Day 29 - Copacobana (Isle Del Sol), Lake Titicaca, Bolivia - 16 April 2012

Day 29 - Copacabana (Isle Del Sold), Lake Titicaca, Bolivia - 16 April 2012

We got up early this morning so we would be at the lake front at 8am for our boat trip to Isle Del Sol (Island of the Sun).  We had breakfast with the Swiss who said they had to be at the lake at 8.15am as they were on a boat trip to the Island aswell.  Must be a different company with different time structures.  Anyway we head on down to the lake, and we wait until our 830am departure.  Sure enough the Swiss arrive at 815 and are on the same boat.  Turns out we were either told a different meeting time or we didnt understand what the tour operator was saying to us, could have been either really.

We hop on the boat and it is like cattle class on there, the boat is chocka block with people, the operators are certainly getting there moneys worth here!  We chug along the lake at a dismal speed.  We can see the Island in the distance and it is about the distance between Moana and Bains Bay, at a stretch.  It would have taken Federal Offence about 15 minutes maximum to get to Isle Del Sol, well it took us and hour and 45 minutes.  It was painfully slow, so painful that my large intake of water which has been occuring recently because of my condition (and high altitude) took its toll.  With no toilets on board I was forced to make an emergency decision, I had to go off the back of the boat, with well over 50 people on board.  It was quite funny, some people thought it was hilarious and took photos of me doing it (I only know this because they showed me the photo on their camera when I sat down).  However some women did not find it so funny.  The traditional Bolivian women who were sitting towards the back of the boat turned their heads away in disgust as I started to pee.  I didnt care, when you gotta go you gotta go.

We arrived at the Island mid morning and it was a very nice Island.  At first I was wondering why it was call Isle Del Sol, but then it cleared up and it was very nice.  We went for a walking tour to some Inca ruins which are located on the Island.  During this tour we had spectacular views of the lake.  We then went back to the boat which took us to another part of the Island, here we had only an hour to do our thing so there wasnt enough time to go and explore.  It looked pretty similar to the other part of the Island, and the Inca ruins would be nothing in comparison to what we will see on the Inca Trail and Machu Pichu next week, so we wernt too disappointed.  Still would have been nice to have had the time to explore.  We then jump back on the boat to begin our agonisingly slow trip back to Copacabana.  This trip wasnt as bad for me personally as I didnt have the same issue as I did on the way over.

When we returned to Copacabana we booked our bus tickets to Puno, Pero for 9am the following morning (Bs30 each, NZ$6).  We also did some souvenir shopping (including the customary postcard) and then went out for dinner to round off the day.

Day 28 - Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia - 15 April 2012

Day 28 – Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia – 15 April 2012

This morning I woke up and was not feeling flash at all.  During the night I slept well (apart from when a massive hail storm that went for about half an hour woke me up), but when waking up in the morning, I felt like crap! I lay in bed for an hour or so and then decided to get up and see what I could do for the day.  Ann and I decided to head out for breakfast (since we missed the hostel breakfast because I couldn’t get out of bed), which in hindsight was a great option! Having a cup of tea and water and a small breakfast did me the world of good.  I was still going to drink alot of water throughout the day and take it easy.

After breakfast we went to the Cathedral.  It is Sunday and we managed to sit in on the last ten minutes of mass, although I had no idea what the priest was saying.  When then had a wander around town and had a look at a few of the markets.  We then decided to walk up a hill where you get magnificent views of the lake, islands in the lake and Copacabana town itself.  Our Lonely Planet suggests it takes about half an hour to walk up the hill, we took our time considering my condition and it took us about an hour.  Definitely worth it though as the views were amazing!

We then booked our tickets for tomorrow to head to the Isle de Sol (Island of the Sun).  This is an island in Lake Titicaca.  The return trip, with some other island hopping, cost us Bs30 each (about NZ$5-6). We then went out for dinner with the Swiss couple, and a few other people that they knew (including a couple of Aussies).  Home tonight by 10pm as we have an early morning to catch the ferry to Isle de Sol.

Day 27 - La Paz to Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia - 14 April 2012

Day 27 – La Paz to Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia – 14 April 2012

We left La Paz this morning and caught a midday bus to Copacabana, a town of approximately 50,000 people on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest altitude lake at about 3,800 metres above sea level.  I had a great time in La Paz but I was really looking forward to leaving the hustle bustle of the city, especially with the traffic and all the cars tooting every second.  Bolivian (and so far South American) drivers have no patience at all!

