Wow, well it has been a hectic week of traveling! My last day in Salta, I went on a journey to a peak above 5,000 meters, saw pre-Inca ruins and the 7 color mountain, and visited the Argentinian salt flats. Such an incredible experience. Of course, I forgot my battery to my camera, so the people who were with me on the trip promised to send me the pictures! The earth just looked so dead because the climate changes so much from freezing cold to scorching hot. On the day trip, we stopped in this tiny village to have lunch and I ate a Llama steak for the first time. Actually not too bad!
That night I got on a bus and headed to Bolivia. I wanted to get out of Argentina before the election today because the election is supposed to cripple the economy. The bus ride was quite a journey of extremes. The weather went from freezing cold overnight to 100 degrees during the day. The Bolivian buses are so awful and it is all dirt roads here in Bolivia!! I can't figure it out if the drivers here are the best in the world or the worst! They drive so close and never stop!! I told you that I experienced the richest part of South America in Sao Paulo, well on this bus ride, I experienced the opposite extreme. We stopped on the side of the road and picked up this gentleman and he sat next to me. He had to be 70 years old and was looking at me like I was an alien. I had my IPOD and he couldn't stop staring at it. Whatever food he kept eating was the worst smelling thing ever!! We stopped in another town and I was the only Gringo around. That is definitely eye opening.
I went to Potosi for one reason...to visit the silver mines. In the 1800's, Potosi was the richest city in Latin America because of the silver in this one mountain. Today, there are tours to visit the mines. It was an experience I am glad I did, but will NEVER do again! I could hardly breath, you have to crawl through tight areas, it is SOOO hot, and I was already 4,500 meters high, so the altitude headaches were incredible! As you can see in the pictures, I was much happier on the way in! Being down there for a little over an hour was very difficult, but the miners stay down there for over 24 hours at a time. They die after working in the mines for 20 years. It is not the most glorious job, nonetheless.
After one night in Potosi, I got on another night bus to La Paz. I met an American, Chris, on the bus as he was sitting near me. There was a drunk Bolivian sitting in the seat in front of me and Chris was sitting across the aisle from him. Well, the buses don't stop too often and the drunk Bolivian had to go pee and figured Chris was the toilet!!! Chris just started yelling at the guy. I could not stop laughing. It was definitely an experience and added to the aura of Bolivian buses!
I arrived in La Paz yesterday and we celebrated my birthday last night. It is such a fun, strange, and interesting experience celebrating with people I just met!! So much fun.
Today, I am going to a women's wrestling match here in La Paz. They say it is something you can't miss. I am pretty excited.
Hope you are all well!! I am off to Lake Titicaca and Peru over the next few days!
Good Things.
TB
That night I got on a bus and headed to Bolivia. I wanted to get out of Argentina before the election today because the election is supposed to cripple the economy. The bus ride was quite a journey of extremes. The weather went from freezing cold overnight to 100 degrees during the day. The Bolivian buses are so awful and it is all dirt roads here in Bolivia!! I can't figure it out if the drivers here are the best in the world or the worst! They drive so close and never stop!! I told you that I experienced the richest part of South America in Sao Paulo, well on this bus ride, I experienced the opposite extreme. We stopped on the side of the road and picked up this gentleman and he sat next to me. He had to be 70 years old and was looking at me like I was an alien. I had my IPOD and he couldn't stop staring at it. Whatever food he kept eating was the worst smelling thing ever!! We stopped in another town and I was the only Gringo around. That is definitely eye opening.
I went to Potosi for one reason...to visit the silver mines. In the 1800's, Potosi was the richest city in Latin America because of the silver in this one mountain. Today, there are tours to visit the mines. It was an experience I am glad I did, but will NEVER do again! I could hardly breath, you have to crawl through tight areas, it is SOOO hot, and I was already 4,500 meters high, so the altitude headaches were incredible! As you can see in the pictures, I was much happier on the way in! Being down there for a little over an hour was very difficult, but the miners stay down there for over 24 hours at a time. They die after working in the mines for 20 years. It is not the most glorious job, nonetheless.
After one night in Potosi, I got on another night bus to La Paz. I met an American, Chris, on the bus as he was sitting near me. There was a drunk Bolivian sitting in the seat in front of me and Chris was sitting across the aisle from him. Well, the buses don't stop too often and the drunk Bolivian had to go pee and figured Chris was the toilet!!! Chris just started yelling at the guy. I could not stop laughing. It was definitely an experience and added to the aura of Bolivian buses!
I arrived in La Paz yesterday and we celebrated my birthday last night. It is such a fun, strange, and interesting experience celebrating with people I just met!! So much fun.
Today, I am going to a women's wrestling match here in La Paz. They say it is something you can't miss. I am pretty excited.
Hope you are all well!! I am off to Lake Titicaca and Peru over the next few days!
Good Things.
TB
Hey Tom - Looks like so much fun! We are thinkin' of you and hope you live it up for all of us! See ya soon... SuperP
ReplyDeleteDude the womens wrestling match has got to be, hands down, the highlight of your trip!
ReplyDelete