Oruro is a pretty gritty mining town but there's something about it that had some charm. Dani and I were keen to find somewhere close to the bus station to sleep as we knew we wanted to head off early the next morning. After checking out a few places we found Hotel Grand Bolivia about 2 blocks away. We were pleased to find they had double rooms for 110BS ($20.80 AUD/16 USD). After getting our key we realised we'd been given twin beds instead of a double. As we'd had a bad experience in Italy some years before, when demanding the room we'd asked for from the heavily religious owner, I made the decision just to lump the twin beds for the night and get a double in our next destination, as the Jesus paraphernalia in this place was fairly abundant. All ready to chalk this up to non acceptance Dani suddenly realised that she had asked for a "doble habitacione"... in Spanish this is a twin room and a "matrimonial" is actually a double. Since this mistake there have been no more twin beds. We walked back to the bus station to grab some food (multiple places laughed when I asked for vegetarian food) and then settled in for the night. Early the next morning we got up ready for what we assumed would be a pretty hateful journey. The first leg was a bus to La Paz costing 20BS ($3.80 AUD/2.90 USD) . We had already made the decision that we were going to arrive in La Paz and head straight to Coroico instead of stopping. The bus was a little slower than expected but as we'd got on the bus at 7.30am we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived in La Paz by 11am. The main bus terminal caters to all main destinations in Bolivia and international departures to Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Perù but is not where you catch transport to either the Amazon or smaller locations around La Paz. For Coroico we headed, by taxi (necessary despite what anyone else says... it's a 20 minute taxi ride uphill) to Terminal Terrestre Minasa (20BS/3.80 AUD/2.90 USD). I'm not sure when this terminal was established but all information both online and in travel guides say to head to Villa Fatima and that it is not a proper bus station. Either this information is no longer correct or this is an alternative, either way, there are multiple forms of transport leaving from here for Coroico as soon as they're full. Hopping into the next available minivan (35BS/5.65 AUD/4.35 USD) we were off within minutes of arriving at the terminal. The joy of being on our 3rd leg by 11.30 was quickly quashed once we started to descend down the hill. This road was completed in 2007 to replace the well-known Death Road but does still traverse the very steep mountains and has the sheer drops on the other side. Now those who know me (Riv) will know I'm not the best passenger at the best of the times, but I tell you, speeding down a mountainside at 120km in rain and mist that would occasionally clear to allow views of sheer drops, while overtaking on blind corners was enough to make anyone (except apparently my wife) uncomfortable. It was like a 2 hour rollercoaster that you couldn't get off. Im not sure which part of the journey it was exactly, but at some point we hit a bump and I burst into tears. Crying solidly for the rest of the journey was certainly not a highlight and I felt sorry for the kind gentleman who was sat next to the snivelling snotty gringo. Coroico was lucky that it made up for the horrific journey by being absolutely stunning and worth the terror. Just a quick tip if your a scaredy cat like me...take the larger minibuses rather that the minivans as they descend slower. Our plan in Coroico was to chill for a few days as we had been traveling around Bolivia at a slightly faster pace than usual and despite adoring our new found "travel kids" they were 22 and sometimes we just couldn't keep up with their energy. The perfect spot for this was the guesthouse we found, Hostal Balcon Danny (100BS/18.90 AUD/14.55 USD for a double room). The hostel is on the side of the mountain about 100 metres up from the bus station. This is slightly further out of town than other guesthouses but this means that it has a completely uninterrupted views of the cloud forest and you avoid having to climb the epic hill up into the centre of town with you bags! We spent the afternoon perusing the market and grabbing some delicious market food for dinner. This included the amazing humidas (a South American staple) which are a slightly sweet cornbread steamed in cornhusks. These we discovered are delicious with avocado and tomato... South Americans may think we're heathens for that but I'm telling you these gringos loved the combination. We decided the next day we would look in to the La Senda Verde wildlife refuge that was a small distance away from Coroico. Checking with a tour company in town it turns out that this must be booked online. As our hostel did not have any wifi (nor do many others in town we understand) we checked out the Internet cafe. It cost us 3BS ($0.55 AUD/0.45 USD) for an hour of dialup speed internet to establish that should you want to visit