We head to the bus station and purchase our tickets.  Waiting at the bus station were a Swiss couple who we had met in our hostel in Potosi, and we had also seen them wandering the streets in La Paz.  We started talking to them and we were on the same bus.  They had been told the bus was leaving in 20 minutes so that was good.  We continued talking to them and time just kept on ticking.  The bus was an hour and a half late.  It didn’t bother me as the Swiss were nice people.  When we finally got moving, we climbed our way out of the La Paz basin and made our way to Lake Titicaca.  When we arrived at the lake it was only half way to our destination so we had great views for the second half of the trip.  About 30 minutes from Copacabana, we arrived at a small lakeside town.  I thought we had actually arrived in Copacabana, in fact we all had to get out of the bus and get into a boat and do a lake crossing! The bus also got on a separate boat and crossed the lake.  It was only a 200 metre crossing but it certainly was a surprise!

When we arrived in Copacabana, the Swiss couple asked if we would like to go to the hostel they were staying at.  Their hostel was not in our Lonely Planet travel guide so we followed them.  We booked into the hostel for 3 nights, Bs100 per night (about NZ$17) and organised to meet the Swiss for dinner.  Our room is clean, has a bathroom and lake views, so not bad for NZ$17 per night!

When we had settled into our room, we went for a walk around the town and down to the lakefront.  It is a nice wee town and the lake looks great.  I wanted to see how warm the lake was, but when I went to the water’s edge, I learnt that sewage also was disposed in the lake.  I decided to step back.

We then went out for dinner with the Swiss and went out for a drink afterwards, home by midnight.  When I got home I was not feeling well at all, I had a fever.  Plenty of water for me tomorrow.

Copacobana - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana,_Bolivia

Day 26 - La Paz - 13 April 2012

Day 26 – La Paz, Bolivia – 13 April 2012

This morning we went and visited four museums on the ‘Bolivian’ side of town (the city has a main thoroughfare running through it, at the bottom of the basin. One side is more touristy, whilst the other side is the economic hub of La Paz).  The four museums were a combo package, visit all four for Bs4 each (not even NZ$1).  The museums showed the history of La Paz and Bolivia, including how only about a hundred or so years ago Bolivia had land on the Pacific coastline.  Subsequently Chile had taken that land and Bolivia is now landlocked.  Also another museum had an underground ‘safe’, where gold from between 500 and 1000 was stored.  Pretty cool to see.

We then walked back to the ‘touristy’ side of town and had a bit of lunch.  After lunch we met up with Nico, our Italian friend who was on our 4x4 tour.  We had arranged to meet him in La Paz today and he had asked us to book him into our hostel.  We went out for a drink with him and then went to the art museum.  I’m not that fussed on this art but I was interested in seeing the building as it was constructed in the 18^th century and had been maintained very well.  Just before we left the cafe to head to the museum, there was a massive thunder storm with very heavy rain.  We waited until the rain stopped until we left.  When the rain did stop and we were wandering the streets, there was storm water flowing everywhere! Obviously Bolivia’s storm water drainage system is not up to standard. About 8pm we went out for dinner with Nico to round out the day.

La Paz museums - http://www.bolivialine.com/bolivia/museums_la_paz_1.htm

Day 25 - La Paz, Bolivia - 12 April 2012

Day 25 – La Paz, Bolivia – 12 April 2012

This morning we venture out into the Black Market.  This market is full of everything you can imagine from clothes, homeware, food, the list goes on! We wander around this market for a couple of hours and it is very interesting.  The market goes for about 8 blocks so it is massive.  One thing we did notice was the amount of cakes that are made.  I’m talking about cakes like birthday cakes which are very well decorated.  There seems to be numerous amounts of these.  I don’t know who would buy them but someone must!!!

After lunch we go for a walk to another part of the city.  The city is a bustling one because it is so compact. 1.5 million people live here and it is like being in a basin with hills on either side of the city which are strewn with houses.  We are close to the San Pedro prison so we decide to take a look at that.  This prison is famous as it features in the novel Marching Powder, which is a story about an English drug smuggler who got caught and spent about 7 years in this prison.  I have not read the book but Ann has, and she was saying how corrupt the prison is and how you pay for your cells and the maintenance.  This English prisoner needed to make money while in prison to pay for his cell so he decided to do tours of the prison.  When he was released the tours officially stopped, but there were some “under the table” tours until about a year ago when they completely stopped because two girls were attacked whilst on the tour.  We were outside the prison for about half an hour just watching the events going on.  Prisoners are allowed out to work and earn some money and we were watching them all get back into prison.  Ann also informs me that some prisoner’s families live in the prison, and apparently early in the morning there is a large release of prisoner’s children so they can attend school for the day.  Crazy.

