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Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure
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Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure

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    Hospital day 4

    1 maggio 2016, Perù ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    The past few days have been a bit of a blur and as i pack up some clean clothes to take in for Mark. Spfie and I have decided to stay hee for another night, even though its a bit of a shit hole , we both got a good nights sleep which can make a big difference at times like this. When i arrive at the hospital, Mark is sitting on the sofa and his bed is stripped which can only mean one thing. MY BABYS COMING HOME. I am so relieved as the information has been pretty poor and yesterday i felt there was no way out of here in the near future. Mark tells me that the 2 Belgian girls came up after we left yesteray , to bring me chocolates to say thank you but Mark has taken it upon himself to eat it already. Ah well it was a lovely thought and proves its nice to be nice.Wee hang around waiting for meds and eventually are sent of the discharge office to complete our paperwork , as usual there is a problem with the Insurance , I sometimes wonder why i bother to even take it out. The kind lady in discharge agrees we can leave today as long as we leave Marks Passport with them. We make arrangements to return tomorrow and she gives us her card so at least we can call to make sure everything has been settled. We hail a cab and when we arrive back at the hostel i can tell Mark is less than pleased, but its literally for one night and we will move to another tomorrow. Its at times like these i get pissed off with the packing up, it feels like thats all ive done for the past few days and i am really keen to find a place where i can totally unpack and assess what i have in my bag. Food tonight will be at our local chinese and Mark is once again not impressed i gather he has been so spoilt in the hospital that he has no interest in how ive had to live without him (haha). Dinner eaten we head back and cuddle up in bed to watch a movie, but Mark has taken over te telly as well. Like they say be careful what you wish for . I fall asleep from the boredom of the shit on telly.Leggi altro

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    House of Rock

    28 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    After packing up I spend nearly an hour trying to get through to the insurance to sort out claim forms. Why don't they give you a freephone number. Or answer more quickly if you call from abroad. The guy can't even give me a straight answer so agrees to send me a claim form. We call a cab and bundle all our stuff into the back and head out to find the hostel but the taxi driver has been looking for nearly 20 mins and we ve driven up and down every street he can think of, and in the end have to call the hostel to give us directions. The taxi driver then insults us by asking for double the fare he'd asked for and by saying we gave him the wrong directions. Finally we arrive at the hostel and it's clear why it is so cheap. The place is actually a b and b but to be honest I really couldn't care as long as I have somewhere to lay my head tonight. We get to the room and within minutes Olivia has decided she's not staying which I understand, but as we've paid for it me and Sofie decide to stay. Olivia leaves and me and Sofie take a walk into town. Its about 15 minutes and a pretty flat road so it's not a bad walk. We are both starving so our first stop I the Irish bar again this time alcohol free. The football is on again and it's packed but we beg the front of a Spanish couples table. They aren't happy but to be honest I just need to eat so ignore the dagger in my back.Sofie has volunteered to come to the hospital with me and im relieved in a way as Mark might stop watching the telly for a minute, i thought he be bored, but when we arrive the football is still on and he has all of 20 words to say to us.Its so cold in the room that me ans Sofie have marks blanket of the bed over us. When we leave the hospital we hear an almighty bang and tgere is a motorbike laying strewn across the road..bThe guy gets off the floor and seems ok, but the taxidriver doesnt seem bothered and with a handshake the guybgepts back on his bike and rides off. We go back to the hostel and get into be to watch telly. Its like a girlie movie night. We are both hungry and we have spotted a chinese just around the corner from us, but it takes us nearly two hours to actually get out of bed to go and get it. Sofie is adement to get spring rolls and we research the equivalent in Spanish and eventually head of to go and buy our tea at ten. A film has just started with Hugh Grant in it so we ask for take away and go back with our food to the hostel and sit watching it for once in a long time watching a film in English eating our nice supper. I am so tired i fall asleep watching it.Leggi altro

