Bolivia update

Vilizon: Crossing into Bolivia for Argentina was an exciting part of this south American trip. Not that i didn´t enjoy Argentina, but it was quite sterile, there was plenty of culture but lacked something special, something i couldn´t put a finger on until i crossed into Bolivia. the clothing, the way people looked, the basic simple foods being sold on the streets (empanadas, sandwiches, tamales), fresh juices being squeezed, the realization that I was no longer in what i perceived a first world country was what excited me. Bolivia was more raw, a bit more rugged, and immediatly it excited me.
Vilizon was not a beautiful city, in fact it was exactly what it was.... a boarder town filled with money exchangers, cheap goods, a bus and train station with the soul purpose of getting people the hell out of that dank town. Unfortunately the train which i was hoping to board was filled but I was able to buy the last tickets to Uyuni. Being warned in Argentina that if i missed the train i would be forced to deal with the "bus ride from hell," bumpy, cramped, hot, and terrifying. Maybe it´s been the hair raising trips through the Himalayas in china, or the cramped ass numbing, knee splitting, back sweating, minivan/bus rides i have endured in Lao, Vietnam, or Sri Lanka, but regardless i found the bus to be unbelievably pleasant. i could have done with out my butt sinking to the bottom of the cushion resting on a metal frame, or my back being cradled in the seat feeling as if i may bust through to the other side at every bump the back tiers hit, but the views, and the experience was second to none. Coming into Bolivia with NO expectations i was immediately captivated with a very "American South West" landscape. Cactus's studding the dry earth, followed by canyons, rivers, ravines, rust colored hills, lunar looking mountains, all eventually fading into the open desert with the snow covered peaks of the Andes shooting straight over head. "the bus from hell" was anything but that for me.

Uyuni: the starting point to the Solar del Uyuni, the largest Salt Flats in the world. the town itself is nothing special, set up with westernized restaurants and tons or tour companies willing to take 6 people in a land cruiser into the Bolivian country side. My self and 4 other great travelers boarded a 4x4 for a 3 day tour. A great introduction to Bolivia but not a town to spend too much time in.

Solar Del Uyuni: located just 45min. out side the city of Uynui was the begining of a 3 day trip through the county of Potosi. To say the salt flats are beautiful would be an understatement. unfortunately 1/2 of the salt flats were underwater making visiting the island of cactuses impossible, but the piece of the Solar that we were allowed to visit was visually stunning and unbelievably impressive. the reflections off the water of the salt flats made for some beautiful photos and of course a unreal experience. the trip Continues on after the Visiting the Solar and ventures into desert landscape, mountains, salt lakes, lagunas filled with flamingos, sulfuric geysers, hot springs, rivers, and graising land for llamas. Picking a tour operator is the key to this trip and although our operator was not top knotch, our driver was fantastic fixing a busted battery with rubbing alcohol, a pen, and duck tape, and digging us out of a bog with a back pack shovel and laying river stones down for traction, the man was a legend. the tour, the views, the experience was unforgettable.

Sucre: The ride from Uyuni to Sucre did not disappoint as every bus journey in this country seems to be a national geographic episode unfolding outside my bus window. This beautiful town was quite busy, which made it an exciting place to visit. A large food market took center stage for me with heaps of fresh produce along with beautiful Bolivian hot sauces, all hand pounded out of both fresh and dry chilies. the old women in the market more than happy to allow me to taste them all, weather or not the fiery sauces or the street empanadas i greedily stuffed into my face were the culprit of an all day fever, chills, shakes, and being sick, it didn´t matter because both were equally as delicious. Sara, Vix, James, Olie and I (the 4 travelers i have been rolling through norther Argentina and Bolivia with) checked into hostel called Dolce Vida, and Oasis hostel of sorts with beautifully clean rooms and bathrooms and used this as a base to explore this great town.

La Paz: The capital city did not disappoint, set in valley brick homes spring up from the center reaching to the tops of the surrounding hills. the city its self sits in the shadow of massive snow capped mountains and is surprisingly easy to escape, 40min. (traffic free) and you can be lost in the more Bolivian country side, taking a bike ride down the worlds most dangerous road, or doing your best to summit or attempt to summit a 6,000mt mountain. Altitude sickness is not uncommon here and in fact first day arrivers are often bed ridden for a day. I spent 5 days here doing a day on the Most Dangerous Road, wondering the city, and partaking in Bolivian Carnival which is much different than most would imagine, nothing like the ones in Rio.

Most Dangerous Road: Was completely unique experience, in my travels i am constantly relating one town to another or one activity to a similar one i may have had but this was something special. Starting just 1hour from the city center of La Paz the bike ride was about 65 kilometers down hill which starts in/above the cloud line and meanders from the snow line, down into the heat of the low lands and the jungle. through the clouds, past Coca plantations, under water falls, past rivers, from asphalt to gravel road, past land slides, and rural mountain homes i loved every minute of this day. We finished in a river valley and after a great lunch the nearly 4 hour van ride back to La Paz began, but similar to all my bus adventures the ride back to town was just as, if not MORE spectacular than the bike ride down hill. The new death highway (a paved road) touches the tops of mountains, above the cloud line at points, giving you the most spectacular view of the green valley below as well as the chance to stare at the massive peaks which run through the Andean mountain range. Unforgettable and completely unique!

Day Tour Of La Paz: A capital city with all the amenities a capital city would hold, markets, shopping, streets stalls, street food, restaurants, clubs, bars, activities, and of course the most unique prison in the world San Pedro Prison. I spent the first day wondering through markets, visiting plazas and squares, being inspired by the culture of the city. the most unique part of the day is when Sara, Vicky, and I wondered up to the San Pedro Prison to take a look and had the opportunity to talk with a prisoner on day release who described the dynamics of San Pedro in as more detail than we could have ever expected. If you interested in this there is a book called Marching Powder. Basically it is a prison run like a city where you pay for everything, from your cell, to your food, run by prisoners as well as run by generals and guards, a prison where your family can live with you, where cocaine is not only processed and sold from with in but also sold beyond the walls, transported by guards and inmates alike.

La Paz Carnival: simply indescribable, nothing like the scantily clad Brazilian Samba dancing beauties. First of all Bolivia has an obsession with water balloons and super soakers, so a major part of this festival is hosing down anyone who may look dry an comfortable, second of all, fake snow or foam dispensed out of aerosol cans (much resembling shaving cream) is the other obsession and covering "the gringo" is another favorite activity of many locals. Since Carnival lasts around 5 days, a lot of my time was spend dodging the streets which hosted foam and water filled activities. this is not to say i didn´t drop around 45usd (a near fortune in boliviano) to purchase as many cans of foam as possible and throw my self into "the lions den" getting foamed, drenched in water, and equally partaking in the madness. Children, toddlers, seniors, teens, no one is off limits and during the parade which can be as cultured as traditionally dressed dancers or as roughly as teens piling down the streets in what i perceived Halloween costumes everyone gets wet and foamed.... me included.

Copacabana: No, not Brasil, but Bolivia is set on Lake Titicaca the largest lake in South America. A beautiful lake and a rather ramshackle town, I headed out to Isla Del Sol an island where the Incan story of the Sun was crated, staying in a rather basic accommodation perched high above the water, over looking the docks and set into the Terrance hills, three days passed quickly and were a beautiful way to relax after the madness of La Paz Carnival.