We then went back to the hostel and were finally able to get access to the internet.  Although it was very slow and brief but I managed to get a couple of emails away and do some chatting which was good.  We then went out for dinner to round off the day.

San Pedro Prison - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_prison

Day 24 - La Paz, Bolivia - 11 April 2012

Day 24 – La Paz, Bolivia – 11 April 2012

Today was a day based around shopping.  Our hostel is situated in a touristy area so there are lots of market type shops around (known as the witches market).  During the day we bought a couple of things for ourselves and also some birthday presents.  These special people might be getting something in the mail soon.... We didn’t forget anyone however, everyone else might be getting something small with a Bolivian flavour to it. We are unsure how long it will take to post to NZ but postage will be made today.

I’m not much of a shopper but I actually enjoyed walking around the markets and having a look at all the different items that were up for sale and the Bolivian culture.  This shopping continued until mid afternoon.

We then went into the Museo de Coca (Cocaine Museum).  This was very interesting.  The museum was opened about 15 years ago and it is very honest in its assessment of cocaine.  It was opened to try and teach Bolivians and tourists the effects of cocaine.  There were 19 different sections in the museum including the history of Coca leaves (which is used to produce cocaine), how cocaine was used as an anaesthetic, the use of cocaine in CocaCola (don’t worry, cocaine was taken out of CocaCola about 1950), how cocaine is produced and the effects cocaine has on people.  I mentioned coca leaves on day 20, where we had them when we went into the mine in Potosi.  The history of coca leaves, according to the museum, is long as labourers, especially miners, constantly chewed on coca leaves while they were working.  Some workers apparently worked 48 hours constantly with no food, only chewing coca leaves as studies showed they gave you more working stamina.  Back in the day, this made coca leaves more valuable than gold and silver!!! Obviously this is not true now, especially as Ann and I bought a bag of coca leaves to give to the miners as presents on day 20 for Bs5 (approx NZ$1).

We then ventured into the city centre for a look.  Here it is predominantly Bolivian, no tourists around as it is out of that ‘area’.  Around the main plaza was some parliamentary buildings and the Cathedral.  The main plaza was full of dirty pigeons, not surprisingly however as the locals kept feeding the dirty critters.

At 7pm, we went out for dinner with the Pom and Aussie from our 4x4 tour.  We went to an Indian restaurant which has been recommended in our Lonely Planet travel book.  It was great to have a curry and it was fantastic aswell! The Aussie decided to try the “highly not recommended” Chicken Vindaloo, which was “the world’s spiciest curry”.  The reason he wanted to do this was because his brother did it when he was in La Paz and he had a t-shirt to boast about it.  Not to be outdone, the Aussie finished his meal and got his free t-shirt.  It was a struggle however, it is fair to say he did not enjoy his meal.  I had a quarter of a mouth full of his curry and was struggling.

Museo de Coca - http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g294072-d317327-Reviews-Museo_de_Coca-La_Paz_La_Paz_Department.html
Star of India Restaurant - http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g294072-d1507950-Reviews-Star_of_India-La_Paz_La_Paz_Department.html

Day 23 - La Paz, Bolivia - 10 April 2012

Day 23 – La Paz, Bolivia – 10 April 2012

We arrived in La Paz at about 6.30am, about an hour and a half ahead of schedule.  Usually this would be fantastic, but since it was an overnight bus, it was not ideal.  We stayed at the bus station for a wee bit and then jumped into a taxi and headed to a hostel, luckily it had some space available. We had not booked any accommodation as our hostel in Sucre had very bad internet (similar to Hostel Maya, where we are now).

When we checked into the hostel, I had a wee snooze as I only got about 5 hours sleep on the bus.  Also I am not feeling the best at the moment, have a case of the number two’s coming constantly and runny.  It is similar to the time I was home for a squash tournament, feeling ok but the number two’s are coming far too frequently.

We went out for lunch to a Mexican place which was nice and fresh.  After lunch we were walking down a street with plenty of market type shops.  We then run into the Aussie who was on our 4x4 tour.  He is in La Paz taking Spanish lessons.  As we were talking to him the Pom on our 4x4 tour walked passed.  We chatted for a while and organised to meet up for dinner tomorrow night.  Crazy that we are seeing everyone on our tour, the world is a small place!