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    Hospital Day

    27 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I barely feel like I have had any sleep when I wake this morning, but I get up and just have coffee for breakfast. I feel like I need all the caffeine's I can get. I book the hostel for another couple of days as i cant see us going anywhere in the near future. I catch a taxi straight up the hospital and go to reception to see if I can find Mark. The place is actually a private clinic, and first impressions are really good.. Mark is on the seventh floor and the nurses desk points me to his room. He is lay in bed watching english telly with all the luxury of being privately treated in the uk apart from hot water. I'm really impressed by how medically clean everything is as well , the nurses always put gloves and masks on and the equipment is pretty advanced as well. Mark is in his element lying back doing what he wants without being nagged by me, and after a couple of hours I head back to the hostel to get a shower and change into some warmer clothes.When I arrive back the women tells me we can't have our room for the next day and that I will have to move into a dorm. This isn't an issue for me, but if Mark gets out he will need the peace and quiet of a private room. I could honestly cry but decide to take a walk down to the Plaza and grab a bite to eat. At times like this I miss the comfort food of home and when I spot The Irish Pub I know where I will be going. When I get in there it is packed as there's football on and I order a vodka and tonic and literally gate crash a table of hippy looking people. They are as crazy as me and when I explain my dilemma they are really sympathetic and buy me another drink . I haven't really drunk on the trip and after 3 I feel a bit boozy, so i order some wonton and they are really good and wash them down with one last drink. My anger has ebbed and I need to keep a clear ish head as I have 2 bags to pack and a hostal to find. I head back and on route go to pick up the washing, hoping that I find it as Mark put it in and his sense of direction I'm surprised he finds his way back. There is a young girl working in here, maybe ten years old and she tells me I will need to come back at 5 , her manner is so special and her customer skills are wonderful always with a big smile. The hard thing is most of these kids will do this for the rest of their lives. I return just after 5 and she hands me my bag of washing once again with a big smile and apologies for it being late, but when I go to pack it, it's not my clothes so once again I go back to see my little friend and by now all she is saying is sorry constantly , I tell her it's no problem and return to restart the packing. I'm pretty much done so call a cab to the hospital. The area it's in is out of the city so I take nothing with me apart from a few quid for the taxi. As I come into the foyer there are two young girls in the reception that look so distressed, one of them can't stop crying so I go over and see if I can help, they are from Belgium but can't get hold of anyone at home as its stupid o'clock in the morning and the insurance is not paying up so the hospital won't release them before they have paid. They have been here since 11 this morning waiting to leave. I really feel for them and tell them if they're still here when I am leaving I will see if I can help and five them both a cuddle. I only spend an hour or so here as Mark is more interested in his telly and agitated he can't go for a fag. He try to creep out with me and I offer to take him in the wheelchair but the nurse strictly says no and tell him he can have one at 10pm out of the window. I tell him I'll cheer him up and go and buy him some chocolate and crisps but it doesn't quite seem to work, and I have a hostal to view. The hospital call me a taxi and I plan to go and view the hostal before I book. The taxi driver drops me off and points backwards but I search for nearly an hour walking up and dow a street that has a pavement big enough for a chiwawa and a road big enough for a smart car. Luckily I survive and the hassle has earnt me a starbucks which I drink walking back to the hostel. My bed is calling.Leggi altro

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    Cusco

    26 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We arrive in Cusco early in the morning and Mark and I have pre booked our hostel this time. When we arrive they tell us our room is ready, im so relieved as i could easily sleep for a couple of hours now, but as we take our bags into the room they then tell us that thats not our room and they have made a mistake. We are all starving so go out for breakfast while the room is getting sorted. The shot walk takes us to the first plaza which is really pretty and already i am in love with this place. We go to a restaurant and order hot chocolate which comes in the biggest glass, all thats missing is the marsh mallows and cream. We go back to the hostel an lounge about for the rest of the morning. I am in no rush here as me and Mark have 2 weeks to explore the city, and once again become acclimatized to the high altitude. Mark literlly doesnt move all day and me and Olivia go to the suprmarket to buy the ingredients for tonights curry. Josh who we met in Arrial de Cabo is coming over tonight, and hopefully he wont lead Mark astray too much as he is doing a trek in the morning and has to be up at seven. later in the afternoon i suggest Mark and I have a little walk out , but he is having none of it and i go off on my own in a huff. I have suggested buying a few candles as we had seen some in the street when we had gone for breakfast. I guess if a woman wants something she has to do it herself so i come back armed with my purchase. i go up to the room an a short while later Mark comes up and says he has to go to hospital. This is totally out of the blue. ( PLEASE DON'T PANIC TODAY IS THE 26TH OF APRIL) He has twisted his privates and is in agony but hasnt said anything all day just suffered in silence. He wants to go to the hospital on his own, so I agree to stay behind thinking he will come back in a few hours with pain killers, but 3 hours later and he is still not back and I am beginning to get worried. I spend the next hour calling all the hospitals in the area until eventually we find him a nd he is being kept in. I offer to go up but it's quite late by now and we agree for me to go first thing in the morning. Josh leaves around 12 and it's been a good night with good company but not having Mark here I realise how much I've missed him. I get into bed and light my candles and really can't sleep it's 2am and it's bloody freezing. I decide to get out of bed and put some socks on as well as another jumper and soon fall off to sleep.Leggi altro

