SANTA CRUZ - BOLIVIA:
Siamo alla stazione alle prese con la ennesima disavventura dei trasporti, ma iniziamo dal principio. Partendo da Sucre abbiamo scoperto che il nostro bus 1 classe non sarebbe partito, la strada che collega sucre a st. cruz e' chiusa per lavori in corso durante il giorno dalle 7 alle 7, cosi il bus bello non e' potuto passare. Cambio di programma 40 bolivianos indietro (5 euro) e partenza con il bus comune. Fortunatamente il bus non era troppo male e soprattutto la gente che viaggiava con noi rispettabile, pure un piccolo cucciolo.
Dopo appena 2 ore la strada asfaltata finisce e inizia la polvere, ne avremo per altre 10 ore. Difficile chiudere occhio in un bus dove fa tanto caldo e che di continuo va fuori strada per guadare fiumi secchi (ponte in rifacimento). La notte passa lentamente con continuo via vai di passeggeri in piedi senza posto. Una signora prova ad accomodarsi sul mio braccio, non proprio piacevole, dopo tanta confusione sono riuscito a farla andare piu' avanti sul braccio del prossimo turista (inglese ha ha). Alle 6 di mattina stop per colazione. Il risveglio e' tragico, il piccolo cucciolo che ha scelto i piedi di olivia per dormire ha pure scelto il piede mio per cacare, una puzza e un gusto proprio adatto per il breakfast.
ll bus con solo 3 ore di ritarto si avvicina alla citta' quando all'improvviso si ferma. Pensiamo al solito stop per fare un po' di business a lato (portare pacchi, salire gente etc.) no questa volta non riparte. Altra bella notizia, abbiamo finito il diesel.. scene di panico la gente si incazza (era ora) l'autista la vede brutta, minacce fisiche, tutti sospettano che abbia venduto benzina lungo la strada.
Noi due piu' l'unica altra turista prendiamo un taxi al volo, gli altri lo prendono pure ma il loro concetto di dividere e' piu' ampio, conto almeno 3 taxi con 7 persone a bordo 3-3-1 la formazione piu' comune, bagagli sul tetto.
Pensiamo di essere finalmente prossimi alla destinazione quando pure il taxi si ferma, pensiamo a una imboscata, un guasto al motore, uno scherzo, ma no, il taxi a finito la bombola del gas (da cucina) vite fait, la si compra per strada e si riparte... che gita. Alle 10.30 siamo a destinazione invece che alle 7.00, non c'e' male. Tutto cio' per visitare ST. Cruz, non proprio il massimo ma almeno qui c'e' un WWF che ci da un po' di lavoro da fare. Oggi infatti andiamo a Puerto Suarez a vedere il pantanal boliviano (zona paludosa piena di animali).
Il treno delle 13.30 partira' alle 16.00, non male, e arrivera' dopo 18 ore da tabella, ma ci hanno gia' avvertito di non farci la bocca.
Questo e tutto sul fronte trasporti, lascio a Olivia la parte natura.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
POTOSI & SUCRE - BOLIVIA
Both Potosi and Sucre are World Heritage sites - the UNESCO officers must have had a field day around here - but they were right as both towns are equally charming.
Potosi, the highest town of its size at that altitude (+4000m) is the place where the Spaniards found the Inca silver mines of Cerro Rico and extracted enough silver to influence the european economy, whilst incidentally killing off 80% of the locals. The orange mountain that is full of minerals can be seen from most parts of town and is where many Indigenous Peoples still work, in conditions that would not be tolerated in our parts of the world. We know because we actually went down a mine with an ex-miner, Alfredo, who now has silicosis. He took us to the miners part of town, where we bought dinamite, coca leaves and firewater (95% alcohol that the miners actually drink...). Going down the mine was horrendous.
