Jan 27, 2018 - Off to Copacabana, Isle del Sol then to Peru

An early start to Friday 26th Jan 2018 at 6:15 and our last day whilst travelling through Bolivia. We added another form of transport to growing list for at the river crossing at San Pedro de Tequina. Where we boarded a local a very old and decripid river taxi along with other local folk going to the market. Having survived this trip wearing luminous life belts which were issued by the company. We looked out of place with the locals and the driver looking particularly unhappy. I think we were questioning his crafts capability to stay...

Jan 25, 2018 - Druken musings

Alison has requested that I remove this page and replace it with something more acceptable Therefore I asked our guide Wendy why is " comment Ta llamas? Spoken as jamas" (What is your name?) is the word name for name spelt exactly the same as llamas the animal. She explained that like most things in life failures in communication have consequences. And so it was that when the Spanish invaded Peru they had never seen llamas before and naturally pointed at the Llamas and asked the local incas " what is their name" comment ta llamas?....

Jan 25, 2018 - Day 2 in La Paz stuck back in hotel

Hoping to go golfing but weather currently raining in town but hopefully clear in mountains. Unfortunately it was not weather that stopped mr playing but a bloody 24 hour walk out by the taxi unions. There we were ready to leave at 09:30 and were told that no taxis would be operating today as no taxi private or local authority would dare to operate and cross the picket lines across the capital. So not only are we not going golf but cannot travel anywhere as the possible threat of violence was high and neither the hotel or the Bolivian Tour...

Jan 24, 2018 - La Paz after lunch day 1

We continued our journey with Alicia our shoeshiner, who carried the tools of her trade with her. We visited a market place built like a maze and full of exciting shops where everything under the sun, including Guinea pigs were available to buy, eat and cook all on the stools. We saw many dehydrated vegetables, seeds , meats and fish all from around Bolivia. We came out in area were the ladies hats were for sale at £60, Alpachas shawls at £300 and to kit out a girl in full costume it would cost £2000. Mind blowing given such poverty....

Jan 24, 2018 - La Paz City Tour first half day

Today is Wednesday and we awake to an another fantastic view out of our room overlooking Las Paz and the Andian Mountains that surround this metropolis of 1.6m people mainly indigenous people wearing their national dress with the women wearing their distinctive bowler hats and colourful dresses and using the shawls as back packs for everything including babies, weeks shopping or even car engines that have been procured. We find out that Lap Paz is.not the capital city but Sucre is and the city is in at least 8 different districts, with the...

Jan 23, 2018 - Monday 21st Bolivia Day 2 heading towards Uyuni

woke at 5am feeling slightly dehydrate and light headed, expecting to be frozen but was surprisingly warm in our room. Today's adventures took us through the inca trail pass down to three more lakes, each exceptional beautiful with volcanic backdrops everywhere. We saw a number of southern Viscacha through the rocky valley a local cross between a rabbit, rat and small kangaroo. On the last lake there were 100,s of flamingoes Andian, Chilean and Jame's, after there we're 100's of photographs. We travelled through breathtaking scenery...

Jan 23, 2018 - Tuesday now 2 months on the road and going out on Uyuni Salt Falts

TToday is Tuesday and I have been updating the blog for the past three hours,, it is now 08:00 Alison now ready for breakfast. Today is our two months on the road and we start the day at the largest salt production facility, which consisted of a wood heated plate 2m X 1m , a mechanical grinder and a plastic bag sealer using gas. We also learn that because it is so pure that they have to add yoyo. Now yoyo is either iodine or translated to urine. I hope it is the former and not the latter. Anyhow they produce over a ton a week, who uses or...

Jan 23, 2018 - Flamingoes

Just some amazing photos of flamingoes in Bolivia. These were taken around the lagoons of Hedionda and Canapé in Colchani taken on Monday 21st The Chilean Flamingo has a bright red plumage The Andean has a black flash to its tail And the James flamingo, is smaller and less colourful

Jan 23, 2018 - Sunday 20th Bolivia our next experience Day 1 photos

For those paying attention to this log may have noticed that we have offline lost in the Boliivian deserts, mountains and salt flats over the pass few days. It is a very desolate and harsh place but inspiring by its majestic and towering colourful powerful extinct volcanoes. It is also a very high altitude highest to date at 5000m. The air is very thin and the temp range from -3c in morning to 40c in the day. The challenges are at night when trying to sleep has been a major problem for me, As breathing is laboured and I feel I am constantly...

Jan 23, 2018 - Sunset over Uni Flats

Monday 22nd Jan pm We drove out at 6pm out onto the salt flats, just driving there was an experience, initially the flats were dry salt up to 140m deep of the stuff. As we headed deeper into the lake the water level increased up to 10cm in places. This acted as a perfect mirror and the light was blinding. The jeep drove slowly through to water to minimise salt damage. We travelled for an hour, the salt flats being 120km by 90km we did not go far. It seemed like the whole world and his wife were out on the flats but due to the size, it had...

Nov 19, 2017 - Bolivia height-lights

Bolivien ist anders. Bolivien ist krass. Erst Rucksackdiebstahl, dann atemberaubende Ausblicke weit oben. Dem Himmel spürbar näher, Dalz- und Steinwüsten, Kakteen und Alpakas/Vicunas, kaum Menschen. Bittere Armut, stolze Einwohner und die ehemals reichste und immer noch höchste Stadt der Welt. Sprache und Erbe der Inka und Aymara, erobert durch Pizarro und die Spanier, immer noch streng katholisch mit prunkvoller Kirche in jedem Dorf. Wir sind viel mit Bussen unterwegs. Wenn man etstmal den Einstiegsorz und den richtigen Bus gefunden hat,...

Sep 3, 2017 - La Paz

We don't bother to go back to bed as we feel okay and got enough sleep on the bus. We have breakfast first and then we get our big suitcases from the Hotel storeroom and start to amalgamate everything back together. This will be interesting as we did have to buy quite a few warm clothes. Mid morning we have a break and go to Cafe del Mundo for a coffee. At 11 am we meet Eilis in the foyer as we are going to meet an American guy who talks about his 16 years in San Pedro Prison in La Paz for smuggling drugs. We are early for the meeting place...