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Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friends - Has & Steff
mouseyingaround.blogspot.com
In Peru we met Has & Steff a couple from Wales, not England - Wales! ;) And for everyone who doesn't know were that is: Wales.
In the month we travelled together we survived the Inka Jungle Trail, met funny, unique and weird people, got drunk and suffered the day after, seen breathtaking nature in Bolivia, met Fernando (4 year old) a super cute boy with the biggest cheeks I've ever seen, and shared a lot of great memories!
At Santiago they took the plane to New Zealand, heading forward to Australia and Indonesia.
Thank you Has & Steff for this great time.
In Peru we met Has & Steff a couple from Wales, not England - Wales! ;) And for everyone who doesn't know were that is: Wales.
In the month we travelled together we survived the Inka Jungle Trail, met funny, unique and weird people, got drunk and suffered the day after, seen breathtaking nature in Bolivia, met Fernando (4 year old) a super cute boy with the biggest cheeks I've ever seen, and shared a lot of great memories!
At Santiago they took the plane to New Zealand, heading forward to Australia and Indonesia.
Thank you Has & Steff for this great time.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Books to read - Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America's Strangest Jail
While in La Paz Has mentioned she wanted to have a look at the San Pedro prison, from the outside, as she had just read a book about it. Until a couple of years ago it was even possible to visit it! Even Lonely Planet mentioned it in his Todo section of La Paz. So of course I had to read it as well.
Marching Powder is the biography of Thomas McFadden, a british cocain trafficker which got caught and sent to San Pedro. He describes his time in this super corrupt prison complex. Where you have to buy or rent your own cell in one of the different sections which act as kind of neighbourhoods. Having its own little economy. With little tiendas and restaurants, run by inmates and their families which live with them!
Later on Thomas starts offering tours to backpackers by bribing some of the guards to allow non-family visitors. Some come for the stories but for many the cheap coke, produced in San Pedro itself, is the main attraction. Many of these visitors end up staying over night and he even got a tourist girlfriend which lived with him for a while!
Read more about it for example here, Mike's Bogota Blog
Marching Powder is the biography of Thomas McFadden, a british cocain trafficker which got caught and sent to San Pedro. He describes his time in this super corrupt prison complex. Where you have to buy or rent your own cell in one of the different sections which act as kind of neighbourhoods. Having its own little economy. With little tiendas and restaurants, run by inmates and their families which live with them!
Later on Thomas starts offering tours to backpackers by bribing some of the guards to allow non-family visitors. Some come for the stories but for many the cheap coke, produced in San Pedro itself, is the main attraction. Many of these visitors end up staying over night and he even got a tourist girlfriend which lived with him for a while!
Read more about it for example here, Mike's Bogota Blog
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Mistura, La Paz
Calle Santiago No.163
It is almost impossible to find beautiful shops in La Paz. Which makes you even more appreciate this boutique. The presentation and the assortment is inspiring especially in a city like la Paz.
They sell bolivian handcrafts (but in a modern way), alpaca cloths (also for children), accessories, natural skin care products, gourmet products, jewellery and beautiful hat's for a bargain. I still regtet i didn't buy one!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Salar de Uyuni (12.02.2014 - 14.02.2014)
Together with Has & Steff we took a night bus all the way south to Uyuni. Wan't even that uncomfortable ;)
When we stepped out of the bus the next morning there where a bunch of people trying to sell us the Uyuni tours. After some consideration and having a look at the car and driver (hearing stories of drunken drivers and rundown cars) we booked our trip with Betto Tours.
First stop was the totally overcrowded train cemetery, heaps of rusting old trains and wagons with dozens of people clambering around. Nevertheless a nice sight!
Our group containing the four of us and two girls from Peru then drove to the salt flat. As it is currently summer and rain season the whole place is flooded to a depth of 5-15cm. Because of this you can't visit the fisher island and its giant cacti in the middle of the salar. The car had to drive slowly as not getting his radiator totally encrusted in salt. We stepped out of the 4x4 and took some awesome pictures. Because of the water the whole thing looks like a gigantic mirror all the way to the horizon!
The driver then took us to the "Salt Hotel", a house built entirely out of slabs of salt but which definitely has seen better days. We had lunch, took some more pictures and then started to drive back and then south for our stay the first night. The place where we slept was super basic/rundown, but okay. They where drying meat on the clothes line next to some dirty towels, yummy!
After breakfast we continued south to visit some rock formations. One called the condor, quite boring but the view around it was excellent! Several stops and pictures later we arrived at the first of many lagoons. We wandered around it and took pictures of the flamingos. Some more lagoons and a couple of lama crossings after was already time for lunch. Melanie and I took the chance to don our space suit and pose in the desert ^^. In the afternoon we stopped at the famous Stone tree, again not that impressive.
I don't know why, but multiple times on our travel so far the locals were proud to point out a stone formation which should resemble something...
Later on we crossed into the national park and visited Laguna Colorada and its millions of flamingos. Then drove on and found a basic but nice place to stay. This is where we met Fernando, whom we gave our Hulk action figure away to. He first couldn't believe his luck and kept on asking if this is really a gift and if he could keep it =)
At night our group then went out to play with flashlights and long exposures. But the cold soon drove us back into our shelter to enjoy some more beers and wine ;)
Early the next morning we drove on to see the geysers and vents in the first morning light. The pressure in which the water/hot air escapes the earth was quite impressive! The bolivian government started recently to tap into this massive energy source to produce clean power.
Afterwards we stopped at some hot springs to warm ourselves up. Around us where a bunch of lamas which used the the haze of the hot springs to partake in some family enlargement... ;)
Soon after we where dropped of at the border to chile and had to wait for our transport to San Pedro de Atacama. From the border at 4500m above sea we drove 2000m down to San Pedro where we had to find a place to stay for the next nights.