the refuge for an overnight visit this should be arranged before arriving in Coroico. You could always take the risk and just show up but it could be a very expensive round trip if they are full. As we weren't able to have any communication with them outside of our hour at the cafe we decided that costing it up it wasn't worth the price. The 45 minute tour of the refuge was 100BS ($18.90 AUD/14.55 USD) and the cheapest overnight was 320BS ($60.45 AUD/46.50 USD) for a double room, which did not include a visit to the bears (that would be an extra 30 \BS/5.65 AUD/4.35 USD) or an evening meal which would cost 50BS ($9.45 AUD/7.25 USD) (you can't bring in your own food and you aren't near anywhere to eat). These prices seem pretty unreasonable when you consider that Uyuni had only cost 300BS ($56.70 AUD/43.60 USD) for 2 nights accommodation and a tour. With that decided we settled into a brilliant day of doing nothing. We were happy to wile away a few days here but our hostel owner had other plans. It turned out that he was going to be shutting the guesthouse the next day and we'd have to be out by 9am. Facing the decision of packing up to move hostels or just moving on to our next destination was a hard one. In the end we decided that we would be doing an equally as complicated journey to Copacabana the next day. As much as there is very little to do in Coroico it is a beautiful place to relax so it was with sadness that we left out lovely spot the next morning at 7.30am and headed back to La Paz (minivan was 30BS on the return to La Paz). Now despite the fact that the driver on the return journey must have been going at a similar pace to his counterpart the journey back felt much gentler. Taking only 2 hours we were back in the outskirts of La Paz and quickly hailed a taxi and which got us back at the main bus station by 10am. The final leg saw us on another bus (30BS) to Copacabana by 10.30. This price does not include the slightly unusual ferry crossing at San Pedro to San Pablo (which takes about 15mins) before reaching Copacabana. This costs 2BS and involves you getting off the bus walking to the ticket booth, getting on a small passenger ferry, being taken across to San Pablo and then waiting for the bus to be brought across on what appear to be a little engine-powered floating platform. Also if you're into whitebait you can buy a cheap snack of these on the way for 10BS. On arrival to Copacabana we were extremely lucky that the first guesthouse Dani checked out happened to be perfect. The Hostal Colonial (80BS for what was essentially a triple room) right by the bus station was pure luxury. Not only did our room have a beautiful view of Lake Titicaca but we had an extra bed, private bathroom, hot water, towels, a light breakfast and above all else...toilet paper included. Those who've traveled a lot will know that this isn't always available or you have to pay for your own. It's a good idea to have your own supply at all times, just incase. As this was to be our last stop in Bolivia and we decided we'd be staying for a while. This was an easy decision due to the quality of our room and beautiful location. Logging into the wifi shortly after arriving we discovered that our travel kids were also staying in Copacabana that night. They'd arrived slightly after us and as we'd all had a long day we decided to meet up the next day for a drink. Something to note about Lake Titicaca...it's the highest lake in the world which means that some people can suffer from severe altitude sickness and others (like us) will just be a little uncomfortable. This can have an impact on your ability to sleep or even move around without getting out of breath. Due to this it's important to keep hydrated and if you need to drink coca tea and/or suck on coca candy that's available everywhere in Bolivia. Tip: For those who want to do it local style coca leaves are also readily available. A beginner should use about 15 leaves (minus the stalks) and chew them into a ball. Once they're truly masticated park them between your teeth and gums so that you can slowly swallow and absorb the juices. One clump should last you about 2-4hours. It is cool to try this once, but if you aren't used to chewing them the experience of holding a masticated ball of leaves in the side of your mouth can be marginally unpleasant and they are no more effective then their brewed or candied counterparts. We woke up early the next morning ready to explore. We wandered down to the lake and along side all the paddle boats, taking in all the beauty the lake had to offer. We really weren't that interested in doing much other than relaxing so we sat by the water and soaked up the sunshine until the kids were ready to meet up. We met at one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking the lake for its amazing views. A good thing to note is that the "happy hour" beer is the same price as it is at the more local restaurant shacks along the waterfront if you're wanting a more comfortable drinking spot with a little wifi (maybe, this is Bolivia). These shacks however, have the best food in Copacabana! 