Glad you are enjoying the TR. thankfully the Salar tour was less traumatic but much more memorable. But first a few days in Tupiza..

We decided not to bother with Potosi and got the bus straight to Tupiza which passed through the town on the way. Famous as a silver mining town it was once the richest city in South America, now the silver has long gone, it is much as one would imagine a derelict mining town to be, dusty and run down. It is still possible to go down the mines to watch the miners working and there is apparently a nice colonial centre to the town but we have seen enough of colonial buildings for the time being and were keen to get back to nature.

Our 8 hour journey to Tupiza was not on one of Bolivia's finest buses and to say it dragged was a major understatement! After around four hours we arrived in Potosi for a 5 minute toilet break (not a minute too soon as far as I was concerned!). Carolyn was not so lucky as all the women's toilets were locked so she had to dash around the station looking for one whilst I and and American guy prevented the bus from leaving. Travel in Bolivia is never dull.

Surprisingly, there was a lunch break 30 mins out of Potosi. Having come prepared with sandwiches we just sat on the bus. However, I could not resist a peek at the toilets by the side of the restaurant. The worst ever! No doors ( which caused the Bolivian lady sitting there, no small embarrassment when I walked past!), facing directly on to the highway 10 yards away as buses and trucks zoomed past and they had not seen any cleaning in at least a year. We saw better facilities in the back streets of Bo when we were in Sierra Leone.

We arrived in Tupiza and headed to Hotel Mitru which we had booked for the next couple of days while we sorted out a tour of South Western corner of Bolivia and the legendary Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the world.

After a very welcome shower we head straight out to explore the town and get a beer and something to eat. Tupiza it turns out is a very pleasant little town and the main activities seem to be centred around the provision of tours to the Salar as an alternative to the usual base of Uyuni itself. Lots of small restaurants around offering the usual overpriced pizza but we settle on a bar/restaurant/karaoke place called The Alamo. We stay for a few hours, The food was ok but mainly because showing on the massive TV was a concert in the White House hosted by Barack Obama honouring Sir Paul McCartney who was being receiving his Gershwin award. Not a great fan of his but the guests were very good and included two of my favourite artists, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello. A quite unexpected treat.

The next day after visiting the the shortlist of two tour operators we decide to go with Tupiza Tours the oldest established operator in town. That safely booked for the next day we head off into the Quebrada de Palmire outside of town on a couple of horses. With the memory of our last horse riding experience still firmly fixed in my mind we opt for the gentle 3 hour ride rather than the all day excursion. The horses are placid enough and our guide takes us out into the canyons just out of town. The desert scenery is remarkable, weird rock formations carved by the wind like something out of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, unsurprising really as this is where the two of them met their end at the hands of the Bolivian army!

Our ride takes us out to the dead end of a canyon where our guide announces that we have 20 mins to explore on our own. He then lays down to take a nap whilst we explore on foot for a while. We sit and enjoy the silence and then decide to head back. We first have to wake our guide who, by now, is fast asleep! Now extremely confident of my horse-riding skills, I attempt to mount all by myself and end up doing a virtual somersault over the horse, much to the concern of both my horse and our guide!

As we ride back we pass through the Valle de Macho (valley of the males) also known as the Valle de Penes because of the rock pillars shaped like...... Interesting scenery bit we have only just scratched the surface of what Tupiza has to offer. The surrounding scenery truly is world class and I am sure it won't be too long before Bolivia and the world catches on to this and develops its tourism infrastructure more.

A great way to spend an afternoon and a very nice way to enjoy the scenery although I manage to allow my horse, though my own inattention and lack of riding skills, to take me through a very prickly thorn tree on the way back. Paul Newman and Robert Redford never had to put up with this, i am sure! Next, the southwest circuit and Salar de Uyuni.

I am ashamed to admit that I am laughing out loud imagining the summersault over the horse.

I'll bet I know where those loos were. We were warned away from some at a rest stop between Potosi and Uyuni on the bus ride from hell. Locals suggested it would be better to go round the far side of the bus instead. Luckily it was dark and had not started to rain/sleet/hail yet.

"Laughing out loud" mlgb, I bet not as much as my wife was at the time!! The guide was mostly with pacifying the horse. Much happier when the saddle is attached to a motorbike!

still loving your report. We are still looking forward to Bolivia

Bolivia definitely sounds intriguing.