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    Colca Canyon

    26 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    we get up at 0230 to be ready for the bus that is supposed to pick us up at 3, but actually turns up at 340 that could have been an extra hour in bed. We are boarded on a little minibus for the 3 hour drive to the canyon. We stop in a little village and we are all evacuatd for breakfast and bundled into a little restaurant serving ham cheese and bread and jam.I enjoy my coffee as its so cold its the only thing i have to warm me up, and go outside standing in the middle of the road to have my cigarette because its in the sunshine. We are bck in the bus before we know it and off to the first viewing point. The canyon is huge and behind is the Andes, with their snow capped peaks they seem to be visible every where we go at the moment. We have 50 minutes here and stand and watch as the condors fly over head. There are six in total an they really put on a show swooping in and out of the canyon, its as if they are doing it just for the massive amount of tourists there are here. The condors vary massively in size, but there is definitely one daddy bird that is huge. The next stop is another viewing point where the valley meets the canyon and you can clearly see the inca influence here. There is the opportunity to buy cactus ice cream, so Mark an i share a tub , its more like ice than ice cream, but quite refreshing, and cleans our pallette in time for lunch. The hot springs is our next stop and are set in a valley next to the river , the only down side is we have to cross this rickety wooden bridge to get there. The brige only permits two at a time an when im half way across Mark starts to cross sening the bridge jumping in so many directions im sure ill en u in the revine below. There are several hot spring pols with varying temperatures but when i get out of the outside one its absolutely freezing. Inside the pool is set at about 35 degrees and is like being in a big bath. Lunch is in an all you can eat buffett style restaurant, but its the perfect way to try the local cuisine , although i give the pink pork a miss, especially with having an overnight bus tonight. The food is really good and as we leave the restaurant , in the distance we can see the volcano blowing large plumes of smoke out of its massive structure.
    The altitude is really affecting me again an the final point is the highest, but as we are only here for 5 mins i choose to remain seated on the bus and get myself comfy for the 3 hour journey back. I sleep intermitently on the way back and im pretty glad to stretch my legs when we leave the bus in Aerequia, but once agin Mark leads the way and we have headed in the wrong direction for twenty minutes. As we walk back, we decide t book our tickets for tonights bus to ensure we get a cama seat. Im relieved when we re all confirmed with a cama seat which will ensure a good nights sleep, but Olivia laughs that it took 3 women so much effort just to confirm the tickets and comments about their incapability Back at the hostel we say our goodbyes and the 4 of us leave to catch the 8 oclock bus. We arrive at the station erly as there is always something that needs doing, like buying your ticket for the station tax etc , and as we attend the desk of the bus company there is a confusion as the women in the travel agency have made a mistake and booked us on tomorrow nights bus. Everybody in the station has sold out of cama seats so we have to opt for having the last few individual seats on a different bus to ensure we get to Cusco in the morning. The woman tells us we will have to go to there office in Cusco for a refund on our original tickets. We board the bus and i am sat next to a guy with the biggest puffa jacket on ive ever seeen and he sits diagonally in his chair hanging over most of mine. This is going to be a long journey. I am woken in the eraly hours by the weirdo next to me stroking my leg. With a hard slap on his hand and telling him in broken Spanish NOTOUCH i honestly thought hed got the message , but apparently not as when i was woken an hour later he was doing it again. I stay awake for the rest of the journey and after the past few days i will be wiring my eyes open just to stay awake.    Leggi altro

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    DEATH BED

    25 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I am woken at 3 in the morning. Mark has come home pissed and as he is climbing into bed on the top bunk, the whole bed collapses on top of me all the slats drop through and really hurt me. I am really annoyed and all Mark can do is laugh. I go down to the reception and the guy comes up to take a look, after 20 mins or so he declares he has fixed it, but as soon as Mark gets back into bed it collapses again. Mark goes this time and i fall back asleep. When i wake in the morning Mark is not there , but i enjoy the peace and quiet and sit on the rooftop writing my blog in the sunshine. Everbody has a lie in and join me on the terrace at 11ish. Sofie didnt get in till 6 and is feeling as bad as i did yesterday. We all agree that we shouldnt spend a day lounging around again so we book the horse riding for this afternoon, while Mark opts for doing a tour of the nunnery.
    The guy picks us up from reception and drives us to his small holding of sheep and horses. The horses are in an enclosure and we get the option of choosing which one we want. we are all laughing at who will get the one that looks like an old knacker. I get Ricky and we exit the yard onto a main road i am shocked at everybody beeping trying to scare the gringos of the horses. They are unsuccesful as im sure the horses are used to it by now, but things are about to get worse. We round the corner up a slight hill and as i lead my horse pulls back. The guy comes to the front and theni see that we have a huge cobbled hill to go down. Im not really comfortable with this as the horse is slipping and sliding down here , and Sofie has actually got off her horse. We head down to the bottom of the valley with trees slapping us in the face, and i cant believe that this path is used everyday, but weve paid now and i aint getting off. Meanwhile Sofie is still not happy, and the more she moans the funnier it seems to get bless her.
    Down in the valley we can hear a celebration going on and the sound of Elvis echos through the valley below , these really are surreal moments. We trek across the river and about a mile the other side winding back up the hill on the other side and come to stop so he horses can graze. We retrace our steps and our guide decides to take of in a canter an the other horses follow suit with Sofie screaming at the back tell him to stop. I cant even speak for laughing and i feel bad on Sofie, but i think the hangover is mainly to blame. We take a short path down and it leads us to the side of the river where we dismount and sit by the river with the snow capped mountains in the background. Hold on i feel a song coming on ........🎶The hills are alive with the sound of music.🎶 Really it is that beautiful. Sofie and Olivia swap horses and we head back up the path. At this point the guide says we can run if we want, and i think the horses are used to doing this as without any giidying up they start to trot. Sofie once again is fuming and at this point decides to dismount and let her horse go free narrowly missing getting hit by a car. As we make our way back up the cobbled ' mountain' Sohie follows behind on foot. we return back to the farm and wait around while he unsaddles the horses and returns them to their yard before putting his taxi hat back on and driving us back to the hostel. Mark didnt make it on the City tour, as he spent so long in the nunnery. We head out for food as we have a 3am bus to catch ( im supposed to be on holiday) and have the most amzing meal before packing and getting into bed x    Leggi altro