25BS ($4.70AUD/3.65USD) will get you rice, salad, fries and a whole fried trout (cooked one of about 10 different ways) or an omelette if your a vegetarian. These are a much better option than the restaurants along the main strip which serve overpriced tasteless food (unfortunately this is even true of the local set menus in the area). One thing we hadn't really taken into consideration was drinking at altitude. Not only do you get drunker a lot quicker but it also increases the effects of altitude once you start to sober up. Dani ended up in bed at 7pm after two beers, and I wasn't far behind her after meeting back up with the girls to continue the night but instead opting for coffee and an early one. Although the hangover the next day was bearable we never did adjust to the altitude and have realised our limit is around the 3,500m mark rather than above 4,000m. After 5 gorgeous days lazing by the lake and taking out the pedal boats it was time to head to Perù. Now you can do this independently by taking a shared taxi to the border and then continuing by taxi or bus to your next destination however when costing up ease and expense the direct bus to Puno was as cheap and seemed far easier. The bus cost 30BS ($5.70AUD/4.35USD) and takes you to the border and then on to Puno in Perù where you can stop or change to go to Cusco or Arequipa. The border crossing is super easy and lucky for us it was quick. You're dropped off on the Bolivian side and then you walk the couple of hundred metres to Perù, enter their customs office and jump back onto the bus. The whole process took about 45 minutes. You can also change any left over bolivianos on either side at very decent rates. Just one word of warning, if you travel with the Titicaca bus company there is a tour agent that joins you called Julio. Avoid him at all costs!! He is the owner of Lago Tours and if you decide to engage with him but choose another tour company he turns nasty and even tried to sabotage the tour we booked once we were in Puno. It's better just to smile politely and not engage. He is also associated with Samaya Adventure Tours who are equally as bad. Overall we had an amazing time in Bolivia. It has definitely been our favourite country so far in South America and it will be very hard to beat. Although we only spent 19 days in Bolivia this felt like a good amount of time. There are plenty of other places we could have explored but we feel we saw a great cross section of what Bolivia has to offer. In honour of our travel kids "Bolivia is F#*%ken cool man"! Budget Time $$$What it actually cost: 19 days = $972.22 (AUD) Accomodation: $282.36 Transport: $208.61 Food: $161.58 Entertainment: $140.03 Miscellaneous: $61.68 Drinks: $58.18 Souvenirs: $56.89 Bribes: $2.87 This is a daily average of $25.55 per person. Bolivia proved to be a fairly easy country to keep to a reasonable budget in. Despite being the poorest nation in South America it has a very well organised and maintained tourist infrastructure meaning that prices for services like transportation, accomodation and tours are reasonable while also being competitive. This often means you get what you pay for which cannot be said for the whole of South America. It's definitely worth shopping around when seeking to utilise any service and also worth discussing discounts, but in Bolivia, budget often means basic, whether that is transport, accomodation or tours so make sure you know what you should be getting! Sometimes it's worth making the saving and sometimes it's worth paying the bit extra! One thing we did discover is that travelling in a larger group and during low season gives you huge negotiating power. As a couple, Riv and I can often get slightly better deals that solo travellers, but as a group of 5/6 (as we often were in Bolivia) we often saw prices per person fall astronomically! The price of food in Bolivia is some of the cheapest we found anywhere in South America with an average set menu meal (soup and main dish) setting us back no more than 15BS ($2.80AUD/2.20USD) per person. Fresh produce at markets was always of really good quality and also a very budget friendly option when coupled with a few street snacks for a meal. LGBT:
Bolivia and Bolivians overall were wonderful. We never experienced any problems as a couple however we did travel for most of Bolivia as a group in dorms rather than just the 2 of us. Bolivia was also the most conservative country we had been in since arriving in South America but we did not find this was an issue. There is currently a bill that has been introduced in government to legalise same sex unions and it is legal to change your gender on documentation in Bolivia so things are progressing. There is also strong anti-discrimination legislation. We did also notice that in smaller towns such as Samaipata there was open acceptance of Transpeople that were welcomed by locals and tourists alike.
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All that Glistens is not GoldThe first thing I want to say about this is that a decision to visit the mines should not be taken lightly. Before you decide to go a few things really need to be considered.