We continued looking around the city for a while, including the Mercado Negro market which we will be visiting again as it has some great bargains!  We then went to the Museo San Francisco which was a very interesting place, including a magnificent city view at the top of the adjoining Cathedral. 

We then went for dinner at a Turkish place just across the road from our hostel.  I only ordered an entree as I was not feeling the greatest but Ann ordered a main meal.  As usual, she did not finish her meal so I helped her out.

La Paz - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paz
Museo San Francisco - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bolivia/la-paz/sights/museum/museo-san-francisco
Hostal Maya - http://www.hostalmaya.com/

Day 22 - Sucre, Bolivia - 9 April 2012

Day 22 – Sucre, Bolivia – 9 April 2012

Today was a day of exploring the city.  You would never have guessed it was Easter Monday, maybe it wasn’t a public holiday in Bolivia? I’m not sure, but the streets were packed and the activity going on suggested it was just another day.  We caught a bus to the main bus terminal (Bs1.50 each) and booked our tickets to La Paz.  We booked an overnight bus which left at 7pm and cost Bs120 each (about NZ$21).  We looked at all the markets, including clothing and food markets.  Was an interesting experience as the prices were cheap and each operator of the stalls would approach you and try and sell you something.

We then walked back to the hostel to wait for our bus departure, and we found the three sweeds from the 4x4 tour staying at the hostel.  They just arrived in Sucre.  We talked to them for about an hour and then we were off to the bus station.

Our bus tickets were Cama, which means the seats go right back to effectively create a bed.  This option was a must for us considering we would be arriving in La Paz at 8am the following morning.  The first couple of hours of the ride were interesting as there was a thunder storm in front of us.  Lightning flashes were occurring every ten or so seconds.  In saying this, the sky above us was clear, as we could see the stars.

Day 21 - Potosi to Sucre, Bolivia - 8 April 2012

Day 21 – Potosi to Sucre, Bolivia - 8 April 2012

The night before at dinner we had organised to travel with one of the guys we met on the 4x4 tour.  He had organised a taxi to take us to Sucre since we were all planning to travel there on the same day.  We met him at 11am and jumped into the taxi.  This cost us B150 (about NZ$25) for the three of us.  It was a journey about the same distance as Greymouth to Christchurch.

When we arrived in Sucre we checked into our hostel and then walked into the city for a look.  It is a nice city and generally the only places that were open were the markets, because it is Easter Sunday.

We then got back to the hostel and for the first time on our trip, it started raining! The weather certainly made up for the lack of rain as we had a thunder storm that went on for about half an hour.

We then went out for dinner with an Italian friend (Nico) we met on the 4x4 tour in South Bolivia.  It was a good night, we found a nice restaurant and had a good meal there.  Lucky to find a restaurant open though as it is Easter Sunday, as to be expected.  The only complaint I had about this place, and its not the restaurants fault, but you are allowed to smoke in bars/restaurants and now my clothes smell of smoke a wee bit.  Not nice, just makes you realise how good Aunty Helen's law she bought in a few years ago of no smoking in bars/restaurants etc is!!!

Sucre - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucre

Day 20 - Potosi, Bolivia - 7 April 2012

Day 20 – Potosi, Bolivia – 7 April 2012

We got ready for our Mines tour which began at 830am, well it was supposed to start then but we ended up getting on the road at 9am.  The guides said this was typical as we were on “Bolivian time”. Our first stop was at the miners market.  Here everything was sold for miners, including helmets, overalls, helmet lights etc.  We all bought something at the miners market as we were encouraged to give the miners who were working a present.  Ann and I bought two bottles of fizzy drink and some coco leaves.  Coco leaves are what the miners chew on all day to help them with working in altitude.  We were also encouraged to chew on these coco leaves to help us, so we did.  They tasted terrible, but I think it did help.  Either that or it was all in the head, but I felt better for it.  Ann later told me that we would fail a cocaine test for the next two weeks.

Our next stop was to a shed where we got changed into our mining gears.  Overalls, helmets with lights and gumboots were provided.  We then walked to the refinery which separated the silver from the waste and prepared it for exporting.  We then jumped back on the bus and drive up the hill to the mine entrance.  The mine is situated about 4,350 metres above sea level so it would be tough working conditions.  We entered the mine and walked through to the other side of the mountain.  During our walk we stopped in various spots for rests and some commentary about the history of the mine and workers requirements.  Since it was Easter Saturday there was limited activity in the mine but we did see some workers.

