photosynthesis. Thus the lagoon is normal water colour at night and in the mornings, changing to orange and then a dark red. The lagoon is also home to hundreds of flamingos and other birdlife.

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Bolivia South America

Salar de Uyuni Trip – 1

After a few relaxing days in Tupiza at 2,900m, we start off our 4-day South- West Bolivia adventure. I get picked up from my “hotel” and taken to another hotel in town to meet my other 3 partners in crime for the trip. The group includes a young German Student and an English/Canadian couple. We have a Spanish speaking driver and English speaking guide.

The first stop was literally just outside of Tupiza and was a testament to the power of water erosion in the area, creating steep, thin rock pillars called Quebrada de Palala. We climb quickly up very windy dirt roads, the corners are taken fairly sharply and drop offs are pretty steep. This is a two-way road but without much passing space. There are of course no guardrails. The views are amazing from the increased elevation and include further examples of water erosion of sandstone. This area is called El Sillar.

During the day we drive through small mining villages. Mines are worked by private miners, generally men’s work and women look after the llama herd. In the photos of the llamas you will note that they have colourful decorations and what look like earrings. As the llamas are a very important part of Altiplano (highland) life in the Andes, they are decorated for carnivals and festivities. The colours also serve as a way to differentiate between the herds of different families.

Lunch was in a small village, with homes open as dining rooms. Here we met up with the other 4 tours that left Tupiza that day. Two others from the same company I used and another two from different companies. We in essence travelled in caravan together for the trip. This was a good plan as we had several breakdowns and it was good to get the assistance and brains of the other drivers to help problem solve and fix. While being in the middle of the desert it is amazing to see the few tools that the driver/ mechanics need to solve the variety of problems.  Everyone helps, irrelevant of company.

In the afternoon we get to Ruinas de San Antonio. This is a large (2,000 person capacity) town that was set up by the Spanish to mine and process copper, gold and silver. The town also has the ruins of a huge church, which was also ransacked by thieves and had all the art, gold and silver artefacts stolen from it. This was taken as a bad sign and the village was moved a few kilometers away.

It was at this site that we also spotted our first chinchillas. They are very well camouflaged and can only be seen when they move. 

The sun is setting when we leave, the sunset is colourful and we have a spectacular full moon rise too!

We arrive at our accommodation fairly late and eat dinner at about 21h15. Accommodation is shared, 2 toilets for 12 people and no hot water. Our first stop is at about 4,200m and one can feel the cold and altitude. This village is called Quetana.

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Argentina South America

Cachi

This tiny little village is South West of Salta on Route 33. The drive there is also spectacular, with winding roads that are first covered in thick jungle vegetation, that then changes again as we again gain elevation; however, it is different to the drive to Cafayate. Here there is greenery but not thick jungle type trees. We are lucky to see a few condors throughout the day, being so huge they are easy to spot. As we wind up the dirt road mountain pass the scenery gets pretty breathtaking, and not only because it’s so high! We stop at the highest point in the pass- where the Miller’s Stone is, left hundreds of years ago when it could not be loaded back onto a cart. This is at 3,348m and surprisingly there is cattle grazing here. From here we can see the whole Enchanted Valley as it is named, well at least in theory as the low clouds are coming in fast and furious and cover and uncover the view all the time.

As soon as we cross the pass the scenery and vegetation is entirely different on this side of the mountain. It is what is all over Argentina- and called Pampa. Very low dry shrubs. Soon starts the Parque Nacional de Los Cordones, which protects the giant cacti along this stretch. These cacti only grow about 1cm per annum when they are young, and a maximum of 4-5cm when they are significantly older. Judging by the height of most of them we are talking several hundred years old on average.

Passing the Tin-Tin road which is part of the straightest 12km of the Royal Inca Road across South America (and the old Incan Empire) we reach a lookout of the Cachi peaks- 9 peaks over 5,500m but they are covered by clouds. Just before Cachi we pass Payogasta, which is famous as growing the world’s highest vines at 3,400m… however recently Tibet has planted vines at an altitude of 3,563m and thus take the record.

The village of Cachi is very small and quaint, 30 minutes is enough to walk around …slowly.

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Argentina South America

Cafayate

Cafayate is located south of Salta on route 68. The drive there is also through scenic and fertile farmlands and villages of Valle Lerma as well as mountains covered in jungle. This however changes as we gain elevation and vegetation is sparser and thorny. What is becoming a more desert landscape is eroded by thermal changes and water. Our first stop is by Devil’s Throat, which is steep rocky tube, eroded by water.  We also stop by Tre Cruces (Three Crosses) look out which is spectacular with all the deep maroon and red mountains as well as greenery by the small river flowing through the valley. There are many other named and non-named rocky outcrops, one even known as the Titanic- near where our bus driver played the theme song for us so that we can get a hint as to what the name was J.  

Just before lunch we stop by a vineyard named Vasija Secreta (Secret Vase) for a tour and wine tasting. The vineyards there are located at 1,600m and are known for their Cab Sav and Torrontes varieties.

We have 2 hours in Cafayate for lunch and a look around, which spend at the wine museum. It is a pretty interactive museum with the first part describing the climatic and soil requirements for good wines, written in poetry and the second part of the museum covering the history of the area.

On our return we stop by the rock formation known as The Amphitheatre, where we have a local musician playing and singing so that we can appreciate the sounds within.

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Argentina South America

Humahuaca

Humahuaca is also located north of Salta, and also includes a trip to Pumarmarca. I didn’t mind visiting it twice though. Over and above this we visit a view other places of interest. One of these is Pucara de Tilcara, which is next to the town of Tilcara. These are rebuilt Incan ruins, though not correct historically. They are rebuilt to give visitors an idea of the buildings of the time.  The site is an archaeological site and excavation took place over many years in the early to later 1900s. The monument is there for the archaeologists who worked on the site- something that was somewhat strange to me. 