Firstly, why are you going? Are you going because you have a particular interest in the mining industry? Is it because it's another one of those things that travellers do when travelling through Bolivia? Do you have a slightly morbid fascination with seeing the brutal and unrelentingly harsh working conditions of silver miners in a developing country? I'm not saying that any of these reasons is more or less valid than another. Whatever your reason at least you are showing an interest, all I'm saying is this is not your average traveller's excursion/day trip and you should have given a little thought as to why you've decided to go before you do so! Secondly, what is actually involved in a trip down the mines? This isn't a trip to a museum or a walk around a sanitary reconstruction of a mine, you are going into a working silver mine, deep underground at altitude. Consider what you are going to see and what you are going to do and make sure you are prepared for both. You have to wear safety gear. Boots, overalls, helmets and head lamps are all essential to get you around the mine safely. While you are in the mine people are actually working. They are not putting on a show. They are going about their business, earning their wage in some seriously unpleasant and unforgiving conditions. Some of the workers view tourists as an inconvenience and make no secret of that, while others appreciate the slight break in monotony and may stop to chat briefly or offer to pose for pictures. Whatever the reaction to your presence just be aware and be respectful! The fact that it is a functioning mine means the conditions are uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous and often pretty physically demanding. It is very poorly lit down there, the floors are uneven, the passageways are narrow and you are regularly required to climb under, over or through some pretty awkward routes. Your guide is likely to help you if you need, or wait in order to keep the group together but as I've said before, it's a working mine and you may find you are in somebody's way and have to hurry along or suddenly dodge out of the way. While you are down there you may hear or witness an explosion. These used to be done specifically for the tourists but that practice was banned a number of years ago as it was causing structural instability in the mines. In spite of it no longer being done for tourists it obviously still happens as a necessary part of the mining process. In theory it is nothing to worry about but this is the most dangerous part of being in a mine so just be aware that it could happen while you're inside. Finally, which company do you book with? Potosí is absolutely overrun with tours agencies offering trips to the mines and the prices range hugely. The cheapest I was quoted was 80BS and the most expensive was 150BS. Unlike in a lot of South America, not all of these tours are created equal and the price really does affect the quality and thus the level of safety. I would not have trusted any of the really cheap companies and I wouldn't recommend you do either. Like I said, the mines are not a comfortable or particularly safe environment and you want to be sure of the fact that all the safety precautions possible have been taken. In the end I actually opted for the most expensive company called 'Big Deal' tours which is entirely owned and run by current or ex-miners. They are by far the most reputable company in Potosí. They pay all of their employees a good and fair wage, go over and above when it comes to their safety measures on the tours (including always having a spare guide with a tour group in case any participants feel uncomfortable and decide they want to exit the mine) and are wonderfully informative and knowledgable. I cannot recommend this company highly enough and would never question using them if I ever decided to return. They are absolutely worth the extra expense! Overall, I am really pleased I decided to visit the mine. It wasn't fun and I'm not really sure I would say I enjoyed it, but I found it to be an important experience. I learned a lot on the excursion as a whole and gained a real appreciation for the struggle and suffering these people go through on a daily basis in a very dangerous vocation! If you are in Bolivia and considering going to Potosí then I would definitely recommend it, just as long as you're prepared for what it involves! If You Hear Hoof Beats Think Llamas Not HorsesBolivia was our next stop and we had been very much looking forward to getting back into developing countries since we had arrived back in to Buenos Aires from the cruise. We arrived at the Quijarro bus station after a long morning and were ushered to a bus company by our taxi driver to book a bus for that evening to Santa Cruz. Tired and having had bad news from NZ the night before we decided to just book the bus instead of shopping around. This meant we paid 100 bolivianos (BS) ($19.10 AUD/14.45 USD) each for the trip but were on a very nice comfortable