We changed our plans and entered Bolivia in the southern town of Villazon, spent a day in Tupiza, and started the Salar de Uyuni tour from there. The tour ends in Uyuni, from where we will head to Sucre for a couple of days before continuing on to La Paz. Then we are off to Sorata for our first trek (3 days), and then to Lake Titicaca where we will do another 3-day trek around Isla del Sol.
Friday, May 26, 2006 at 2:22PM At five in the morning, the bus came to a stop, the lights came on, and the bus driver announced to everyone to come pick up their luggage. People started piling off the bus, and we were all bewildered. We were half asleep, it was still dark out, what was going on? We checked with the bus driver and indeed we were already in La Paz, only 11 hours later!
Friday, May 26, 2006 at 2:24PM Prior to coming on our trip we had read about the bike tour that goes down The World’s Most Dangerous Road, which runs from La Cumbre (at the top of the valley that La Paz sits in) at 4700m, to Coroico, a town on the jungle-side of the Andes, at 1500m.
Saturday, May 27, 2006 at 2:34PM When we finally ventured out, we noticed that many people were walking around with flowers, and there were several cake vendors out. What special day could it be? As the day went on, we eventually figured out that it was Mother’s Day in Bolivia! Moms were out for lunch with their daughters, hanging out in the plazas, kids were carrying presents and flowers for their Moms.
Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 3:34PM There was a nice guy sitting beside us named Roberto who chatted to us for much of the way, asking where we were from, where we were going, how many kids we have, if we liked the new Bolivian president, Evo Morales, telling us things about the scenery we were passing.
Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 3:36PM On the agenda for today was arranging for a guide for the Laguna Glacial trek, buying food for the trek, and getting some more money, and finding another place to stay.