Sucre, called the white city as most buildings are painted that colour, was our base for visiting the longest dinosaur tracks in the world, Tarabuco market, and an excellent textile museum. The market was most impressive because of the amount of different "tribes" that gathered there in their traditional outfits. We were awestruck by the colours and patterns of their ponchos, hats, skirts, wraps, and I had to restrain from going into a shopping frenzy and buying all the different handicrafts that were on offer. We got back in time for Cristian to have a little mishap with a couple of fraudulous locals. Good job his reflexes are faster than lightening otherwise he would have been wallet-less. Senor Yardini actually managed to catch the hand of the pickpocket right after she had slashed through his trouser leg pocket and was going for the wallet. The drama only unfolded later in the evening as, at the time, he just thought she had touched his leg and that he had over-reacted by grabbing her arm...
We are now super-vigilant and ready to pounce at the slightest touch!
Anyhow, that did not stop us enjoying Sucre, although we are now off to Santa Cruz, in the lowlands, to find out what WWF is up to in this wonderful country.
Cerro Rico mines
Our presents to the miners - explosives, coca leaves, alcohol
Cristian, Leslie and moi down the mine
In case you were wondering where the Japanese send their old buses to...
Sucre at sunset from the roof of our hostel
The market in Tarabuco, near Sucre
A lady from the Tarabuca Indigenous Group who sat next to us and asked to be photographed.
Both Potosi and Sucre are World Heritage sites - the UNESCO officers must have had a field day around here - but they were right as both towns are equally charming.
Potosi, the highest town of its size at that altitude (+4000m) is the place where the Spaniards found the Inca silver mines of Cerro Rico and extracted enough silver to influence the european economy, whilst incidentally killing off 80% of the locals. The orange mountain that is full of minerals can be seen from most parts of town and is where many Indigenous Peoples still work, in conditions that would not be tolerated in our parts of the world. We know because we actually went down a mine with an ex-miner, Alfredo, who now has silicosis. He took us to the miners part of town, where we bought dinamite, coca leaves and firewater (95% alcohol that the miners actually drink...). Going down the mine was horrendous.
Sucre, called the white city as most buildings are painted that colour, was our base for visiting the longest dinosaur tracks in the world, Tarabuco market, and an excellent textile museum. The market was most impressive because of the amount of different "tribes" that gathered there in their traditional outfits. We were awestruck by the colours and patterns of their ponchos, hats, skirts, wraps, and I had to restrain from going into a shopping frenzy and buying all the different handicrafts that were on offer. We got back in time for Cristian to have a little mishap with a couple of fraudulous locals. Good job his reflexes are faster than lightening otherwise he would have been wallet-less. Senor Yardini actually managed to catch the hand of the pickpocket right after she had slashed through his trouser leg pocket and was going for the wallet. The drama only unfolded later in the evening as, at the time, he just thought she had touched his leg and that he had over-reacted by grabbing her arm...
We are now super-vigilant and ready to pounce at the slightest touch!
Anyhow, that did not stop us enjoying Sucre, although we are now off to Santa Cruz, in the lowlands, to find out what WWF is up to in this wonderful country.
Cerro Rico mines
Our presents to the miners - explosives, coca leaves, alcohol
Cristian, Leslie and moi down the mine
In case you were wondering where the Japanese send their old buses to...
Sucre at sunset from the roof of our hostel
The market in Tarabuco, near Sucre
A lady from the Tarabuca Indigenous Group who sat next to us and asked to be photographed.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA - CHILE / UYUNI - BOLIVIA
I don't even know where to start with this one, although it was only three days, but we saw so many amazing things that I could just write a full paragraph of superlatives and let you look at the pictures - and those are pictures we are going to sit you through when we get back, promise!
Anyhow, in a nutshell, we went on a jeep tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Bolivia, with a group of six: Kathy from Germany, Vangelis from Greece but living in Germany, Tomash from the Tcheck Republic, Leslie from the US. We crossed the border at the top of some mountain pass, got our passports stamped by a military in a hut, then sped down the dirt road towards a series of colourful lagunas, spotting guanacos, llamas and birds along the way. We passed the 5000 meters limit, did not throw up, checked out bubbling geysers, saw pink flamingoes in a pink lake, slept in dorms in the middle of nowhere and nearly froze stiff, but had a wonderful first day, with a great group.
