Bolivia

Hey everyone (if you are still reading)! It is Hallye. I am in La Paz, Bolivia now. I think Katie explained how we split up for the last two weeks of our trip. She wanted to stay in Buenos Aires and I wanted to go to Bolivia. So after our visit to Iguazu falls, I took a bus to Bolivia (it took two days!) and Katie returned to Buenos Aires.
First, I loved Buenos Aires and I am still kind of jealous that Katie is still there. Buenos Aires was both relaxing and fun. I loved sitting in the outdoor cafes drinking coffee or trying another Argentinian wine. I also loved how each neighborhood had its own personality. It was a difficult place to leave however our trip to Iguazu falls was wonderful. The current water levels did not allow us to take the boat out to the island by the falls, but the our view of the falls was still impressive. It is was much warmer in Iguazu than in Buenos Aires so we enjoyed the mist from the waterfalls spraying our faces.
Bolivia is completely different from its neighbor. The buses are old, the roads are either in horrible condition or not paved at all and there is visible poverty everywhere. However, for some reason...I love it. There are several reasons why I love it.
1. The people are incredibly friendly and always want to chat with you.
2. The food is not what I expected. I heard that food here is awful but I have found the opposite. I love salteñas (chicken or beef mixed with onions and peppers and wrapped in a pastry shell...similar to empanadas but a bit spicier).
3. There are so many interesting things to do here!!

My first stop was the Salar de Uyuni. This is where the largest salt flat in the world is located. The white salt stretches for almost 11,000 square kilometers and allows for some great photos where it looks like you are holding others in your hand. I will post some pictures. It worked out where I was able to a one day tour and still be able to see the Isla Incahaus (basically and cactus and rock island that is located in the middle of the salt plains), the hotel made of salt and of course the salt flat itself.

My next stop in Bolivia was Potosì. This city is famous not only for being one of the highest cities in the world but for its mines as well. The main reason I came here was to take a tour of one of the working mines and I am so glad I did it because it was an eye-opening experience. My book and our tour guide both claimed that enough silver was mined out of ¨Cerro Rico¨to build a silver bridge all the way to Spain...and that enough people died in the mines to build a bridge of bones all the way back. On the tour, I was able to walk through the tiny tunnels and learn the history of the mines, talk with miners and give them gifts that we bought them (dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves) and learn about some of the rituals that the miners do for good luck. The miners that we talked to were friendly and seemed happy to chat with us. Their ages ranged from 20 to 50 years old. They work for long periods inside the mine without coming out and will only chew on coca leaves while inside (they give you energy and suppress your appetite). They are also exposed to lots of harmful substances while working and therefore their life expectancies are cut short (some say only 20 years after they start working in the mine).

After Potosí I took a taxi to Sucre, the ´constitutional´capital of Bolivia. I enjoyed my time in Sucre (just over one day). The attractive white buildings, lovely plaza and cobblestone streets make Sucre a beautiful city. I hiked up the steep streets to where el Museo de la Recoleta was located one afternoon. The main reason I wanted to go here was to see an orange tree that is claimed to be over 1000 years old (and it was impressive) but I was pleasantly suprised at how much I enjoyed the rest of the monastary. There were some beautiful courtyards and very old pieces of art. After my visit to the monastary I went to a cafe that I heard had the best view of Sucre. I had two strawberry milkshakes and then trekked back down to my hostal to retrieve my backpack to catch my night bus to La Paz.

So here I am in La Paz now. I arrived about six thirty this morning and am waiting to hear if there is a bed in one of the dormitories at the hostal I am currently at (they are letting me use the free interent and breakfast...even though I am not technically staying here yet!). From La Paz, I plan to visit Lake Titicaca (claimed to be the highest navigable lake in the world) one day, go on a bike ride another day and then head back home.

I hope we still have a few readers and I will plan on doing one more blog entry to give my final thoughts on our trip!