We have a very brief stop in Uquía. There is a church here that has a rather unique set of paintings. When the Spanish arrived they asked the Incans to paint angels for the church, however the Incans had never heard of angels and thus asked what they looked like. The Spanish replied that: “They look like us”. Thus, the paintings of the angels are those of Spanish military personnel, with rifles and wings! No photos are allowed inside though.

In the afternoon we stop by Maimará –which is a stop to view “La Paleta del Pintor” (Palette of the Painter). The coloured mountains look better in the late afternoon sun. On the way here we also glimpse the Mountain of 14 Colours, which looks fabulous and was featured on National Geographic’s cover recently.

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Argentina South America

Salinas Grandes

The amount of vegetation and farming north of Salta is a surprise- such fertile lands here and even jungles are present. This is in complete contrast to the other side of the Andes, where the Atacama Desert is in Chile.

We head north from Salta, towards our first stop of Pumarmarca, a lovely quaint village that is located next to the mountain of 7 colours. Since this site has been named a national treasure the village has been transformed into a tourist hub. The colours are really quiet brilliant leading up to and past the village as well.

Salinas Grandes is the largest salt pan in Argentina. It is located north of Salta. There is active salt and lithium mining taking place at the moment. The salt flats are at an altitude of 3,450m and we travel through a pass of elevation 4,170m in order to arrive at the pan. It has a surface area of 212km2

The road to and past the Salt pan has been paved due to the large amount of trucks that pass here from Iquique port, Chile to Paraguay filled with second hand cars from Asia. It makes this road very busy and somewhat dangerous with the trucks taking all the windy corners pretty sharply.

Categories
Argentina South America

Salta

I spent nearly a week in Salta, I made it my base to explore the northern parts of Argentina. I was pleasantly surprised as to the diversity that this part of the country has to offer.  Salta is also a nice city, spread out and no towering apartment buildings. It is over 400 years old and is one of the first towns founded by the Spanish.

On my first full day I set off to join the free walking tour and bumped into another girl that I had met in Cordoba on the walking tour there. She was with a friend from her hostel, and we spent much of the rest of the day together. 

After the walking tour we visited the MAAM (high mountain archaeological museum) that houses four children that were sacrificed by the Incas and buried at over 6,700m amsl on the volcano Llulliallaco. The children were all under 15 and were of privileged descent. The children were given a brew (chicha) and were buried after they fell asleep. They thus each died from suffocation. It was considered a privilege for ones child to be sacrificed as their souls would live with the ancestors. The bodies are extremely well preserved due to the environment in which they were buried-little oxygen and bitterly cold. Only one of the children are exhibited at any time.

The museum also brings up the ethical problem of retrieving bodies of ancient cultures for the purpose of scientific studies.

In the afternoon the three of us walked up to Cerro San Bernando to get a great view of the city from above. There is also a cable car available to get up.

I had four full day tours coming up to explore the region.

Categories
Argentina South America

Tucuman

I flew into Tucuman from Buenos Aires after my Uruguay trip.  The weather was rainy and cool- a change from Uruguay for sure. The taxi driver talked me through some of Tucuman as we drove from the airport. When he found out I was Polish he told some four times that Pope John Paul II had flown into Tucuman airport for a few hours in 1987.

I stayed overnight in an Airbnb with a lovely lady who spoiled me a lot. She introduced me to homemade humitas. This is a corn and goat cheese mixture boiled in maize leaves, and she had many desserts. We sat and had a chat- I should say that she chatted and I tried to keep up with the Spanish! She showed me her art studio in a separate portion of the house and some of her artwork- it was beautiful.

Being a Sunday I didn’t see much of Tucuman, and the rainy weather continued into Monday. I did visit the sugar museum – Tucuman is the center of sugar cane industry for many decades.  It is also the largest exporter of lemons.

I caught a bus to Salta that morning.

Categories
South America Uruguay

Punta del Diablo

Punta del Diablo was starting to quieten a lot after Carnival; as a matter of fact, the town and businesses shut down when I arrived and will only start up for a few days over Easter and then again only in December.

It is a larger version of La Pedrera, with dirt roads and lots of holiday homes. There are a few large beaches and restaurants are huddled around the Playa Pescadora (Fisherman’s Beach) area.

On the first day I walked to the lighthouse along Playa de la Viuda (Widow’s Beach).  It was a pretty hot day, so I found some shade to hide in afterwards.

The next day was just super stinking hot…so I did absolutely nothing 🙂 Which was nice ,as I had a cabin all to myself anyway- my first entirely solo accommodation since I started the trip.

On my final day, though it started with some rain, I headed out to Santa Teresa National Park.  The park is large and contains a rather large mish-mash of experiences: it is run by the military and contains military barracks, which are hidden from the public behind the forests. The park also contains a large conservatory with tropical plants and ponds outside with waterlilies. On the other side of the park, literally- and I would know ‘cause I walked the 6kms to get there – added a couple as the signs were crap- there is a well preserved fort- Fortaleza de Santa Teresa.

When I was finished at the fort I walked along the highway back to the entrance to catch the bus back to Punta del Diablo.

I’m glad that I travelled around Uruguay- well the southern coast anyway. It was a good, relaxing time spent taking long walks on the beaches! So I felt like I had a holiday… you know time off from the travelling 🙂

The next morning was up bright an early -04:30 to catch a bus to Montevideo, then another to Colonia, then a ferry to Buenos Aires in order to catch an early morning flight to North Argentina: San Miguel de Tucuman. So it has been a busy last two days of travelling; but not very exciting.