bus. We did then discover that you could do this journey for as little as 70BS ($13.40 AUD/10.10 USD) with other companies but with a major concession in seat comfort, toilet facilities and cleanliness. We headed in search of soda and food and it was here that in very broken Spanish and Google translate we had an interesting conversation with a local kid who was fascinated by our travels and had a million rather random questions. We then headed into the market for lunch and managed to order some delicious soup and a meal of rice and meat (Dani ate the meat) for 34BS ($6.45 AUD/4.95 USD) for both our meals. It was time to settle in for our 8-hour wait for the bus. It turns out we had some very decent Wi-Fi available and soon a group of 3 British girls joined us and helped us pass the time. We had booked different buses but we passed on the name of the hostel we were looking at staying and hoped we might see them in Santa Cruz. Our bus departed pretty much on time and we arrived in Santa Cruz at 5.30am in a tropical storm (yay for travelling in rainy season) so decided to wait at the bus stop until the rain eased and it was light. This turned into a bit of a nightmare the taxis we had scouted out earlier somehow disappeared when we went out at 8am. After an extended wait in the rain we were soaking, but finally managed to stop a taxi. Subsequently, at the worst possible moment, we were refused the journey and neither of us spoke enough Spanish to understand why. After much welcomed intervention from some locals we finally got a cab to Santa Cruz Hostel and Bar. When we got in low and behold there were Nat, Maz and Amy, the 3 girls from the bus station. Somehow they had arrived before us despite leaving Quijarro an hour later than we had. With a quick discussion we decided we would share a room, which cost us 70BS ($13.40 AUD/10.10 USD) each for an air-conditioned room with a private bathroom (this turned out to be the most expensive accomodation we had in the whole of Bolivia, but in Santa Cruz there appear to be few options available at a reasonable price...the reason for this still escapes us!). We also agreed that we would all go out and explore separately but that we would meet up for some caipirinhas later in the afternoon. Dani and I headed to the main square for some shopping and to get more money. It was on this walk that we found the local food market that has small local ‘restaurants’ upstairs. This has great soups and meals at all the stalls and a filling soup will set you back just 5BS ($0.95 AUD/0.70 USD). After picking up some limes, sugar and water for the evening’s activities we headed back to the hostel for some afternoon drinks. Many many hours later we were sufficiently drunk and discussing following the girls to La Paz instead of heading to Samaipata on our own. Waking up feeling slightly worse for wear we debated whether it was feasible for us to head to La Paz. This plan would mean skipping half of the destinations that we wanted to do in Bolivia and so sadly we had to agree this plan wouldn't work. This is where Fernando, the wonderful owner of the hostel stepped in. When asking for information about the route, he informed the girls that the best thing they could do was to go to Samaipata either as a day trip on the way to Sucre or as an overnight stop then carry down to Uyuni from Sucre. Well, it was set, instead of La Paz we were all going to stay another night in Santa Cruz and then head to Samaipata together. We had heard about a zoo in Santa Cruz that had “pleasantly humane conditions” and free ranging sloths and chose to visit here for a full day with the girls before Samaipata. It cost 10BS ($1.90AUD/1.40USD) each for entrance. While we can report that the second part is true and amazing, the pleasantly humane conditions were far from accurate. About 50% of the animals were kept in acceptable conditions the others were in cramped cages with sad desperate looking faces. Due to this I would suggest if it's sloths you're after head to the Botanical Gardens where you can also spot them roaming freely (while we didn’t do this trip ourselves, our guesthouse manager informed us that this was an easy bus journey away and an entrance of 20BS). Early the next morning we all headed off on foot to the shared cab (‘truffis’) station just a few blocks away from the centre of town. Fernando had informed us that it should cost 30BS ($5.75 AUD/4.30 USD) each and that we would need a 6th person or have to pay for the whole car. On arrival we were told that it would cost an extra 5BS ($0.95 AUD/0.70 USD) for our bags that by this stage had been strapped to the roof (we were pretty sure this was gringo tax). We were also informed that we would need 7 people to leave or pay 200BS ($38.20 AUD/28.85 USD) for the whole car. We established that having a big group was beneficial for being able to leave quicker but also left us more susceptible to ‘gringo tax’. We decided to wait and it wasn't long until Nicolas a lovely Frenchman came along to join us. At this point we decided that we would pay the 200BS so that we could