Salt and Silver

Bolivia has more than made up for it's complicated border process. Uyuni, a town set hundreds of kilometeres from any other city, on one side a bleak landscape of desert and lifeless plains and on the other side, the world's largest (more than 12,000sq K) salt flats. Wide open streets that allow the icy winds to race through, chilling everyone to the bone. Curiously, I couldn's help but notice how the town seemed deserted besides the central tourist plaza. Very few people could be seen outside, doors always seemed shut and the animals that normally run rampant were missing.

The only reason I was there was to witness this saline wonder and it was every bit as impressive as I'd been told. I joined another british traveling pair and a japanese boy in a jeep and after stopping in the famous train cementary, rusting engines and cars sunken into the ground, pieces of track that once carried these proud machines and their treasures to the coast, strewn about along with piles of several hundred year old parts left to the elements, we were soon on the trail, smoothed and darkened by caravans of tour jeeps. Our first stop was a salt hotel/museum where everything from the tables and chairs to the beds and walls were made of salt and then on to the Isla Incawasi, a cactus island in a blinding sea - simply indescribable. Gleaming white and flat until the clear blue horizon like someone forgot to draw the flora onto this page of Bolvia.

There is a tradition of taking cheesy perspective photos and who am I to go against tradition ;) Each little group set about getting the funniest pics and I think we got a few keepers. The view from the top of the island allowed us to take in the vast expanse of blank earth - so beautiful in it's own right.

The next day I found my way to Potosi, the world's highest city and once one of the world's largest and richest as well with the discovery of it's silver mine. I decided to try couchsurfing for the first time in South America since it had been a great way to meet locals in India and provided a much more immersive experience and it was a great decision! For those of you that don't know about this awesome travelers network, check it out at http://www.couchsurfing.com/. Juan Carlos not only provided me a room and bathroom in his family's manor house in the heart of the city but also picked me up from the bus station and showed me around to some of the main sights. We stumbled upon a small parade of cars decorated from bumper to bumper in fuzzy blankets, stuffed animals and dolls. I saw archways decorated in fruit and silver - what's this? There was a band and people were dancing around the cars - ha! I just adore random festivals like this! I tried to take a couple pictures, the people not only encouraged it but one little old lady gave me a shot of a mystery orange alcohol and another man came up to explain what was going on. Everyone in Bolivia has been SO friendly and helpful!

A week never goes by that I don't find myself on a dance floor and this was no exception. The first night, I joined Juan and his friends for some latin dancing and in the world's highest city - that's quite a work out! The next day I wandered the city, my favorite pasttime, getting a feel for Potosi and that evening I was invited to a BBQ - something backpackers don't get very often! I met more friendly Bolvians and we ended up with plates of delicious food followed by games I haven't played since Highschool. I'm talking spin the bottle, truth or dare, King Elephant (Shout out to my PWs!) and that kissing the card game... haha, it was actually a lot of fun!

The highlight of Potosi besides the people was definitely the tour of the mine. As I've said before, I generally try to avoid organized tours but this is not possible for the mines, nor desireable. You need someone who knows where they are going and get explain the history. It was fantastic! Our first stop, after changing into miner's gear, not a toursit gimmick but for protection while underground, was in the miner's market. We could buy real dynamite, the only place in the world that it's legal, as well as coca leaves and drinks as gifts for the miners. The miners work as a part of a cooperative, each milking their own claim and work an average of 8 hours every day. They eat nothing, simply chewing coca leaves with a catalyst such as quinoa ash that numbs their mouth, their appetite and gives them energy - so interesting. Because of the mountains volcanic history, the beginning of the tunnels actually had icicles hanging precariously in our way and amazingly, just one level down, the temperature must have been at least 85-90 degrees F! We clamored through the shafts, sometimes able to walk upright, sometimes barely able to walk at all. We met some of the miners, gave them the gifts we had brought and I even chipped in when one of the heavy carts arrived, being pulled and pushed by four men, and shovelled rock to the other side of the tracks - he asked if I could come back the next day! :)

Two thirds of our group could not go to the next level down because of troubles breathing, claustrophobia etc so a couple of us continued down a rickety ladder to see "El Tio" the local deified statue that protects the miners from trouble. Everything was just so real, such an unproduced, raw look at life in the mines and I learned so much! Wow am I lucky not to have that profession!

I've now arrived in the sweet city of Sucre and thus far, I am quite enamored! There is a massive festival this weekend with an expected attendance of 25,000 people and I can't wait!