Still following as well. ¿Cuándo van a Argentina?

Oh no! I've decided that we're going to go horseback riding in Ecuador and I was already nervous!

Mind you, your somersault doesn't sound as bad as the toilets - I mean, really - you'd have to be desperate to use them.

Bolivia is a wonderful place, "intriguing" yes, harder to travel around also. . Madidi was excellent and the Southwest circuit inc. Uyuni exceeded all expectations and defies description, although I will try later!

Crosscheck, we are already in NW Argentina and loving it. We spent a couple of days in Salta before driving the southern circuit. The food here is SO good, it will be hard to leave.

Are you still alive crellston, your fans await.

When you return to Lima, I recommend a visit to the Barranco neighborhood and my favorite sandwich spot, Monstruous. They have no seating, it is amusing to see the nice cars lines up outside and everyone eating the sandwiches. I may have to hit them up once more before I leave. My preference is pavo.

The are right on Ave Grau at Pierola.

I am still alive mlgb. I have been too busy eating steak in Argentina and be amazed at the high prices in Chile to post much np but am now getting back on track!

Monstrous is now on the list! Shame our visits did not coincide, it would have been good to meet up. Maybe next time ..



At 8.30am we meet Alfredo and Liboria our guide and cook for the next four days. We have deliberately not chosen an English speaking guide so as to improve our Spanish. As it turns out, Alfredo is a great guide and takes the trouble to speak slowly so we can understand and, as we will find out later, Liboria is a great cook. We take our seats in the back of the Toyota Landcruiser and off we set into the wilderness. Leaving Tupiza at 2600m we will ascend a further 2600m to our highest point on the altiplano. We are also expecting much lower temperatures than the 30c we are leaving behind.

One of the reasons for choosing to tour the south west circuit of Bolivia from Tupiza, apart from being close to the Argentine border, is that we will be going against the flow of other travellers who mostly start of in Uyuni and so will see fewer travellers at the major sights along the way.

On the first day, as we head out through the Quebrada de Palala certainly seems we see virtually no one as we continue on and upwards through the mountains and high plains towards El Sillar, The Saddle where the track straddles a narrow ridge between two peks and two valleys stopping now and again to admire the spectacular views, the first of many amazing places we will pass through.

After a few hours we eventually arrive at our lunch spot of a small, desolate village ( not even sure it had a name!) of adobe houses surrounded by sand, rock, desert scrub and a few alpacas. We are sent for a walk while Liboria prepares lunch. It takes all of 5 minutes, so we stop and play with some of the kids, who, despite their desperately poor living conditions, seem to be perfectly happy playing with and old bike.

Lunch is really excellent, chicken potatoes, quinoa and one of the best salads we have had in South America. After lunch we ask Alfredo where the toilets are. Stupid question apparently! There are none. We are advised to "go natural". Only then, when in search of a spot safe from prying llama eyes do we appreciate how poverty stricken this place really is. No sanitation whatsoever means human waste spread everywhere around the village. Not pleasant for us, but a major health hazard for the inhabitants. Very sad and very concerning in a country that has abundant natural resources. No wonder there is a revolution every other year on average.

We are making good progress so Alfredo decides we should push on and get some more miles on the clock so as to get an early start on the next days sights. We drive on for another hour or so before reaching the deserted city of San Antonio. Some walls are still standing, notably parts of the churches (why so many we wonder?). We explore for 20 mins or so and it is easy to see why the Spanish built a town here as the views are spectacular. Apparently they deserted the place be cause it was too cold. Something you would have thought they would have thought of over the years spent building the place! When exploring the ruins we came across the one of the few signs of life so far, two "viscartus" a bit like large rabbits with very bushy tails who were playing in the rocks. They seemed not at all bothered by our presence and we could get quite close to them

As we drive on through the mountains we are well and truly into the altiplano at around 4000+ metre. As the sun sets, the views are even more incredible and we roll into the village where we will be staying for the night, again , not sure of its name or even whether I has one. Alfredo leaps out of the jeep and bags us the only double room with, astoundingly, an en suite bathroom. What a star this guy is!