When we exited the mine, we watched our guides light some explosives and let them off.  Some people in the tour bought dynamite as presents for the miners and there was one left over, so the guides let it off! I was expecting a good bang, but I was surprised with the force.  Was pretty cool.  We then got back on the bus and went back into town.  Also on this tour was another fella who was on the 4x4 tour with us, so we went out for lunch with him.  We had a four course lunch which cost B100 (NZ$17.70) for the three of us.  This included a drink for each of us too. Ridiculously cheap.

We then went back to our hostel for a shower and then went to a museum and took a tour.  The tour was in Spanish so we had no idea what was being said.  We waited until the group had moved on and then read the English text next to each display.  The tour was OK, but the building that the tour went through was magnificent.  The building was built in 1753 and had been well maintained over the years.

After the tour we went back to our hostel and checked our emails to find that 4 people from our 4x4 tour were in town and they wanted to get together for dinner.  We met these people at about 8pm and went out for dinner and had a few drinks.  Probably had a few too many drinks for the altitude we were at but we had a good night.

Real Deal Mine tour - http://realdealtours.blogspot.co.uk/

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

Day 18 - 4x4 tour - South Bolivia - 5 April 2012

Day 18 – 4x4 tour – South Bolivia – 5 April 2012

This morning we were able to have showers, albeit cold ones! Our place we stayed at last night had no showers.  We got on the road, for an hour and a half until we reached Uyuni, which is where the tour will finish.  Our first stop was at a train cemetery.  There were steam trains which had rusted away.  When steam trains were no longer needed in Bolivia (about 60 years ago) the steam trains were just left in this location and have not been touched since.  Tony would have loved it, and he would be proud of me for taking some photos for him.

When we were done here, we went into Uyuni to drop off all our bags.  We then headed out to the salt plains (Salar de Uyuni) for a look.  We had lunch on the salt plains, which are 12,000 square kilometres, and also took plenty of photos here.  The salt plains create an optical illusion so some of the photos are pretty funny.  There were plenty of stuff ups though, all in search of the perfect photo.  It was good fun.  We then went back to Uyuni and the tour was over.

Ann and I checked into our hostel.  We had decided to stay in Uyuni for a night because we had heard that it is hard to get out of the town strait after the tour.  When we checked in we went for a walk around town, including the markets and also to the bus station to book our ticket out of there for the next morning.  We booked a ticket to Potosi, which is about a 5 hour bus ride, for B30 each (about NZ$5.50).

We went out for dinner with a few people from our tour.  That was good fun.  Ann and I ordered a pizza between us, it was huge! Very nice too.

Cordillera Travel Company - http://www.cordilleratraveller.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Uyuni Salt Flats - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salar_de_Uyuni
Uyuni - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyuni
 

Day 17 - 4x4 tour - South Bolivia - 4 April 2012

Day 17 – 4x4 tour – South Bolivia – 4 April 2012

We awoke to another beautiful morning.  It had been a relatively event free night, although the German fella was up most of the night heading to the toilet.  Ann decided to give him some dymox and electrolytes.  This made him feel better and he was back in form! 

When we had breakfast we got back on the road.  Today there were again numerous stops including more lagoons and rock formations.  About mid morning we were heading along the dirt road at about 80 km/hour.  I think we were racing the other vehicle.  Anyway all of a sudden we stopped, we had a puncture.  It was a good one too.  Not surprising however considering the pace we were travelling and the rough terrain.  This resulted in about a 20 minute wait.  We did however have some pretty good views of mountains while we waited.

We continued on, a bit more tentatively than before.  More stops continued at various hot spots with some spectacular views on offer. 

Towards the end of the day, we suddenly stopped and our guide decided to try and find some fruit.  I cant remember what they were called but they were quite bitter.  The two guides spent about an hour trying to find some of this fruit, and they succeeded.  In the meantime, the tour group were getting bored very quickly and were happy to get back in the vehicle and on the road again.

About 5pm we arrived at our hostel.  We were staying in a village called Colpena.  Very much Hicksville again! There are only about 2000 people living here and the town is in the middle of nowhere! We played some more cards and we had steak and red wine for dinner! This was quite funny as during the day we were joking about having steak and red wine for dinner, thinking that it would never happen.  Once again the food on this trip has exceeded expectations.  The steak wasn’t the greatest, and it was cooked to how Dad would like it (well done), but steak is steak!!!

