I spent one more night in Tupiza then took a bus to Villazón, where I would cross the border with Argentina. The lady sitting next to me in the minivan was travelling with two children. Or, to be more precise, two babies. One of them only a few weeks or a few months old and…
Category: Bolivia
Transformer: from 4×4 to bus
Once everyone’s hunger had been satisfied, it was time to say goodbye. Eva, Michel, Claudius and Laura were continuing their trip from Uyuni towards the North of the country of Chile. I was the only one to go back to Tupiza to then make my way back to Argentina. Back in the 4×4 with Rubén,…
In a salt desert or in a train cemetery, never stop playing
4.00 a.m. There it was expanding in front of us: the Salar de Uyuni. The biggest salt flat in the world. Actually looking like a gigantic puzzle because of the cracks on the ground that form millions of irregular pentagon-shaped pieces. The reason we were leaving that early (again) was that we needed to get…
Things you can find in a desert: foxes, armadillo’s and wi-fi
The following morning was again an early one. We were taken to a place where we had yet another view on the Laguna Colorada. And the scenery we got to see was definitely one I wouldn’t have missed for anything in the world. It was magical. The morning light, the reflection of the mist on…
Stinky geysers and colourful lagoons
The second day of the excursion started with a visit to a llama farm. This time, we were able to get rather close, give them a pat on the head, and take as many pictures as we wanted – as long as none of the farmers or their kids appeared in them. You could notice…
The devil in disguise
The day started beautifully. As I got into the grey 4×4, I got acquainted with my travel companions: Eva, a Dutch girl, Laura and Claudius, two young Germans who were working as volunteers in Paraguay and, as a last minute addition to the group, Michel, a retired French teacher. That meant our cook couldn’t come…
Click & connect
As I was waiting for the bus in the station in Potosí, I spotted another lady who seemed to be travelling alone, obviously not a Bolivian. When in the bus, her seat was next to mine, so we started chatting. Jimena was from Buenos Aires and indeed a solo traveler . We soon found out…
A confronting visit to the mines
A visit to the mines is the main attraction of Potosí. The word “attraction” rather repellent in itself. When in Potosí, there are a few things that make you think before registering for a tour. The first one being that it feels rather like voyeurism and misplaced to hang out the tourist to see how…
Potosí and its Rich Mountain which filled the pockets of the Europeans
Situated at 4,090 meters above sea level, Potosí is the highest habitable city in the world. Places like these are the ones that attracted ever more Europeans to the continent after the conquista. The conquerors were obsessed with the idea of finding precious metals. And in Potosí, they found just that: an incredible reserve of…
A war between Peace & Sugar
If you ask for the capital of Bolivia, most people will answer “La Paz”. And it sure is the biggest city of the country. Nowadays, it is also the most important from an economical point of view. And the government has its seat there too since 1898. The executive and legislative powers are both located…
Death road: Experience and thrills at your own risks and perils
Most of the following day, I spent on formalities: doing the theft declaration with the police – for an insurance which, in the end, I never used – and trying to find a phone company selling mini sim cards for iPhone. I tried several places, until a guy managed to sell me a normal card,…
Sweeping away my sorrow with beer, cigarettes and San Pedro
When I finally got to my hotel, I just wanted to forget about the whole false taxi & false cop experience, have a meal, a beer, and go to bed. As I was eating my pasta, a feeling started to grow inside me. I hadn’t really checked my small backpack to see if anything was…
Saartje's Melting Pot 