Uyuni (May - June 2)This is a tough one to write!! Got on the bus from salta and had to get another two connecting buses before getting to Uyuni one after the other, the shock of the road conditions and the stink on the buses was nasty to say the least...Met up with some friends in Uyuni and booked the salt plains for the next morning, nine of us a good group.
Stayed in a hotel called Avenido and the rooms were bloody freezing and the showers cold, we all slept in the same room that night for heat... I think it was a bit fast to be going at as during the salt plains absolutely everyone was sick even me, food poisioning nasty!! Uyuni is a ghost town run by the military but a very good restaurant called Minute man is here, cheese pesto garlic bread and death by chocolate cake sublime!!!
Salar de Uyuni ()Left Uyuni at ten in the morning with two jeeps, full of the joys of spring, not going to last too long im afraid!! Went to see the old ghost trains carraiges for the mines, imported from England. then we went to the salt flats, which was pretty cool took some good photos. Then we went for lunch, had lama meat tasty!!
Second day went trekking up a vlocano at 4500m, very pround of myself as made it up first to the Mirador and in record time (according to our guide Oscar!) Afterwards went to cactus island and seen some cool mummies. Paddy drove for a while on the salt flats, a natural!! that night we stayed in a place called San Juan, man how cold was the beds there, drinking rum and coke to keep warm but the stars at night were incredible, seen the milky way and orions belt.
third day god how nasty was that!! Up at five in the morning and travelled to the red lagoon, seen some flamingos there, due to the pink coloured plankton thats how they turn pink! On from there to the thermal srpings, the nearset thing to a shower I had in three days, stayed in there as long as possible! From there went to the blue lagoon, only stayed there for a few minutes as it was freezing cold and nearly everyone in the jeep was fading! Left there and on the way back to the shelter seen the geysers at 5000 feet, around sevening in the evening freezing! Happy to get back to the shelter, next morning on the way back to Uyuni had really bad food poisioning, tough trip back to Uyuni!
Note altitude sickness can be a killer on this trip, paddy was in bits for two days on the trip and always prebook your bus out of Uyuni to Potosi or La Paz, trust me you dont want to stay there!!
La Paz (June 3- 12)Arrived early in the morning to La Paz, over two million people crammed into a small city, houses on the hills looked more lite favelas in Rio with snow capped mountains in the background. We stayed in Loki hostel which is the main party hostel, good rooms and the bar is usually packed every night. Went to see the new Indiana Jones film here wasnt that bad!
One of the nights went out with a good crew to Route 36 and an oxygen bar, fell into bed around ten in the morning worst for wear!
Did the gravity death road with downhill challenge and their bikes were really good, ebst bikes in La paz, cost 4000 dollars each! Our guide was very good Israel (no hes actually bolivian!) and bombed it down the whole way, nearly killed myself near the end tho! Then stayed in this class hotel called Esmeralda, free sauna, swimming pool and buffet and a sublime view of the death road and the surrounding terrain.
The rest of the time just stuck in Loki waiting for a flight to Rurrenabque for the pampas tour, hate cancellations, due to the fact all you can do in La Paz is party, your too tired to walk around due to the altitude and the smog....
Rurrenabaque, La Pampas (13 June - 17 June)Waited so long for a flight to Rurrenabaque, decided to get a jeep down, took 12 hours in total but got there in the end. Chilled out here for a day before starting La Pampas, stayed in hostel Balsero for a night, 20 bolivianos cant go wrong, seen Holland destroy in the Euro 2008!
Started next morning to Santa Rosa met a few friends from Loki on the trip aswell, three english guys in our jeep, were bang on. First day got a motorised canoe up the Yacuma river with our guide Jaime, so many crocs and caymens along the banks and birds, and dolphins, so much wildlife. Then arrived at our indigena tours accomodation which was really chilled out, had a great hammock area! Went upstream in the evening and played football and seen the sunset, great fun.
Next morning I was too sick to get up, but the other guys went hiking in las pampas and caught an anaconda, meant to be semlly buggers! In the afternoon then went dolphin swimming alongisde them while alligators lick their lips on the banks! After seen some cappicuno monkeys and fed them bananas, hilarious creatures, would peel the skin back, eat it and hten throw the empty banana back at you in disgust! More people arrived from Loki to indigena tours and had a great game of football in th evening, then got a load of beers in the bar thanks to our river taxi guide and had a good session. third day had a nice lie in and went pirahna fishing, guide caught some cat fish aswell, pretty cool, then had them for lunch yummy! Overall had a fantastic time on the trip, lovely weather, lots of wildlife and met some great people, nice to be at low altitude for a while and chilling in a hammock!!
La Paz(17 June - 19)Weird came back to la paz and had a great time in wild rover, met up with the crew from Loki and who we met on the la pampas tour and had some great nights out. Restaurant Sol y Luna is great for food and really cheap, bock cerveza is really good too!
Copcabana (June 20 - 22)Stop off before heading to Peru, on the shore of Lake Titicaca, really beautiful in the evening time when the sun is setting. Stayed in El Mirador hotel which had great views and tired out the local trucha which was nice from a change from steak!