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    Hangover from Hell

    23 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I wake thiis morning with an axe in my head.im just a glutten for punishment. Its really strange , because on hangover days in the sun its really impossible to do anything. I drink plenty of water and head up to the rooftop for breakfast. The standard of bread and jam and coffee is offered for free , but there is an option of sausage bacon egg and tomato, and i feel for medicinal purposes this is a must. To be fair its pretty nice and i finish my plate in the hope it may soak up some alcohol. The morning is sent on the rooftop of the hostel with the most surreal panoramic views, it looks like someone has painted the background on. Snow capped mountains lye behind the crumbled buildings of the city. Im quite surprised at how hot it is here too, it feels good just to have my bone warmed after the coldness of the South.
    A little later in the afternoon we o out to get food, the Plaza here is so beautiful, i feel like i could be in Europe, the streets bustling with traditional clothed women is gone and replaced by everybody wearing typically normal clothes. We walk up the main street and it is literred with every kind of food that you can think of from burger king to guinea pig. With the hangover i opt for the food of home and delve into a combo meal although i must say the meal oesnt look half as big as the picture advertising it . Comfort food eaten i finish off with a Starbucks and sit in the plaza just people watching for a good hour. Back to the hostel and more chilling out on the terrace watching the sun set form our perfect rooftop view. I try a beer , but im really not feeling it and the hair of the dog isnt for me today. An early night it is again.    Leggi altro

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    Arequipa

    22 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    We have an early start again, the girls were supposed to leave last night, but are catching the bus with us today instead. We board the bus and tthe journey is due to take 6 hours, but well wait and see. Wegrab a coffee and board the bus that has definitely seen better days. As we leave Pucon, the bus doesnt seem to full, to a point where everybody could haave a seat to themselves. We drive just a hour out of the city and pull into a staton. The toilet on board isnt working so by the time we get there, there are people bursting for the loo. Its not until now i find out the wc is out of order and decide after my ciggie i wll myself. As i go towards the loos, the bus starts pulling out and i ask the driver what hes doing nd he says about going to the other side of the station. i spend my penny and exit through the opposite side of the station to see our bus driving off round the corner. We chase it down the street to find it parked round the corner loading loas off boxes on board an hoards of Peruvian women shouting at the top of their voices selling their various culinary wares . they kee shouting ' Trout ' and i feel deeply offended. After 20 minutes of waiting Its so funny because the Peruvian people ar really irratated at the fact we are sill here , stamping their feet and chanting VAMOS (lets go) in unison, like a bunch of football hooligans . Twenty minutes later and we are still sat there loading the bus to bursting point. A guy is pissing up against the wheel and the women are sill shouting up the stairs trying to sell their bloody trout. Eventually afetr an hour and three fags later we are on the road. We pull over to a road side stop on the way wher half the bus pile off to have a wee. There are only 3 toilets and luckily iam at the front of the queue while most of the bus cant wait an end up going in the field next door. I choose the option of being behid a door but as its my turn i enter the toilet to find to places to put my feet and a whle in the ground. I cant describe the smell but i definitely wished id opted for the field.
    Back on he bus and we have a new passenger in the form of a Ginseng Tea salesmen, who spends the next hour explaining how this tea will
    1. stop us getting cancer
    2. improve our sex life
    3. stop us being constipated
    4. impove ou blood circulation......................t
    I am actually surprised how many peopl e fall for this and are buying theses packets of capsues off this guy with his speaker around his neck and his book of pictures emphasising his point8. He knows better than to try and push this to the tourists on the bus as weve heard it all before and just makes the most out of the gullible locals. Three hours later and the bus stops at a checkpoint where we get off the bus to have a fag and end up being he first ones through the checkpoint and able to walk through with our cigarrettes.
    As we arrive into Arequipa it looks really dusty and like a huge industrial city but when you get into the centre it is absolutely lovely. When we arrive at the hostel there are a group of guys and girls playing table beer pong, which involves having 6 glasses with beer in the bottom and throwing the ping pong ball the length of the table trying to get it in your opponents glass . We got whooped and had to down all of our beer ...... and this was how the night started ...... it ended up with losing Mark going to look for him and me being the oldest person in the bar shaking a wicked hoof while Mark was tucked up in bed.... needless to say there will be a hangover in the mornng    Leggi altro