get on our way and we all piled into the station wagon. On arrival in Samaipata we sent Nic and Dani off as our most competent Spanish speakers to check out some guesthouses while the rest of us watched the bags (we often choose this option, even if it is just the two of us as it makes the hunt much easier and less stressful). They established there were a few hostels around that would be between 35BS ($6.70 AUD/5.05 USD) and 45BS ($8.60 AUD/6.50 USD) for a bed in a dorm depending on whether there was a private bathroom or not. As we wandered down the street we decided to check out another guesthouse just off the main square. Hostel Rosario was 30BS ($5.75 AUD/4.30 USD) a night and had a nice enough room for all 6 of us with single beds rather than bunks. As it was cheaper we all agreed to stay, unfortunately, this hostel, as cheap as it was, turned out to be a bit of a backpackers nightmare. The list of rules was a mile long and included no talking loudly, howling (yes howling), no alcohol, no using the main entrance and no sitting in the communal area after 5pm. This basically meant no fun! To add salt to the wound the showers and rooms were swarming with mosquitos and the outside areas were thick with them. To enforce these rules was a girl of maybe 15 who would stare and follow us around the hostel. Every so often she would approach me and speak in very quick Spanish so I would have to grab Nic or Dani over to help translate. She was slightly unnerving, however I do believe she was just fascinated in this strange group of gringos frequenting her establishment. Once we had settled in we decided we'd check out the tour agencies in town to see how much it would cost to do the 2 main attractions surrounding Samaipata, El Fuerte (the Inca Ruins) and Cuevas, which are the waterfalls. The tours get progressively cheaper the more people you have and for both in one day we were quoted between 165BS ($31.55 AUD/23.80 USD) and 200BS ($38.20 AUD/28.85 USD) each which included the entrance to both. We then discovered that a taxi to El Fuerte would cost us 110BS ($21 AUD/15.90 USD) total with the 50BS ($9.55 AUD/7.20 USD) entrance each. For Cuevas it would cost 100BS ($19.10 AUD/14.40 USD) for the taxi and an extra 15BS ($2.85AUD/2.15 USD) each for the entrance fee. Overall this meant for the 2 trips over two days (which we decided would be a more relaxing option), it would only cost us 104BS ($19.90 AUD/15 USD) each because Nic only joined us for El Fuerte. One thing to note is that the taxis allow you 2 hours at the attractions before they increase their prices for waiting. This can be negotiated but is the standard rule. After making our decisions regarding our excursions for our time in Samaipata we opted to head to the local market and pick up some ingredients for a shared dinner. This was an excellent idea as a bag of 5 large avocados only cost 10BS ($1.90 AUD/1.45 USD) and only 13BS ($2.50 AUD/1.90 USD) for a large bag of tomatoes, 2 onions and some limes. This meant we could make a giant guacamole (Riv's signature dip) and tomato salsa for the sum total of 23BS ($4.40 AUD/3.30 USD) for 6. The next day we headed off to El Fuerte in a taxi, which we simply picked up from the main square in the morning. The drive took about 25 minutes and was all up hill! Some travel guides may say that you can do this on foot (somewhere between 8-10kms each way depending on the route you take) but having done it in a car and in the heat of Samaipata I wouldn’t say this is a reasonable expectation of anyone! When we arrived our driver gave us our meeting time of just over two hours later and after paying our entrance we headed in and followed the well-mapped route around the grounds. Throughout the area there are well signposted lookouts and signs with detailed explanations in English and Spanish. Don’t let the tour agencies in town convince you that you need a guide, it is completely unnecessary. The two hours allotted to us by our driver turned out to be absolutely perfect as we finished the loop in just enough time for a quick bathroom stop at the end before getting in the taxi back to town. Day two in Samaipata and it was time for our trip to the waterfall. As mentioned before Nic had chosen to do an alternative trip to a local national park that day so it was just the five of us. Prior to going we had decided to pack a picnic lunch to have at the waterfall while we were there. In preparation we headed back to the market to grab supplies and were elated to find out that a bag of mangoes only cost 5BS ($0.95 AUD/0.70 USD). Supplies acquired, it was back to the main square where again we very quickly and easy got ourselves a taxi and set off to the waterfall. As we’ve said, taxi drivers give you a two hour waiting time when taking you to the local attractions. Once at the waterfall, Dani managed to negotiate an extra 30 minutes, but in hindsight, given the nature of the visit and the desire to sit and chill and maybe go for a couple of dips in one of the three waterfalls in the area a longer stay would have been preferable. This should be negotiated