Attitude at Altitude, La Paz

We survive the overnight bus to La Paz and are greeted with that amazing view over the city of La Paz as we drive through El Alto. It is just as breathtaking (no pun intended) as I remember from a previous trip here, five years ago. We are staying at The Wild Rover hostal, Irish-owned and very much a party atmosphere. On our first day we meet some new friends, Carolyn, Steve, Matt, Anna and Alan - we all hit it off and begin planning, what end's up being a very crazy week ahead.

San Pedro Prison
Rightly, or wrongly I visit the jail. I am not going to go into details or even attempt to explain how this micro-economy works, this is a crazy place. Read the book "Marching Powder" by Rusty Young to get an idea.

Star of India, Jackie Chan's, Sol y Luna & a rather large splattering of clubs

We eat at the hostal many nights and when we don't eat here, we eat at some of these places... 

Sol y Luna is a great place, nice food but remember to factor in a couple of hours to get the food. Sloooooow.

Jackie Chan's - what an experience! My advice: stay clear of Bolivian wine in a Bolivian-Chinese restaurant. The spicy food is a welcome change.

Star of India is a British-owned Indian curry house. If you eat a bowl of the Vindaloo you get a t-shirt. I try a mouthful and almost die. Helene, who is obsessed with spicy food, hoovers it up, tears streaming down her face and bags the t-shirt.

Every night is a good night to party in La Paz. Yaaay!

New friends enjoying a meal at Sol y Luna

We glamourous ladies dancing at the new club, Orange

Oliver´s Travels - The "Fake" English pub of La Paz

Downhill Mountain Biking on "The World's Most Dangerous Road"
We survive. I fall off, a little too close to the cliff-side for my liking. Adam crashes over the handlebars and gets some pretty-coloured bruises and scratches. It is adrenaline fun! The views are outstanding.

Getting our intial prep-talk!
The first hour is lovely asphalt terrain!
First glimpse of "Death Road"
Higher than the clouds (4,600 m)

A spot of lunch beside a waterfall (later cycle through!)

Christ & Matt - the boys from Salisbury, UK

Caught mid-mouthful!

We cycle through rivers & waterfalls - no bother to me!

Sheer cliff to my left

Hairpin bend!

Looking back over the bumpy, rock, winding road!

The Survivors of "Death Road"! (Altitude: 1,400 metres)

A well deserved beer at the end of the bike-ride (distance covered: 64 km)

St.Patrick's Day at The Wild Rover

It is fun. Lots of dancing, and well (sorry Mum!) drinking. Adam is sick, but manages to reappear a couple of times during the day for a shot of Jameson's! I party mainly with Alan the Canadian who has never had Guinness, let alone Baby Guiness before. Other Irish specialities such as "Cheese & Onion Tayto crisps" & "Barry´s Gold Blend tea" are also consumed - making me feel very at home! Note: All pictures taken before 2pm.

The Wild Rover, hostal & pub

Fuel in the form of Irish Stew

A wee drop of ¨Baby Guiness¨ (Tia Maria with a Baileys head)

Adam appears wearing a green t-shirt

The Crazy Irish boys dancing on the bar

Alan gets acquainted with the ways of the Irish

Hip-hip horaay for a very Happy St.Patrick´s Day in La Paz!!!!!

All in all, quite a crazy week! Now it is time to say cheerio to Adam, as he sets off on new chapter as he travels by road through Peru. We plan to meet up in Columbia in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I meet up with the lovely Sarah (an x-work colleague and close friend from London) and we are destined for the countryside outside of La Paz to stay with friends...for a very different type of adventure! More gossip to follow.........

Sucre, La Cuidad Blanca

We arrive in the old colonial city of Sucre without hitch, passing through the mining town of Potosi on the way.

Another spectacular bus journey

After a good night's sleep, we rise early and head into the city centre. It is picturesque, with a nice atmosphere. The city is a World Heritage Site, due to many beautiful, well-preserved colonial buildings. We stay in a beautiful restored mansion just outside of the city, and for the next two days we do little more than browse the markets and spend hours sitting in cozy coffee shops.

Bird's Eye view of Sucre

Casa de la Libertad

Nice doorway

Calle Espana, off the main square

One thing I would highly recommend when visiting Sucre is the Museo de Arte Indigena (indigenous art museum). It is a private gallery, with a beautiful collection of traditional textiles from the Jal'q and Tarabuco regions of Chuquisaca and from the Calcha and Tinkipaya communties located in the Department of Potosi. 