Cordillera Travel company - http://www.cordilleratraveller.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Day 16 - 4x4 tour - South Bolivia - 3 April 2012

Day 16 – 4x4 tour – South Bolivia – 3 April 2012

This morning we got up and ready for our 3 day/2 night 4x4 tour through the south of Bolivia.  We were picked up at about 8am by Cordilleria and made our way to the Chilean border control.  We waited here for about an hour just to get our departure stamps in our passports.  During this time Ann and I started talking to a couple of people who were in our tour group.  One fella was from oz and the other was a pom.

When our passports were finally stamped, we made our way to the Bolivian border which was about a 45 minute drive.  The drive was constantly uphill and subsequently we went from about 2,500 metres above sea level in San Pedro to about 4,000 metres above sea level at the Bolivian border.  When we got out of the shuttle we could feel the altitude.

After we went through customs we were split into two groups of six which each had a 4x4 and guide (driver).  Ann and I were put in a 4x4 with four other Germans.  Two of these girls were studying in Vina Del Mar, Chile, and one of the girls parents had come over for a holiday.

After we had paid our National Park entrance fees (150 Boliviano’s – about NZ$25 each) we started our journey.  Our first stop was the Lagoon Blanca – beautiful lagoon with reflections of the mountains in the backdrop.  A short while later we stopped at another lagoon – Lagoon Verdes.  We continued our drive through some beautiful terrain until we reached a thermal spring hotpool.  We went for a quick swim here.  We were only allowed to be in the water for about 15 minutes as we were at a high altitude and being in the water for any longer could cause sickness.  I can see what they mean by only allowing 15 minutes in the pool as I was feeling a wee bit lightheaded after my 15 minute dip.  When changed, we continued up the road with numerous stops at various sites.  One notable stop was at the geysers.  Nothing different from Rotorua, however these geysers are situated at about 4,800 metres above sea level.  I found myself puffing just walking to and from the car! 

At this point one of the Germans starting feeling dizzy.  He later became very ill and was unable to do the afternoon activities or have any dinner.  He was feeling the effects of altitude sickness.  I hate to say it but he bought it on himself as he only arrived in San Pedro at 11pm the previous night, and with San Pedro being at 2,500 metres above sea level, it is a good place to acclimatise to the altitude (Ann and I were in San Pedro for 3 nights).  So effectively he went up almost 5,000 metres in under 24 hours, can’t be good for you.

We arrived at our accommodation for the night.  It is effectively some shelter with four walls.  The accommodation was at just under 4,000 metres above sea level.  Still acclimatising to the high level of altitude.  We were put into rooms of 6 people (our 4x4 group).  We had a late lunch at the ‘hostel’, which was bangers and mash.  Surprisingly good as we have read bad reviews about the food on the trip.  After lunch we went to another lagoon, this one was called Colorado.  There were thousands of flamingos on this lagoon and the water was red.  There was a howling and freezing gale at this point, probably similar to Wellington on a good day.  After viewing this lagoon we went back to the hostel and started playing cards whilst waiting for dinner which was a three course meal of soup and bread, spagbol and a peach for desert.  We were told the lights were going out at 930pm so it was an early night.  The reason for the lights being off early was because the accommodation only had solar energy and conservation of power was the order of the day.  The night wasn’t too bad in terms of comfort.  I was expecting it to be freezing! It was cold, but easily bearable.

Cordiller Travel company - http://www.cordilleratraveller.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Day 15 - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (2 April 2012)

Day 15 - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (2 April 2012)

We have another slow morning here. Get up and collect our clean clothes, have showers etc. We head into town and go out for lunch. We get the set menu at this place. We thought the set menu said “hamburger and a glass of wine” for 4,000 pesos (NZ 12) each. What we actually got was a hamburger patty with tomatoes, raw onions, basil and oil drizzled over top (menu was in Spanish, hard to get things right). It sounds weird, but it was presented really well and actually tasted delicious.  We also got a really nice glass of red wine too. So we weren’t upset with it.
After lunch we rented out a bike each for the rest of the day. For 8,000 pesos (NZ $24) we both got a bike, a lock, pump and spare tyre until 10pm.  It was good to get back on a bike, although it was abit different to the road bike and conditions at home, considering firstly it was a mountain bike, and also the chains were slightly rusted and the road conditions were, well, much worse than at home, considering the town has only dirt roads.

On our bikes we headed out of town to the ruins of Puerta Quitor. The ride was really nice, a short 3 km ride one way from the edge of the town. It was another hot day however and Ann was feeling the effects of the heat and the altitude, and possibly the fact she hasnt been on a bike for about 10 years.  We took abit of time out and then had a look at the ruins. The ruins were where the town was situated in the mid 1500's. The town was on a hill so they could see any attack coming, it was a good climb to the top where we had fantastic views of the ruins, San Pedro township, the desert and the Andes in the background.   This view really emphasises the point that San Pedro is in the middle of nowhere!!!  It was a good opportunity to pull out the binoculars and have a good look around. When then walked back down the hill and looked through the museum.  They had actual artefacts that were found in these ruins here. So that was good. We then biked back into town.