with your potential driver before leaving town. That evening we had planned our route on to Sucre via night bus. These tickets can be bought for 90BS ($16.90AUD/13USD) from the Nueva Touristica restaurant/bus station, which is a short and easy 10minute walk from the main square. Ask in any of the tour agencies and they will point you in the right direction and it’s probably best to arrange this the day before or at least the morning of the day you are leaving rather than just turning up and expecting to get on. We had pre booked our tickets the day before and were informed that we needed to return at 8pm for departure at 9pm. Now, in the guide books this journey is described as being anywhere between 13 and 23 hours from Santa Cruz so we had no idea how long this journey would take or the type of bus that was going to show up. This normally wouldn't be an issue but the next day happened to be Dani's birthday so the thought of spending the whole day on a bus (should it take the full 23 hours) was a little daunting. We ordered some food and sat patiently waiting, as bus after bus arrived that wasn't ours. The owner of the restaurant became increasingly amused as the gringos got less and less patient with each passing bus constantly gesturing at us that we should sit and he would get us when the us arrived. Well, the bus that rocked up wasn't the luxury that we had become accustomed to in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil or even from Quijarro to Santa Cruz. This was very much a local bus. Built a little to high for comfort it swayed every time we turned a corner (a great thing when going through the mountains) and we were possibly sat over the engine, which meant it was unbelievably hot. Also the noises coming from the engine left us a little skeptical as to whether we would make it to Sucre at all. After a difficult nights sleep we awoke to a beautiful sunrise in the mountains of Bolivia. The bus pulled in to the station at 7.30am meaning the journey had only taken just over 10 hours, which we took as a birthday miracle. Next came our amusing journey to the centre. A kind taxi driver offered to take us for 5BS ($0.95 AUD/0.70 USD) each and loaded the 6 gringos into his station wagon complete with our 6 large backpacks. This required skills that even a circus contortionist might have found difficult. Perched on Dani's lap in the front seat I had a great view of Sucre as we sped through the narrow streets. After checking out a couple of hostels some which looked great but didn't have enough space for all 6 of us we settled on Travellers Guesthouse for 40BS ($7.65 AUD/5.80 USD) each a night each. We had a 6-bed dorm to ourselves and this turned out to be a small miracle in itself as 4 of us came down with gastro and only the birthday girl and Nat were unscathed. Now those of you who know us know that we make a big deal about birthdays, but unfortunately as this is actually the first birthday either of us have had where we didn't know where we would be before hand it was difficult to plan. Luckily due to the awesome friends we had acquired Dani had a great day and even managed to find birthday cake in the Bolivar square market. We also had a bit of a laugh on the paddle boats (10BS /1.90 AUD/1.45 USD) each in the pond in front of the "Eiffel Tower" and in the evening we headed to the supermarket to put together a birthday feast and a few drinks. At this point we had predicted our group would be separated. This was due to the fact that the girls were wanting to push on to Uyuni after a night in Sucre, Nic was wanting to stay in Sucre a little longer and we were planning to stop in Potosi for 2 nights. Well, as fate would have it, the majority of the group were struck down by gastro. Now not that we would wish that on anyone, we were secretly a little pleased that this meant we could at least carry on with the girls to Potosí for a night then on to Uyuni together. We said goodbye to Nic with promises to try to meet up later in La Paz and headed out to grab a taxi. We were able to flag one down and it cost us the same 5BS ($0.95 AUD/0.70 USD) each it had cost on the way there. At the bus station we were flooded with offers to get us to Potosí. Originally we were planning to take a shared taxi which we had been informed would cost us 200BS ($38.20 AUD/28.40 USD) for the car but as we looked around we could only see cars that would require the aforementioned contortionist skills ok for a 10 minute ride and not so much for the predicted 2 hours. This meant the longer bus 3-4 hour bus ride, which cost us 15BS ($2.85AUD/2.15 USD) each after a small amount of large group motivated negotiation. Just a tip there is an exit tax that needs to be paid before they let you on the bus. This costs 2.50BS and you can pay this at a counter near the exit. The bus to Potosí was nice enough for a short journey although winding around the mountains at 10km/hr we weren't sure the bus was cut out for the journey. Equally we were stumped as to why every so often the bus attendant would jump off the bus, pick up a few large rocks and