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    Orus Islands

    21 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We have booked a half day trip to the Orus islands today, but that isnt till 4 this afternoon so we decide to have a little wonder round town. Its still pretty cold here so we wrap up warm and head out. The breakfast in the hostel was pretty grim so our first stop is a little coffee shop just around the corner. They have loads of cakes here, and i think this must be quite a traditional thing here as you often see people walking round with these huge cake boxes. We eat a bit of brekkie and take a leisurely stroll to the main plaza. The cathedral here is pretty big, and the intricate carvings on the front are beautiful. As we enter the place is full of glass fronted huge boxes with religious saints enclosed. Once again im shocked by the wealth contained inside here and the overty that sits at its door in the form of beggars. From here we walk along various streets filled with shops offering photocopying services of all things. There are literally hundreds of them although this city does seem to have a much more business type feel, with men in suits and rushing about with portfolios under their arms. In the square just down the street is what we think is a few market stalls, but upon closer inspection we find that its to do with labarotary exploration. There is a sheep with 5 legs and another with a double head i take a picture but am quite keen to get away. We explore the market and once again the smell is overwhelming stall after stall of raw meat just lay out in the open air. certainly not for the weak stomach. We head back to the hostel and i have a little siesta while we wait to be picked up for our tour. The guide arrives promptly bundling us into a taxi whilst jumping in the boot, we arrive at the ferry port and board our boat. I dont know why but we always seem to get on the slowest boat there is . We arrive at the first island greeted by two women chanting camakhalli which is hello in their native language .
    The Orus islands are constructed soley of reeds and the President of the islands gives us a demonstration of how the floating islands are constructed with the layering of reeds. We have the opportunity to go inside the houses , which are filled with artisan wares and all her skirts hung up on the wall. She explains that the islands are totally dependant on the tourism trade and that she has 6 children, two of whom are married and two who go to the college in Puno, but the other two children sleep on the floor while they sleep in the double bed. The island has no electric, but has solar panels that supplys them with everything they need , although i dont think that can be much as all weve had is rain. Whe are offered a ride in the 'love boat' for an additional 10 soles , so we all board and enjoy our journey to the main floating island. This place is really set up for tourism, with a restaurant offering hot choclate and the opportunity to get your passport stamped. They explain that if anyone gets caught stealing on the island they are put in the water for 24 hours and it will be down to the gods whether its serious enough that they die. Thaer is an opportunity to stay for a night in the mini hotel they have here which is basically just a hut with a double bed in it, but seems quite romantic, but Mark is having none of it. As the sunsets the view is beautiful as the sun reflects on the water and we have a little Titanic moment as we sail back to Puno. On board is a young boy, who barely has a tooth in his head. We chat with him and he explains that he learns english in school , but quickly becomes annoying running up and down the upperdeck of the bus. We arrive back at Puno just after 6 and head to a local place for our dinner. The delicacy here is Guineu pig, but i opt for the safe option of soup and chicken before going to the local bakery to purchase my pudding of of a pear pastry which is delicious. Tummy full and a warm shower we cuddle up to watch a film.    Leggi altro

