Bolivia Jeep Safari - Day 4 "Old Salty"
Trip Start
Nov 02, 2011
1
52
130
Trip End
May 31, 2012
Where I stayed
Hostel Cristol
What I did
Uyuni, Bolivia
Monday, February 20, 2012
By 6.30 am we had driven an hour through foot deep water to reach the only hostel and museum on the 2000 km2 salt flat.
The sun didn't come out for us but the rain continued instead. Never to be dampened (!) we still bravely took our perspective shots (we’d been planning for days) and had a great deal of fun and laughs at the results.
On the way back to Uyuni I bought a wicked jumper, llama wool for £8!
After lunch the four of us, Jaime, Sara and Ramon headed back on the 5 hour drive to Tupiza, while the others headed north to Potosi and La Paz by coach. Our jeep ride home involved a huge dam, a massive thunderstorm, incredible views and a broken down jeep blocking a river in full flood, so we had to pray our jeep would make it through.
On return to Tupiza (and hot showers!), we had pizza for dins and then prepared for Carnival the next day. The highlights of the stay in Tupiza were: watching Christoffer spray a young boy with foam full in the face (he started it) and then him retaliate with a full bucket of water, climbing Cerro del Cruz (and truly experiencing the effects of exercise at altitude plus vertigo!), and drinking beer on a street corner listening to Carnival music. The low points were the lack of anything but Italian food, I nearly vowed off cheese altogether! Sylvia (who worked at our hostel and spoke great English) explained the Carnival to us. Everywhere around the town people were burning "tables" (shrines of food and other elements) to feed "Pachamama" (the goddess protecting them), either asking for good health, business or family. The spray foam was just a bonus!
That night it rained heavily, we still headed out armed with much foam and water balloons, the quote of the trip from Christoffer, “here we are, four Europeans walking around late at night in Bolivia, looking for trouble!” :).
- Liz
Comments
The pictures are awesome!!! :D Well done, guys!
And glad to see that you're having such a good fun!
xx