Day two was just as fab; we saw more good stuff, including strange rock formations, more lakes, active volcanoes, hyper-tall cacti, the most remote village on the surface of the planet (San Juan - where we saw our first Bolivian ladies dressed in traditional bowler hats, black puffy skirts, white shirts, and wearing their babies on their backs, bound in colourful fabrics), and even managed to get a flat tyre, before ending up in a hotel built entirely of salt - ok, the walls of the showers were not - on the shore of the biggest salt lake in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. We watched the best sunset so far, then sampled Bolivian wine to celebrate!
Day three took us across the Salar, first to rescue another jeep that got stuck in the wet and muddy bit by the side of the road, then over to Isla del Pescado, an island with lots of cacti in the middle of the lake. The salar took over one and a half hours to cross eventhough our driver, Capitan Crispin, was doing his best to belt over the dry salt!
We got to Uyuni, sad to see the end of such a grand aventure and upset to see our new friends, Kathy and Van, leave to go back to San Pedro. It even rained, making us feel gloomier...
From Uyuni, we will go to Potosi.
We can already tell that we will like Bolivia!
Flamingos at Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.
Lama at Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.
Tom, Van, Kathy, Lesley, Olivia, Cristian, Crispin, Marta.
Stone tree, Bolivia.
Vulcano Licancabur.
Salar de Uyuni.
In the Salar de Uyuni.
Hexagonal salt formations.
I don't even know where to start with this one, although it was only three days, but we saw so many amazing things that I could just write a full paragraph of superlatives and let you look at the pictures - and those are pictures we are going to sit you through when we get back, promise!
Anyhow, in a nutshell, we went on a jeep tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Bolivia, with a group of six: Kathy from Germany, Vangelis from Greece but living in Germany, Tomash from the Tcheck Republic, Leslie from the US. We crossed the border at the top of some mountain pass, got our passports stamped by a military in a hut, then sped down the dirt road towards a series of colourful lagunas, spotting guanacos, llamas and birds along the way. We passed the 5000 meters limit, did not throw up, checked out bubbling geysers, saw pink flamingoes in a pink lake, slept in dorms in the middle of nowhere and nearly froze stiff, but had a wonderful first day, with a great group.
Day two was just as fab; we saw more good stuff, including strange rock formations, more lakes, active volcanoes, hyper-tall cacti, the most remote village on the surface of the planet (San Juan - where we saw our first Bolivian ladies dressed in traditional bowler hats, black puffy skirts, white shirts, and wearing their babies on their backs, bound in colourful fabrics), and even managed to get a flat tyre, before ending up in a hotel built entirely of salt - ok, the walls of the showers were not - on the shore of the biggest salt lake in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. We watched the best sunset so far, then sampled Bolivian wine to celebrate!
Day three took us across the Salar, first to rescue another jeep that got stuck in the wet and muddy bit by the side of the road, then over to Isla del Pescado, an island with lots of cacti in the middle of the lake. The salar took over one and a half hours to cross eventhough our driver, Capitan Crispin, was doing his best to belt over the dry salt!
We got to Uyuni, sad to see the end of such a grand aventure and upset to see our new friends, Kathy and Van, leave to go back to San Pedro. It even rained, making us feel gloomier...
From Uyuni, we will go to Potosi.
We can already tell that we will like Bolivia!
Flamingos at Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.
Lama at Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.
Tom, Van, Kathy, Lesley, Olivia, Cristian, Crispin, Marta.
Stone tree, Bolivia.
Vulcano Licancabur.
Salar de Uyuni.
In the Salar de Uyuni.
Hexagonal salt formations.
Friday, March 05, 2004
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA / CHILE:
Sani e salvi siamo arrivati in San Pedro ma non senza qualche problemino. Il viaggio in bus era bellissimo abbiamo attraversato le Ande di nuovo. Come la compagnia aveva garantito il bus era nuovo, toilet, televisione, colazione e pranzo, ma la strada...