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    Back to the smoke

    21 aprile 2016, Perù ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We arrive back from the island and after getting a bite to eat head out to purchase our ticjets for the onward journey. After much bartering we manage to buy the tickets for 20 bolivianos each, the equivalent of £2 which is a good price seeing as they started at 40, and as we are walking away feeling very chuffed with ourselves, the woman calls us back to tell us there are no more seats on the bus. We go to another stall and its the same there, but the woman gives us an option of getting on a minibus. We have read that this is not neccasarily the best option, but its better than being stuck here for another night. We head to the border which is literally 10 mins up the road and get our luggage of the roof rack and enter the immigration office forming once again an orderly queue. There are signs everywhere saying silence, and the guy on the desk is definitely not happy in his job. Everybody else has a piece of paper saying with a visa on it, but we have never been given one so the police official gives us one to fill in and sends us to the back of the line like a naughty little school girl . Official papers filled in and we have officialy left Bolivia .I''m quite proud as im one of the only people weve spoken to who hasnt had food poisoning here, my stomach must be stronger than i think. We then have to walk across the border into Peru wher a couple of hundred metres down the road is the Immigration office. Once again in a queue we get stamped in and the guy here is even more miserable than the last one. Im so glad we have Olivia with us as my Spanish definitely isnt up to scratch here . We are put in a taxi for approximately 5 mins and then offloaded into a minibus full of Peruvians. We make our way along the coast and about half way into the journey we see the most horrific crash with a minibus and a lorry. It really makes you think how easy this can happen. The drivers here are lunatics and overtake in the most ridiculous places. We safely arrive in Puno a few hours later and although we havent booked into a hostel we have a couple in mind. Olivia asks the bus driver if he can take us to our hostel and he totally blanks her, so weve gone from a place where they totally lie to a place where they just dont answer you.
    We are dropped at the bus station and as we get off the bus there are loads of tuc tucs , complete with full disco lights and balloons. Its very apparent we have left the tranquility and are once again in a city , the hustle and bustle of the traffic and the whole feel makes me wish i could get straight back on a bus for Isla de Sol. We book into a matrimonial room as its only a quid more expensive than a dorm . We are pretty hungry so after unpacking and chilling a while we decide to go out and grab a bite to eat, plus the fact that we have no Peruvian soles we desperately need to find a bank. Its absolutely pouring and freezing cold so with 3 jumers and my raincoat on we set off. Just as we round the corner for the main plaza, there is Sophie looking like a lost sheep. We find a bank and head for the nearest restaurant. This strret is definitely touristy and although its 18 soles ( 3.50) for starters mains and pudding, im sure there is cheaper. We are shown to the back of the restaurant where a big log fire is burning and i go and stand by it to dry out. On the shelf is an ornament of and old couple and i pick it up to show the guys that its me and Mark, but in doing so everything else falls down with a clatter and as the restaurant workers come to see whats going on , I stand there innocently apologising. Back at the hostel there is a pamphlet advertising the various things the hostel hs to offer. and one of them is a hitter we all laugh and translate it to a heater which we both request as its bloody freezing. We retire to our rooms with our heaters full blast and sleep well .    Leggi altro

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    The South of The Island

    19 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    We rise early at its a beautiful day, Mark and I have massive argument over who gets the bathroom first, and it really is so petty, but sometimes you just wake up and take your grumpyness out on each other. I take a walk to the lakefront and calm down, and have a little chuckle as i hide behind the boat shed , and see Mark walking back and forth looking for me as I have the room key. After several cigarettes i decide to go back and make the peace. We go for breakfast and make a plan to walk to the South of the island. Olivia is feeling a little better today and has agreed to come with us , so seeing as she speaks fluent Spanish we go to the tourist office and enquire about a boat back from the South of the Island as its a good 9km walk there and pretty much uphill all the way back (or so weve been told). We are told the he 'thinks' there is a boat back at about 4 or 5, so off we set. We are all still struggling with the altitude and the initial climb up nearly kills us all, but the view from the top is astounding. As we walk along the coast line the views change constantly and the size of the lake just keeps growing.. The rawness of this island becomes so apparent as you walk these trails and the locals are herding their sheep or llamas or pigs and we stick out a mile as tourists. I sometimes feel like im invading their space as their is no internet here and there has only really been tourists to the island in the past 15 years but its very apparent that there is a lot of building work going on here and they are expecting a lot more. The guy whos hostel we are staying in says that he used to be a fisheman here , but the trout have got less and the tourists more so he decided to build a hostel 5 years ago. It took him 4 years to construct and this is his first year of trading. Im kind of pleased for him, but worry about how quickly this island of pefection could be ruined so easily. As we make our way around we are stopped buy a guy who sits on a rock and sells admission tickets to his village at the cost of £1.50 each , there is no other way around so we pay our way an descend down to the beach below. As we are walking along Sophie finds a skull bone, and a litlle bit further a jaw bone. We have no idea what they are from but we think maybe a sheep. Mark gets his swiss army knife out, and cuts out one of the teeth for her to kee rather than carrying the whole thing around. We take a cigarette break here and its just so peaceful i sit on the beach and take it all in having a quiet moment.
    Weve come down so theres only one thing for it we have to go back up ,there us a small sign saying it's only an hour and a half to the South with no rest, which is a bit of a joke when the first thing we encounter is a load of steps heading upwards. After numerous stops we are once again on a flat level and continue the journey South. We walk for another hour or so and as we round the mountain we beleve that the village must be on the other side but as we approach we are sadly dissapointed its not. I walk on ahead to check out if there is a trail, but when we relook at the minimilistic map we have we realise we must have taken a wrong turn, so back up the mountain pathe we trek. As we make our way back we see a couple of people on a trek that we cannot believe we saw, it s o obvious there might as well be a pavement. Once again we have to pay to trek into the village and we ask the Bolivian women if its all downhill now and they say yes. ALL BOLIVIAN PEOPLE LIE the next part is still uphill and there is a small girl with two llamas , when i go to take a photo she says i have to pay her 3 bolivianos. I bargain her down to 2 and take my pictures. A short whie later and we are in the upper part of Yumani . We meet up with a few people wed seen on the North of the island and they recommended the restaurant so we sat with the most magnificent view over looking the lake , probably one of the most magnificent views ive had eating a meal. After lunch we make the arduous journey down to the shore. The steps are so steep that i pray there is a boat that can take us back to the North. We have asked at the restaurant and they have told us there are only private boats that will cost us 200 bolivianos (£20) then when we ask a guy a bit further he tells us 250 bolivianos. By the time we reach the shore the price is 300 , but with a bit of bartaring we manage to hire a small fishing boat for 150. We board the boat by dangling of the edge of the prom and dropping in and the guy tops the outboard motor up with a 2 litre bottle of fuel, i hope its enough to get us there. Its really not too bad as the views that we get are far better than the ones we had in the cramped boat here with steamed up windows. We safely arrive to land , but money is running a bit dry as there are no cashpoints dinner has to be a couple of empanadas , and i am more than happy when freddy lights a fire to warm us up. Yet another storm brews and the lightning show is amazing i get into bed and can still see the lightning and hear the thunder before droing soundly off to sleep.    Leggi altro