Liboria comes to find us and tells us to go to the comedor where she has set up a table for afternoon tea and coffee. How very civilised! Soon we are joined by another jeep from Tupiza tours containing an Irish couple, an English girl and a French Canadian guy and all of us sit down and swap experiences for the day before and excellent dinner cooked by our excellent cooks. After dinner there is a briefing on what we will be doing for the next day and then off to our rooms for an early night. Unfortunately for Alfredo he has been having a few problems with the engine so he has to spend a few hours fixing it in the dark and freezing cold.

Back in our room where there is no heating the temperature is much the same as outside (-8c as we will find out the next day). Not to worry as we have loads of blankets, sleeping bags and thermals, which, it turns out, I will not remove for the next four days!!! Overnight we were perfectly cosy and were relieved to find out that the accommodation was nowhere near as basic as some had led us to believe.

I am sorry too but your report on Ecuador has motivated me to go there, so I have just a few more days in Peru.

I am now in Ayacucho which is fantastic, very few other tourists and beautiful colonial center (less the excavation for a new flood control viaduct thru the center). Perhaps you can work in a few days on your way back to Lima. Molina has at least two day buses that leave from near Pisco at 11am and 12 am approx. I will write a little report to inspire. Maybe this will be your dream home?

Your post is very timely mlgb. We find ourselves with some time to fill between Arequipa and Lima and I was just looking at options today! I was thinking of maybe flying up to Columbia for a week or two but flight are so expensive. Will have a look at Aycucho. Also, am I right in thinking you did a homestay out in the. Colca canyon area??

UYUNI DAY TWO
We woke early, partly because of the cold and the altitude but mainly because at 5.30am on the dot, some lunatic started playing Amazing Grace over the village public address system. This was quickly followed by a sermon, then something remarkably akin to an Islamic Imam's call to morning prayers and the the sort of chanting one hears from a Cantor in a synagogue. Seemed like whoever was responsible wanted to cover all the possible bases. When I mentioned it to Alfredo, who was clearly unhappy at being woken well before dawn, he grumbled something about protestors ( I think he meant Protestants!)

A nice breakfast and were off again into the wild blue yonder. If we thought the scenery yesterday was impressive, today's proved simply breathtaking. Our first stop, after an hour or so way at a sort of corral for llamas and alpacas. They were all hemmed in by drystone walls, ready for what I am not sure? There didn't seem to be anyone around to look after them but, given they had nowhere to go, it was a good opportunity for some close up photos. We had seen hundreds, if not thousands of Alpacas, llamas and vicuñas the previous day but this was the first time up close.

We explained to Alfredo and one of the other guides how popular alpacas farms had become in the UK and how much an animal would cost (up to £7000 for a prime breeding animal). Within two minutes they were planning how they could get some animals from Bolivia to England!

After a short while we set off again through what I can only describe as a swamp area. Lots of grassy tufts surround by water, some snow and a lot of ice. Indeed, were warned before we set out that we may not be able to follow our set route as the previous week there had been heavy snowfall on some of the passes we would be travelling. As it turned out, although there was still a lot of snow and ice around in places, we were able to get through ok.

Moving on we pass pass by many lagoons surrounded many volcanoes. Lagunas Morejon, Hedriona, Kollpa to name but a few. Some inhabited by thousands of flamingoes, most edged with mineral deposits as this is one of the most mineral rich areas in the world. We stop at one lagoon, the Salar de Chawari surrounded with massive deposits of blindingly white (praise be to Raybans!) Borax, left behind by evaporation of the lake which, I am reliably informed is essential in the manufacture of everything from gunpowder, to makeup to detergent.

On the subject of evaporation, whilst many people suffer from the effects of altitude at these heights, what the guide books largely fail to mention are the effects of the incredibly dry atmosphere. At virtually zero % humidity the air seems to suck the moisture out of your body, leaving very dry eyes, noses, throats etc. which coupled with the aforementioned altitude can make sleeping very difficult. I seem to be getting through at least a litre of water throughout the night with the inevitable side effects! Not a great experience, nipping to the bathrooms at -10-20 degrees centigrade!