When we stepped out of the bus the next morning there where a bunch of people trying to sell us the Uyuni tours. After some consideration and having a look at the car and driver (hearing stories of drunken drivers and rundown cars) we booked our trip with Betto Tours.
First stop was the totally overcrowded train cemetery, heaps of rusting old trains and wagons with dozens of people clambering around. Nevertheless a nice sight!
Our group containing the four of us and two girls from Peru then drove to the salt flat. As it is currently summer and rain season the whole place is flooded to a depth of 5-15cm. Because of this you can't visit the fisher island and its giant cacti in the middle of the salar. The car had to drive slowly as not getting his radiator totally encrusted in salt. We stepped out of the 4x4 and took some awesome pictures. Because of the water the whole thing looks like a gigantic mirror all the way to the horizon!
The driver then took us to the "Salt Hotel", a house built entirely out of slabs of salt but which definitely has seen better days. We had lunch, took some more pictures and then started to drive back and then south for our stay the first night. The place where we slept was super basic/rundown, but okay. They where drying meat on the clothes line next to some dirty towels, yummy!
After breakfast we continued south to visit some rock formations. One called the condor, quite boring but the view around it was excellent! Several stops and pictures later we arrived at the first of many lagoons. We wandered around it and took pictures of the flamingos. Some more lagoons and a couple of lama crossings after was already time for lunch. Melanie and I took the chance to don our space suit and pose in the desert ^^. In the afternoon we stopped at the famous Stone tree, again not that impressive.
I don't know why, but multiple times on our travel so far the locals were proud to point out a stone formation which should resemble something...
Later on we crossed into the national park and visited Laguna Colorada and its millions of flamingos. Then drove on and found a basic but nice place to stay. This is where we met Fernando, whom we gave our Hulk action figure away to. He first couldn't believe his luck and kept on asking if this is really a gift and if he could keep it =)
At night our group then went out to play with flashlights and long exposures. But the cold soon drove us back into our shelter to enjoy some more beers and wine ;)
Early the next morning we drove on to see the geysers and vents in the first morning light. The pressure in which the water/hot air escapes the earth was quite impressive! The bolivian government started recently to tap into this massive energy source to produce clean power.
Afterwards we stopped at some hot springs to warm ourselves up. Around us where a bunch of lamas which used the the haze of the hot springs to partake in some family enlargement... ;)
Soon after we where dropped of at the border to chile and had to wait for our transport to San Pedro de Atacama. From the border at 4500m above sea we drove 2000m down to San Pedro where we had to find a place to stay for the next nights.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Nuestra Señora de La Paz & Death Road (08.02.2014 - 11.02.2014)
On the first evening we went to visit Janis & Max in their party hostel, Loki. Some beers, drinks and pirate hats later the party was in full swing! Unfortunately the hang over the next day was also quite impressive...
After having cured the worst of it we went to explore the city. Notably the infamous San Pedro prison (only from the outside though!). Later we walked through the witch market, where you can buy all kinds of herbs and potions. Mostly oriented toward improving sexual affection, Steffan was close to buy some sex parfume ;).
The next day we booked a tour to ride the Death Road by downhill bike. We ended up booking with Pro Downhill, not the cheapest but also not the most expensive option. Turned out great! There where actually more people in the more expensive groups and the cheapest option with only front suspension would have been gruel.
Besides Has, Steff, Melanie and me there where three totally hung over Chilean, our two guides and the driver. The first part from the mountain pass at 4670m above sea was all on concrete, not that challenging. After a short snack and another bus ride the dirt road and official Death Road started. By now there is a new road available bypassing this dangerous stretch! Nevertheless some cars/trucks decide to use the old road as it is faster. But the night before a landslide made it impossible for cars to pass, so we had not to worry too much about traffic. The two guides where really good, one in the back and another one ahead of the group. They both took care that everybody could ride at his comfortable speed. I could stop, take pictures and then overtake the whole group again. If the guide saw that one of us wanted to drive faster he would accelerate, we had some awesome races ^^
At the end of the stretch we loaded the bikes onto the van again and could rest and eat at a pool before returning the long (and safe way) to La Paz.
The next day we spent relaxing and preparing our way south to the Uyuni salt flats!
After having cured the worst of it we went to explore the city. Notably the infamous San Pedro prison (only from the outside though!). Later we walked through the witch market, where you can buy all kinds of herbs and potions. Mostly oriented toward improving sexual affection, Steffan was close to buy some sex parfume ;).
The next day we booked a tour to ride the Death Road by downhill bike. We ended up booking with Pro Downhill, not the cheapest but also not the most expensive option. Turned out great! There where actually more people in the more expensive groups and the cheapest option with only front suspension would have been gruel.
Besides Has, Steff, Melanie and me there where three totally hung over Chilean, our two guides and the driver. The first part from the mountain pass at 4670m above sea was all on concrete, not that challenging. After a short snack and another bus ride the dirt road and official Death Road started. By now there is a new road available bypassing this dangerous stretch! Nevertheless some cars/trucks decide to use the old road as it is faster. But the night before a landslide made it impossible for cars to pass, so we had not to worry too much about traffic. The two guides where really good, one in the back and another one ahead of the group. They both took care that everybody could ride at his comfortable speed. I could stop, take pictures and then overtake the whole group again. If the guide saw that one of us wanted to drive faster he would accelerate, we had some awesome races ^^
At the end of the stretch we loaded the bikes onto the van again and could rest and eat at a pool before returning the long (and safe way) to La Paz.
The next day we spent relaxing and preparing our way south to the Uyuni salt flats!
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