We decided to start getting supplies for our 3 day 4x4 tour which starts tomorrow morning. We start off by buying two bottles of water (6 litres each) and we bike that back to our hostel. We then head back into town and buy some snacks for the tour and toilet paper and one more bottle of water (6L). We had to do this in trips because it is not easy carrying all that water and food on a bike all at once! We then head back into town one more time and we go for a bike around the streets just for fun then we hand the bikes back.  At the hostel we get all our gear and food etc ready for our tour in Bolivia.

Puerta Quitor ruins - http://www.tripadvisor.com.ar/ShowUserReviews-g303681-d2337471-r129649530-Pukara_de_Quitor_Ruins-San_Pedro_de_Atacama_Atacama_Region.html

Day 14 - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (1 April 2012)

Day 14 - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (1 April 2012)

I wake up in the morning with Ann asking me if I felt an earthquake through the night.  I didnt feel a thing, I must have been out to it because she said there was a quake and it was shaking for about 20 seconds and relatively strong.  We look up on the internet and find it was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake situated about 80 kilometres from San Pedro.  No drama.

This morning we don’t do that much, we just did some washing and relaxed really. It was a good opportunity to catch up on our blogs and start uploading photos.

The weather here is fantastic and very hot, just like yesterday.  At night however the temperature plummits.  Im guessing it is probably going to be even colder when we do our 4x4 adventure in a couple of days as we climb even higher in altitude (approx 3,750 metres above sea level at our highest point, I think).

At lunch time we head into town to go to the store where I brought some jandels the day before.  I got a great deal of 2,000 pesos (NZ$6).  I knew it was too good to be true, as when I went to put them on this morning, I had two left feet.  What an idiot, why wouldnt I try them on in the shop? I only tried one jandel on and thought it was the right size so made the purchase.  So at the shop I exchanged a lefty for a righty, so it all ended well.  Also that morning when I went to put my brand new sunglasses on, I noticed they had partially broken.  They were pretty uncomfortable so it wasnt a bad thing they broke.  Fancy that ay, I had a pair of glasses for 13 years, and then my next pair only lasted 2 days.  I bought a new pair of glasses for $3,000 peso (NZ $9), so hopefully the increase in price of 50% (NZ$3) from my last pair of sunglasses will be the difference between poor and not so poor sunny's. 

We then buy large slabs of pizza for lunch which are covered in tomatoes.  We found a fella selling them on the street, he bought a few out of the restaurant to sell.  It solved our issue of what to have for lunch!

We then head off to the Museo Arqueologico Padre Le Paige (museum). The entry is 2,500 pesos (NZ 8) each. This museum takes you through the history of the people who live in the desert dating back to 6,000 BC. It was quite interesting.

We then headed back to the hostel to get ready for our star gazing that we had booked for that night. The star gazing is fully dependant on the weather and the sky must be clear for the stars to been seen. We are lucky, tonight it is clear (was only clear two nights in the last week) and it is the last night that you can star gaze as it is full moon time and the moon effects the light from the stars. Our tour is run by a Canadian astronomer who moved to Chile as it is one of the best places in the world to see the stars. He also runs a remote observatory there with countries during their research.

The tour starts with an hour lesson about the sky. We start off with the basics like how we can tell north and south from the stars. Then the astronomer proves to us that the earth is round and spins by pointing out certain facts from the stars. He then shows us the planets that are in the sky at that time which are Mars, Venus and Saturn. He then shows us the visible zodiac signs that are in the sky (you can only see six signs at a time, the other six can only been seen in the Northern hemisphere).   
Then after the supposedly boring part (I found it quite interesting) we got to look through numerous telescopes that are all set up to certain stars and objects in the sky. From the first telescope we can see a close up of the moon. I can see the craters and mountains and everything! The second telescope was my favourite, we were able to see Saturn! It was fantastic and incredible to see a planet so far away.  Most of the other telescopes had to be constantly readjusted as we would lose sight of the stars.  Really enjoyed this tour as it was interesting as completely different to what I would normally do.  We got back to the hostel at about 1130 so it wasnt too late either.