We were expecting a lot of Salar de Uyuni, but hadn't really given much thought to the other sights along the way. As we approached Laguna Verde for the first time at 4530 metres above sea level it quite simply took our breath away, both literally and figuratively! One of the most beautiful sights we had ever seen! The green colour is due to the concentrations of Sulphur, Lead, Magnesium and Arsenic ( not great to drink then!). as the wind gets ups and blows across the surface the water seems to change colour. the constant wind, combined with the very high mineral content means that the lake stays liquid even at tempertures as low as minus 70f. Immediately behind the lake, Volcán Licancabur rises to a spectacular 5960m. The photos we have taken really do not do it justice. Truly one of the most memorable places we have ever visited.

Reluctantly leaving the lake we backtrack to the hot springs we passed along the way for lunch Alfredo suggest a dip in the springs prior to lunch but we all wimp out as, although the water is warm there is a strong and very cold wind blowing which sort of negates the purpose of a soak in the water ( although a few hardy souls did try it).

After lunch we continue on our journey around the circuit in the afternoon our first stop is the Geisers Sol De Mañana. These geyser are bubbling various coloured muds and spouting steam all over the place. The sight is impressive but the smell, I could well do without. The inevitable sulphur in the mud and water really does smell like rotten eggs and takes me back immediately to chemistry lessons at school. A group of us spend some time wandering around admiring the geysers, one or two (i.e., me) narrowly miss slipping into the boiling mud.

Our final stop of the day is to visit Laguna Colorada, the red lagoon. This fiery red lake covers some 60 sq. kms. but is only about 80 cms deep. The red coloration is derived from plankton an algae. The edges of the lake are fringed brilliant white with deposits of sodium, magnesium and borax. After walking around part of the lakeshore we head off to our Hostal for the night which overlooks the lake itself.

After dinner, a few of us take a short walk out from the hostal away from the lights to admire the stars. At this altitude there is little or no industrial pollution, humidity is zero and there is next to no light pollution. All these factors combine to make this one of the best palaces in the world to stargaze. I simply cannot find the words to describe the night sky here. As a our eyes become accustomed, we can actually see that what we at first assumed was wisps of cloud, was actually the Milky Way! A few meteors streaked across the sky and Carolyn is chatting with one of the guides who then points out the various constellation ( some of which seem very familiar even though this is the Southern Hemisphere) and Jupiter, shining very brightly, something, I at least have never seen before.

After a while, the temperature begins to drop rapidly and when I mention this to a to a Canadian guy I have been standing with he simply says "cold? don't ever come to Canada in winter"!

Really, Crellston, you should be publishing this beyond your blog and Fodors...it's a page turner of a TR, and your loyal fans await each installment eagerly. So many will benefit from your able descriptions.

Bravo ! Keep it up, please.

Speaking as a Canadian, I find -20 C very cold! One of the reasons we like to leave Canada in the winter is to avoid that weather.

crellston are you a bit accident prone?Gkad thecflamingos were around for you. The Laguna Colorado was my favorite, I would have loved to stay somewhere with a view. It was a bit less frigid when I went and the hot springs were well worth the dip.

I did not do a homestay in Colca. The price offered by Giardino was too tempting at the time , approx $50 for transfer, guide and hotel. I spent a second night in Yanque where there are several hotels and smaller lodgings. However I am betting that prices have gone up since my visit since CC seems firmly on the tourism circuit. Eg they tripled to boleto to 75 soles pp just to enter the canyon! I will write a little trip report know but it is hunt and peck on the IPad. I have decided my next excursion is to return to Ayacucho and go onward to Huancavelica (reputed to be spectacular) and then Huancayo.

Bolivia sounds fantastic. Thanks for your vivid reporting, Crellston!

Marnie, you are too kind ( but maybe Fodors editors will read your comment and offer me a job!)

Susan, the guy was French Canadian, not sure if that makes a difference!

You area welcome glover and thanks! If it wasn't for your post I would never have considered. Madidi.

Mlgb, yes I am accident prone. On our RTW trip five years ago my wife started compiling this list,

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...5860/tpod.html

Thankfully she gave up adding to it or it would now be much, much longer!!

Your list of mishaps is hysterical! You are brave to solider on despite the cuts and bruises and of course the embarrassment. I considered myself amazingly lucky not to have had some sort of accident in VN -- crazy drivers.
Continuing to be fascinated by your TR.

UYUNI DAY 3

After another very cold night ( -18c) another early start as we head of to the Piedra de Arbol, not so much a petrified forest as a lot of stone columns carved into some impossible shapes by the desert wind and ice. These monolith are very imposing and it almost seems like a set from one of the Star Wars movies. There is just so much to see on this plateau!