Pieno di curve e di breccino con buche il bus non ha smesso di ballare per tutto il viaggio, al punto che la porta del bagno si e' rotta e la polvere e' entrata da tutte le parti. In questo viaggio abbiamo per la prima volta raggiunto i 5 mila metri di altitudine e non senza ricordi. Infatti una volta arrivati alla dogana con il chile siamo scesi dal bus e Olivia e diventata verde, io ho sbiancato, ci siamo ritrovati al bagno chimico con un altro paio di persone a vom..... disturbi di altitudine, niente di piu'. Nel viaggio ci siamo fermati di fronte a un Salar, mare di sale, lo vedrete nelle foto presto.
San Pedro e' una piccola cittadina in una oasi in mezzo al deserto delle montagne, pochissimi abitanti 4 strade senza asfalto e parecchi turisti. Carina. Luce dalle 7.30 alle 9.30 acqua fino alle 9.30 poi niente piu'.
Escursione alla Valle della Luna, bellissima. Partenza alle 16.00 da San P. con 6 altre persone inclusi Gianni e Lesley che continuiamo a incontrare nel nostro viaggio, direzione deserto. Prima di arrivare alla valle della luna ci siamo fermati a vedere da un mirador le ande che si incontrano con la catena del sale e in mezzo il paese di San P., bello, poi passeggiata nella valle della morte, dove piu di 500 mucche caddero morte prima di arrivare al mattatoio scivolando dal precipizio (tando morire dovevano). Finalmente la valle della luna, un insieme di colori bellissimi, rosso, marrone, verde, blu, bianco, una formazione di montagne stupende con una grande duna di sabbia nel mezzo. L'idea e' di fermarsi in cima alla duna e attendere il tramonto, memorabile, il sole si e abbassato rispecchiando tutti i suoi raggi sulle montagne, la luna ha fatto capolino da dietro il vulcano, giallo, marrone, viola, rosso, e poi buio. Siamo stati fortunati perche' c'era la luna piena e la valle appariva illuminata pure di notte. Beh piu di cosi non ci riesco a descrivere e le foto non rendono giustizia. Tutto qui per adesso domani giornata di riposo prima di partire per 3 giorni di avventura con la jeep attraversando da San Pedro fino a Uyuni in Bolivia.
Gianni e Lesley a 5000m prima della memorabile dogana, Salar.
Valle della Luna, San Pedro de Atacama.
Valle della Luna prima del tramonto.
Sani e salvi siamo arrivati in San Pedro ma non senza qualche problemino. Il viaggio in bus era bellissimo abbiamo attraversato le Ande di nuovo. Come la compagnia aveva garantito il bus era nuovo, toilet, televisione, colazione e pranzo, ma la strada...
Pieno di curve e di breccino con buche il bus non ha smesso di ballare per tutto il viaggio, al punto che la porta del bagno si e' rotta e la polvere e' entrata da tutte le parti. In questo viaggio abbiamo per la prima volta raggiunto i 5 mila metri di altitudine e non senza ricordi. Infatti una volta arrivati alla dogana con il chile siamo scesi dal bus e Olivia e diventata verde, io ho sbiancato, ci siamo ritrovati al bagno chimico con un altro paio di persone a vom..... disturbi di altitudine, niente di piu'. Nel viaggio ci siamo fermati di fronte a un Salar, mare di sale, lo vedrete nelle foto presto.
San Pedro e' una piccola cittadina in una oasi in mezzo al deserto delle montagne, pochissimi abitanti 4 strade senza asfalto e parecchi turisti. Carina. Luce dalle 7.30 alle 9.30 acqua fino alle 9.30 poi niente piu'.