Museo Arqueologico Padre Le Paige - http://www.sanpedroatacama.com/ingles/museo.htm

Day 12 - La Serena, Chile and travel to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (30 March 2012)

Day 12 - La Serena, Chile and travel to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (30 March 2012)

Today we check out of our hostel and we go back into town for a quick look around before we leave for San Pedro.  We head to the La Serena park where there is a free zoo. Here we see so many animals that we don’t even know the names to!  We do recognise the condors, llama’s, alpacas, emu’s and deer. 
After this we go to the bus station.  Our bus is departing La Serena at 4.15pm and will arrive in San Pedro at 9.30am the next day.  As our tickets are fully cama, we have to sit on the lower level and  the seats are wider than the semi-cama seats, and recline a further 15 degrees.  These seats are much more comfortable and I manage to get a reasonable nights sleep.  But before that I watched a couple of movies on the bus and had the dinner we were provided....a bun with one slice of processed cheese!

Day 13 - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (31 March 2012

Day 13 - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (31 March 2012)

We are woken by the bus attendant while he is handing out everyone’s breakfast, a cookie, fruit salad and a drink.  The scenery in the morning was great, we have really hit the desert now! Plenty of different rock formations and salt plains. We arrive in San Pedro at 9.30am.  We are really in Hicksville now, but the place is pretty cool.  This is a small town of 3,200 people and is at an altitude of about 2,500 metres above sea level.  The road was fully paved all the way to San Pedro however as soon as we hit the town, the streets were dirt! Also the buildings are predominantly made of mud.  Behind the town is large volcano which just makes the backdrop look incredible!  It is also very hot and dry.  We are drinking alot more water here!  We arrive at our hostel, which is pretty good.  We had read some horror stories about the hostels here in San Pedro, so are very happy with the one we have picked.  We have booked dorm beds here for 9,000 pesos each (NZ 27) and we are very happy to hear that because it is the low season, that we have the room to ourselves.  Construction is of concrete aswell, so no mud!!!  We then head into town to book some tours (the hostel is about a 15 minute walk from the centre of town).  It is a different experience walking through town, but I enjoyed it.  There are limited cars, but for being in Hicksville, there are alot of people around and these people are walking and biking down the middle of the street.  The town has become very touristy over the last 10-15 years with all the sights and activities around the area.
The first tour we book is the 4x4 3 day trip to Uyuni in Bolivia for Tuesday 3 April.  We booked with the following company http://www.cordilleratraveller.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 .  This cost us 75,000 pesos each (NZ 215).  This includes our accommodation, transport and food.  We will get to see the salt plains here.  The tour is in Bolivia so we will be crossing the border on Tuesday morning and then beginning the tour then.
After this we booked the Valle De La Luna tour for the evening.  This costs us 15,000 pesos for the both of us (NZ 45) http://www.sanpedroatacama.com/ingles/agencias.htm - The tour is number 3 on the list in the above link.  We then booked a star gazing tour for Sunday night which cost 18,000 pesos each (NZ 50).  We will find out on Sunday if we can take this tour as it is dependent on a clear night. http://www.spaceobs.com/en/tour.php
We then head back to the hostel for a bit of rest and a shower before our tour begins at 4pm.  We all jump in a mini bus and head west of the town towards our first stop (about 15 minutes drive). The tour starts with a 20 minute walk up the great dune.  This is large sand dune.  Once at the top we can see the sand dune and the salt crystals around it.  The salt crystals are fantastic and sparkle.  This walk up this dune normally would have been fine, but it is just so incredibly dry and hot here that we all walk super slow.  After this, we head to the formation called the three Maria’s (tres Maria’s in Spanish).  This is a rock formation that looks like three ladies.  These formations have occurred as a result of the wind carving the rock.  They actually do look like ladies.  After this we head to Death Valley.  We climb to the top of the valley to take some photos.  Up here you can see why it is called Death Valley.  There is a very large drop and below are very pointy little hills.  We spent about 30 minutes here enjoying the scenery and snapping a few shots and then walk to the mini bus to head to our next destination, which was another valley where we were to watch the sunset.  At this valley there is a piece of rock that juts out over the 70 metre strait drop to the bottom.  Would have made a good photo but it was pretty windy at the time.  A couple of people in our group decided the photo was worth it and got out to the edge of the rock, I hope the photo turns out well!!!  Then we watched the sunset over the valley.  It was more interesting to watch the volcano and the Andes than the sunset, because the mountains change colour as the sun goes down.  They went from grey to red to purple.  After that it was time to head back to San Pedro for the night.

San Pedro de Atacama - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_de_Atacama