Sunday 8 April 2012

Day 19 - Uyuni to Potosi, Bolivia - 6 April 2012

Day 19 – Uyuni to Potosi, Bolivia – 6 April 2012

We caught our bus to Potosi this morning.  The bus was fine, but it was a step down from the Chilean bus system.  This was to be expected however considering the price that we paid! We started our drive to Potosi and the first 45 minutes of the journey was on gravel road.  I thought we were in for a long trip but then we arrived at some sealed road, and it was like this for the rest of the trip.  Also during the trip the bus driver had Bolivian music playing the whole way.  It is terrible music.  Ann and I got out our Ipods and we were spared from a torturous trip.
When we arrived in Potosi, we got a taxi to our hostel.  The taxi cost B10 (NZ$2).  Taxi drivers are not allowed to charge more than B5 per person when the ride is within the city limits. We got a twin room at the hostel for B120 per night (about NZ$23).  Once settled in we went for a walk around the city.  During our walk we bumped into a guy who was on our 4x4 tour.  He told us the way to the city.  During our afternoon in the city we went through the markets and also booked a tour to the mines for the next day (B100 each, NZ$17.70).  Potosi is a mining city which relies on the silver it produces from the mines.  Potosi is also the highest city in the world at about 4,000 metres above sea level.  There was hardly anything else opened since it was Good Friday, so Ann and I went to a small shop and got bread and soup for dinner.  No meat because of Good Friday.

Potosi - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potos%C3%AD
Hostel, Koala Den - http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/38925-Koala-Den

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