We move on, running more or less parallel to the mountains along the border between Bolivia and Chile when Alfredo insists we stop so Carolyn and I can "jump over the Andes into Chile". In other words he wants to take one of the freaky photographs that are de rigueur on these trips. We oblige and sure enough he manages to capture us jumping over the mountains ( or in my case, almost! I had sprained my ankle a few weeks previously tripping down some steps in La Paz!).

Back in the jeep and we continue across the altiplano to the series of three soda lakes, all famed for their resident flamingo populations. Along the way we drive along a dry riverbed which is now solid ice because the recent snowfalls which prevent travellers taking this route only last week have thawed and refrozen. The snow in parts is still quite deep and, driving along a mini canyon we get to examine some giant icicles.

When we reach the three lakes, all are stunning and all contain thousands of flamingos. We arrive so early in the morning that the flamingoes have yet to wake up and are mostly standing, huddled together in the centre of the lake. After 20 minutes or so they magically wake up, stretch their wings and fly off to a different part of the lake. By the time we get to the third lake they are all well awake and feeding around the edges of the algae and plankton rich lake. Even in Africa, I don't think I have seen so many flamingoes.


We spend quite a bit of time admiring the lakes and the resident avian populations and then wind then head on to the "Dali desert" and its otherworldly rock formations of lava erupting from the volcano and huge lumps of rock blown miles away then carved by the desert winds. We park the jeep under one of these formations and wander off into the desert whilst Liboria prepares lunch of a delicious chicken salad. We eat lunch whilst looking out over the desert and its surreal rock formations and to the still active volcano puffing away a couple of miles distant.

The distances here are simply vast and we drive for several hours without seeing a soul. Somewhat bizarrely we pass through and army checkpoint which must be hundreds of kilometres from any town or village. Quite what they are checking for I really don't know until we pass over the railway line. Even more bizarrely, there is a large stop across the track. This must be the most redundant stop sign in the world bearing in mind that you can see for 50 miles in any direction and trains only pass a couple of times a week!

As we passed through the army checkpoint a pack of dogs appear and start Chiang the jeep, barking their heads off! We stop and get out to take photos and to feed our leftover lunch to dogs which have left the comfort of the army buildings in search of some light relief from what must be a pretty boring existence, even for a dog.

Dogs fed, we carry on to the petrified coral forest. This was quite something. Being keen divers we could easily recognise the reefs and various types of coral covering a vast area. About 60 million years ago place was once a sea before the continental plates collided to create the Andes, leaving behind the coral which, after the water evaporated, I suppose just turned to stone. It really is like diving off of a massive reef, except that there is no water and of course, no fish!

Driving yet further towards the Salar de Uyuni we hit civilisation again in the form of a very nice lady in a hut on top of a small coral hill. She is the keeper to the coral caves which were discovered in the 1970s by a couple of Bolivian guys. This is the only hill for miles around and as we climb up to the hut we can see for miles and miles. The lady invites us in and sits us down whilst she gives ten minute presentation on how the caves were discovered and the supposed history behind them. All in Spanish, we we quite pleased that we understood most of it!

Inside the caves, it is much like diving in a coral cave with the different corals all clearly identifiable and, sadly, in much better condition than some undersea dive sites we have dived. On the floor of the caves are dozens of holes which have been dug out and used as burial chambers. All still contain bones and skulls.

Our next stop is our home for the night, a "salt hotel" built entirely of salt right on the edge of the Salar. Almost everything is built of salt, the rooms, the beds, the tables and benches. The first thing most people seem to do on arrival is to lick the walls, just to check I suppose?

This place does have the added luxury of hot water which we are assured is both very hot and plentiful. Everyone is desperate to avail themselves of the supposedly copious hot water and immediately jump in as soon as the hot water is switched on. I am naturally cynical of such claims and decide to wait and sure enough, people emerge complaining of the lukewarm water. Oh well, what is one more day without a shower!

An early dinner and and early night as we are to rise at 5.00 am tomorrow to drive on to the Salar to watch dawn break.Before retiring we take one last stroll outside into the darkness to take a peek at the stars. Sure enough the Milky Way is still as incredible as it was yesterday and tonight we get the added bonus of a few meteors streaking across the sky.