Bolivia

Uyuni - La Paz

13.09.2011 - 14.09.2011 22 °C

13-9-2011 We were pleasantly surprised with last night’s meal, chicken, potatoes with vegetables and we didn’t have to use the imodium! In the morning our breakfast consisted of fruit juice and pancakes with honey, delicious. Our next stop was a volcano called, Tunupa. It really was beautiful (see photo). To get the best vantage point of the volcano we had to walk along a treacherous path (no health & safety here) for about an hour and at 4200 meters ASL breathing was heavy going. On the way down we visited a cave with ancient mummies inside that dated from the Inca period. We then went back onto the salt flats and drove to a hotel constructed of just salt. At 8pm we had to catch an overnight bus to La Paz. If you can imagine trying to sleep in a cramped seat travelling on unmade bumpy roads for 10 hours, well let’s just say sleep wasn’t an option.

14-9-2011 We arrived in La Paz at 6am absolutely exhausted. We were met at the bus station by our guide to be transferred to our hotel and we were looking forward to a hot shower and a sleep. We got to the hotel at 6.30am only to be told that our room wouldn’t be ready until 10.30am, a 4 hour wait in the lobby, great. Once we got to our room we didn’t bother with the sleep as we were both past it so after a quick shower and breakfast we decided to explore La Paz. This place can only be described as a mad house. Masses of people, exhaust fumes, beggars hassling you, a place we didn’t feel totally comfortable in. Later on we met an English guy in a cafe who lives in La Paz and he gave us the lie of the land. He described himself as a philosopher and writer. He was a bit weird but a nice enough guy. We asked him about the food and where to eat so he recommended a restaurant in a back street which he described as quirky but provided good food. We were not sure but we decided to give it a go. The place was full of antiques, very dark and indeed quirky. When we arrived, a couple was just leaving. I asked them if the food was any good and it was a positive. The girl happened to be Polish and the guy was Irish. Naturally Jola was in full flow in Polish so we asked them to join us for a drink. There were certain similarities with our relationship although they were much younger than us. We ended up exchanging details and have already written emails to each other. The evening ended with a few more glasses of wine, slightly tipsy but happy.

Posted by Dennis Maunder 15.09.2011 12:18 Archived in Bolivia