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    The Island of Sun

    18 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We wake early in he morning as we have to check out and get breakfast , go to the cashpoint (isla de sol has none) and make the boat for 830. Its a tight squeeze but we just about manage it an board the boat which will take 2 and a half hours to reach there. We get on the boat and quite a few people take the upper deck, but its far too cold for that. Im really hoping the island lives upto its name. 20 minutes into the crossing and everyone from upstairs is now below deck and to say its cramed would be an unertstatement, and im very aware there are only five lifejackets, at least theyre sat right next to me . it seems to take forever to reach there but eventually we land on Isla De Sol. As soon as we arrive , the tranquility of the place immediately hits me and im overcome with happiness. There are no roads on the island and luckily as we disembark the boat there is a guy waiting with a board with our hostels name on it. He takes us to the hostel which is literally 3mins walk and i have arrived in paradise . Bolivia is totally land encased and we have arrived to the shore f the highest lake in the world with a beautiful sandy beach. At this moment it is all ours and there is not another sole in sight , until we have a few visitors in the form of a huge pig and her 6 piglets . They are so cute i really cant complain, and we sit watching them while waiting for Freddy our landlord to return from his other collection at the port. We settle ourselves into our room and head out to find our bearings. As we walk back to the port there is Olivia and Sophie sitting on the harbour wall. We head over to chat to them and Olivia is still really not well. So while Mark waits with Olivia , me and Sher oie hea off to find them a hostel. I ask Freddy if he has any spare rooms and he books them in for less than half the price we have paid, but thats just the way it gos when your travelling. We walk back and carry the girls rucksacks for them, and get Olivia tucked up in bed with some cocoa tea. We go to the museum and buy a ticket to go and see the other points of interest on the Northern side of the island. We are told that this is about a 20 minute walk, but that is definitely Bolivian time, because after 20 minutes we are not even at our first point. On the island they actually charge you for entering into the little villages , and actually have tickets printed off which are checked along the way. The community here are the Challaps ampa and as we wind our way around the path the children sell various artisan wares. The view as we walk around the trek s really something to behld and is a good half hour again before we get to the Mesa de Sacrificio. This is the sacrifice table that the incas used all those years ago, and stands proudly on the cliff edge. Directly opposite is the Scared rock and a itttle further is a group of ruins that all he rooms lead into one another with doorways so small even i have tqo crouch through them. The place is spellbinding and we sit for well over half an hour before thinking about making the trek back. Along the way we share the track with donkeys sheep pigs and chickens it really is like being in a different time zone. We arrive back tired and hungry , and go to the only restaurant on the island that is open. The speciality here is trout as the lake houses a huge trout farm, and it really is so fresh, and tastes delicious. Back at the hostel we spend nearly an hour trying to get a fire going , but the wood is so damp here it is nion impossible , i also think it is something to do wth the altitude . Shortly after conceding it starts to rain so im really glad we didnt manage to get it going as i would have been really dissapointed having to leave it for the rain. With our lake view Mark and i sit for a short while watching the incredible lightning before getting ourselves cosy in bed.Leggi altro