Escursione alla Valle della Luna, bellissima. Partenza alle 16.00 da San P. con 6 altre persone inclusi Gianni e Lesley che continuiamo a incontrare nel nostro viaggio, direzione deserto. Prima di arrivare alla valle della luna ci siamo fermati a vedere da un mirador le ande che si incontrano con la catena del sale e in mezzo il paese di San P., bello, poi passeggiata nella valle della morte, dove piu di 500 mucche caddero morte prima di arrivare al mattatoio scivolando dal precipizio (tando morire dovevano). Finalmente la valle della luna, un insieme di colori bellissimi, rosso, marrone, verde, blu, bianco, una formazione di montagne stupende con una grande duna di sabbia nel mezzo. L'idea e' di fermarsi in cima alla duna e attendere il tramonto, memorabile, il sole si e abbassato rispecchiando tutti i suoi raggi sulle montagne, la luna ha fatto capolino da dietro il vulcano, giallo, marrone, viola, rosso, e poi buio. Siamo stati fortunati perche' c'era la luna piena e la valle appariva illuminata pure di notte. Beh piu di cosi non ci riesco a descrivere e le foto non rendono giustizia. Tutto qui per adesso domani giornata di riposo prima di partire per 3 giorni di avventura con la jeep attraversando da San Pedro fino a Uyuni in Bolivia.
Gianni e Lesley a 5000m prima della memorabile dogana, Salar.
Valle della Luna, San Pedro de Atacama.
Valle della Luna prima del tramonto.
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
MENDOZA / SALTA - ARGENTINA
Where were we??
At some point we left Valparaiso and went back to Argentina, because we like crossing the border and getting our passport filled with stamps and being called Olivia British Pasini and being an Italian national with British documents, so getting interrogated by customs officials... a lethal combination of incredulous ticket sellers and bus attendants that refuse to let you fill in your own immigration forms.
Anyhow, we got to Mendoza in time for the Fiesta della Vendimia and the election of Miss Vineyard, a competing event to the Oscars, and of course, much better!
We also experienced the Noche de la Milanesa with Juliana Knoll's parents, which really was very nice (milanesa being a breaded slice of meat).
Full, the following day we moved up to Salta; another thrilling 20hr smelly coach journey - i keep dropping in the amount of time we spend on buses so you feel like we are not just having a marvellous time!!
Salta is a nice place and was supposed to be the starting point for excursions. Unfortunately most of these involve spending the day on a minibus. so we are skipping those and have decided to move back into Chile (I tell you, this passport thing... Cristian will need a new one before long) to go to San Pedro de Atacama and visit the Atacama desert.
Tomorrow's luxurious coach includes oxygen masks. I want to wear mine right from here. got to get our money's worth!! we will be crossing the Andes!! we saw gorgeous pink mountains last time we crossed the border so i am hoping this time will be the same.
From there it's over into Bolivia, a land with fewer internet connections??
so many hugs to you all, now, and keep some in storage for later!
Festa de la Vendimia, Mendoza.
Dinner at Juliana family place.
San Francisco church in Salta.
Where were we??
At some point we left Valparaiso and went back to Argentina, because we like crossing the border and getting our passport filled with stamps and being called Olivia British Pasini and being an Italian national with British documents, so getting interrogated by customs officials... a lethal combination of incredulous ticket sellers and bus attendants that refuse to let you fill in your own immigration forms.
Anyhow, we got to Mendoza in time for the Fiesta della Vendimia and the election of Miss Vineyard, a competing event to the Oscars, and of course, much better!
We also experienced the Noche de la Milanesa with Juliana Knoll's parents, which really was very nice (milanesa being a breaded slice of meat).
Full, the following day we moved up to Salta; another thrilling 20hr smelly coach journey - i keep dropping in the amount of time we spend on buses so you feel like we are not just having a marvellous time!!
Salta is a nice place and was supposed to be the starting point for excursions. Unfortunately most of these involve spending the day on a minibus. so we are skipping those and have decided to move back into Chile (I tell you, this passport thing... Cristian will need a new one before long) to go to San Pedro de Atacama and visit the Atacama desert.
Tomorrow's luxurious coach includes oxygen masks. I want to wear mine right from here. got to get our money's worth!! we will be crossing the Andes!! we saw gorgeous pink mountains last time we crossed the border so i am hoping this time will be the same.
From there it's over into Bolivia, a land with fewer internet connections??
so many hugs to you all, now, and keep some in storage for later!
Festa de la Vendimia, Mendoza.
Dinner at Juliana family place.
San Francisco church in Salta.