toss them into the baggage hold. Just another mystery in the joys of South American bus travel. Arriving in the estimated time we checked into a great room at Hostal Felimar for 42BS ($7.95AUD/6.10USD) each in a private 4-bed room that they allowed us to cram 5 into with a hot shower and a basic breakfast. Potosí is a great town with some ruggedly beautiful architecture and a great central market. The main reason to visit Potosí is the silver mines that you can visit. I didn't feel I could cope in altitude down the mines and witnessing the harrowing conditions that the miners work in so Dani decided she was going to do this one on her own (she's always been braver than me). She paid for the expensive tour done by the only company run by ex-miners. We both felt it was important that she use a company that supports ex-miners rather than the less safety conscious more exploitative tours. Her tour cost 150BS ($28.45AUD/21.85USD), which included safety equipment, water and transport. You are also expected to buy a gift for the miners and it cost 15BS ($2.85AUD/2.20USD) for some soft drink and coca leaves. I'll leave it to Dani to tell you about the actual mines in a separate post. While Dani was in the mines I took the safer option of watching our travel children drink beer for breakfast and waited patiently for my spouse to return. From Potosí it was onward to Uyuni to see the world famous Salt Flats. We boarded a bus at the old bus station (a 20 minute walk downhill from the centre) after Dani’s tour. These buses leave hourly and take approximately 4-5 hours. Due to our late start we arrived in Uyuni after dark. Dani was exhausted by her taxing trip that morning, which meant finding a hostel, and a tour for the next day seemed impossible. This was until the lovely Andrea accosted us. She was offering a hotel and tour for the next day but being bombarded with information at the speed of light we weren’t sure how to proceed. Andrea was offering a night’s accommodation and a day trip to the salt flats for 300BS ($56.85AUD/43.75USD). I managed to negotiate this down to 250BS ($47.40AUD/36.45USD) with no commitment until we saw the hotel. She shuffled us into 2 taxis (which she paid for) to take us to the hotel. In hindsight the bus station is only 3 blocks away from the centre and this was unnecessary but as Dani was exhausted and a few of us were still recovering from 'Bolivia Belly' this seemed needed at the time. The hotel she took us to didn’t have a room for 5 so we were offered 2 doubles and a single for the same price as a dorm. This was already a bonus (at least for us), as we hadn’t had a room to ourselves since the cruise. Dani managed to negotiate 2 nights plus the tour for 300BS and despite not being able to check out other companies this seemed like a good deal. The hotel was called Residencial La Cabaña and without a tour costs 60BS ($11.35AUD/8.75USD) per person and includes a basic breakfast.
The tour is the standard 1-day tour, which takes you to the rail cemetery (the old trains used to transport salt), a craft market, and the salt hotel for lunch (included) and then onto the salt flats. We were lucky enough to experience the flats as well as a bit of the reflective surface caused by flooding, however due to the wind there was not quite the ground turning into the sky we were hoping for. The girls also got to ride on the roof of the 4x4, which by the sounds of the singing, squealing and whooping they seemed to enjoy. Overall, this was a great day trip however we did leave feeling that we may have been better visiting the lesser known Salar de Grande in Argentina for a less package tour type experience. We had discussed taking a night bus to La Paz straight after the tour but none of us felt up to this. We were told we could catch a bus to La Paz in the morning that would take 10 hours and would cost 110BS ($20.85AUD/16USD). If you're there on the right day there are also trains that run to Oruro (you can then catch a bus on to La Paz) a few times a week. It will depend on the schedule whether this is a cheaper option or a much more expensive one as there are 2 different companies that share this service. If you are in time to catch the Warra Warra service it will cost 60BS ($11.35AUD/8.75USD) to Oruro and then 20BS ($3.80AUD/2.90USD) to catch a bus from Oruro to La Paz. This may be the most comfortable overnight journey however the train doesn’t leave until after midnight on the day scheduled (not the morning of as this also confused us). The third and cheapest option is the bus to Oruro and then a bus on to La Paz. The bus to Oruro is no longer via an unpaved road and takes between 4-5 hours and runs frequently throughout the day. We decided that this was our best option and the first bus cost 30BS ($5.60AUD/4.35USD). On route Dani and I made the decision that we would stay in Oruro for the night as we were both too tired to keep pushing on. We got off the bus together and with a quick “La Pa… La Paaaaz” the girls were ushered off and gone … taking us back to 2. |
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