Each tapestry tells a story

There is a music room exhibiting traditional dance costumes, musical instruments and videos. A lady demonstrates how intricate and time-consuming the weaving is. I buy a beautiful tapestry from Tarabuco, hand-made over a four-month period by a lady who receives 62% of the money paid (the remainder is contributed to the ASUR project which promotes traditional weaving techniques in the area). Well worth a visit.

We leave this charming city on a night bus, breathing a prayer that we will arrive safely in La Paz the following morning!

Salar de Uyuni - Adventures in Bolivia

As the sun rises over the volcano, we wave goodbye to San Pedro de Atacama and set off towards the Bolivian border. Once we pass through Customs, we clamber aboard our 4x4 jeep, ready to set off on a three-day journey through desert and salt flats. Inside our jeep we have Adam, Helene, Marie, Daniel & myself (the original five from Salta) and also two new recruits - Jonas from Brazil, and José our Bolivian driver. There are two other jeeps from the same company (Cordillera) filled with like-minded tourists who we get to know over the course of the next three days.

Brushstrokes across the sky

Day 1: Laguna Verde, Sol de Manana (volcanic geyser), hot springs & card games

Dancing for joy!

Our transportation for the next three days

The ever changing colours of Laguna Verde

Laguna Verde

Reflections

I just cannot choose between these pictures!

Flamingos, close-up

Marie and Helene gliding

Pretty picture

Pimpin' our ride

Paula & Kelly, the Brazilians

Geysers (smelly & dangerous) - 4,900 metres, difficult to breath!

Crazy-coloured bubbling liquid

After lunch, a dip in a HOT thermal bath

Blue skies above......

Look it's Laguna Colorado and the sky is turning a distinctive shade of cobalt

Snowy, the llama

and her  little'in, awww!

Hard to believe how dramatically the sky has changed (see earlier pictures)

Happily grazing

Contrasts, cracks and clouds

Birdie, name unknown

First night's accommodation (very basic, no showers)

I make friends with this little fellow (cook's son) and dog who live at the hostel

Oscar

Marie & cutsie little doggie-woggie

Playing the card game "President"
The boys in deep discussion (l-R: Jonas, Adam, Daniel)

Day 2: A very long and bumpy drive with volcanoes, more lagunas & arrival at The Salt Hotel

Bright & early chewing coca leaves (to ease the altitude sickness)

Head-massage with Ollague Volcano in the background

Team Go-Go!!
Climbing on the random rocks in the Valley of Salvador Dali

Inspiration for Dali

Fields of Quinoa

Lunch by another Laguna (name?)

Marie up to mischief (as usual!)

Freddie the Flamingo

Interesting shades of sand

Interior of The Salt Hotel

Day 3: The long awaited Salar de Uyuni. 12,000kms of salt desert stretches as far as the eye can see, blindingly white and like nothing I have ever seen. We have a great afternoon, and get a little too over-enthusiastic with the photograph taking (but it is so much fun!)....here are a few of my favourites.

The approach....what a sight!

Jumping for joy!!  

Martial Arts

Helene V Marie

I just can't get him off my back!

He has got me Riverdancing in the palm of his hand!

Busting some moves on the world's largest dancefloor

Fish Island - giant cacti

"Ireland, Ireland, together standing tall...."

Freedom!

I practice my "Upward facing dog"

This one deserves the prize for originality!

Spot the Angel & the Devil on Jonas' shoulder?

Train cemetery

We arrive back to the small town of Uyuni, book in for a nights accomodation and enjoy a nice, hot "no-more than 7 minute" shower. Nothing to see or do in Uyuni if the truth be told...however, we do find a bar called "Extreme Fun"!

Main Square, Uyuni
"Extreme Fun"!
We find a group of talented (Irish) muscians & join in the sing-song
Beach-theme sing-song at Extreme Fun!
Salud!

The following morning, we say goodbye to Daniel, Jonas, Kelly and Paula who are all in rush to get to La Paz due to time constraints.  The rest of the gang are keen to relax in Sucre for a couple of days, before contending with the hustle and bustle of the capital. Unfortunately my partner in crime, Marie has been struck-down with food poisoning and is not feeling up for travelling today. Once we are sure that she is comfortable and that she is in the caring hands of the lady at the hostal, Adam, Helene and myself catch the bus to Sucre and make a plan to reunite in a couple of days.