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    Snow

    17 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    So I wake in the morning and there is no need to have to convince mark about the weather last night as there is a covering of snow everywhere. It really is crazy the yesterday we were slapping on the suncream and today we are wrapped up in our winter woollies. The hostel we are in has no breakfast so we go to a place we've been recommended, when we arrive there the water is gushing through the ceiling so they aren't opening for an hour while they mop up, looking at the state of the place they won't be opening all day. We walk up the town and end up in the Thai restaurant to have our breakfast, the picture outside looks great but what we are served is nothing like the picture. We eat our breakfast while outside the kids are making Olaf. I honestly didn't think I would witness snow here. We eat breakfast and Mark has the idea of trekking upto the inca trail, I make it a quarter of the way up and have to turn around but Mark is insistent that he wants to carry on so I turn round and head back to the hostel. The internet is quite good this afternoon I spend a few hours catching up with my loved ones. We go back to the bar where we were this morning and they are open at last, . The sun is now beating down and as the snow is melting the streets are gushing with water, to a point where the drains look like there going to explode. As we sit and people watch it's mad how people arriving think that the ice has come from a ice machine. As we are walking along the street we meet up with various people we've met in the past few weeks as well as the two girls Sophie and Olivia from Denmark . We go and have a beer and some food with them and find they are going to the Isle of sol tomorrow the same as us. The irony of sitting here eating our food with a fire burning is quite crazy but special at the same time. Ther are 2 girls sat opposite who are topping up their own drinks with bring your own , another subtle reminder of home. We go back to the hostel and once agin watch and listen ss the storm closes in, I just hope that when we wake in the morning there isn't Snow again.Leggi altro

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    Leaving La Paaz

    16 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Once agin we pack our bags and even though I feel we're leaving to early I hope getting away from the smog of this big city will help my breathing they say you become aclimatised to the high altitude, but we have been high up now for a while and I don't feel any better. There is a taxi outside the hostel and we catch this to the bus terminal at the cemetary. There is a bus waiting that is almost full so we jump on here as they don't leave till they are full. The bus makes its way to El Alto which is where the wrestling was last night. It must be nearly an hour till we leave the city and the road is pretty perilous. We wind our way up and down mountain regions and eventually arrive in a place called San Pedro . Here we all have to get of the bus and whilst we go across the lake on a little boat the bus follows on a floating pontoon . We eat a pasty filled with potato and cheese and add additional mani (peanut) sauce which is really spicy, but rely good. After half an hour the bus arrives on the same side as us and we all board again for the short journey to Copacabana. As we round a bend on the top of the mountains a lorry has overturned and the army ar trying to pull it back from the edge with ropes, good luck with that. We make our way a little more slowly down the mountain and the view of the lake is wonderful. I am so ready for the tranquility of this place. Our hostel is right next to the lake and we have a full panoramic view from our window. I am in heaven after La Paz. . We take a stroll through the town and walk back to the cathedral which is definitely the most beautiful I've seen. The place is very touristy and there are stands all along the road trying to sell me a ticket out of her. I've only just got here and have no plans to leave just yet. We walk back to the waterfront and take a seat on the balcony above the bar. We only planned to stay for a beer but end up eating as the weather is so good and the the view so beautiful. I really feel like I've arrived in paradise. After dinner the plan is to go back to the hostel grab a shower and head back out but we end up just getting the shower and getting into bed. As Mark watches the telly I watch the electric storm brewing over the lake, the lightning is spectacular but there is no thunder. I watch mesmerised and it reminded me of the lightning over lake garda in Italy. I am awoken at 4 in the morning by the storm overhead and the dogs barking wildly, I once agin get up to the window to see it's hailing, I can't believe my eyes and I'm tempted to wake Mark to show him as he won't believe me in the morning, but I let him sleep and get back into bed myself.Leggi altro

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    Chalita Wrestling

    16 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We spend the early part of the day exploring more of the city there is so much to see but I'm really struggling with the altitude, every few steps I take I have to stop and take a breath, and I've had a headache for over a week, but a couple of paracetamol sorts me out, and I'm pretty sure it's just down to how high we are. I really don't want to take altitude sickness tablets , so good old paracetamol it is . We walk down the plaza and head up tomthe oldest partnof the city, stopping in the multiple museums on route. The first one we go to is really impressive and houses everything from the original elpaca materials datinng back as far as 1100 and showing how they were made and how natural materials were used to dye them also in here is almost a replica of the mask museum in sucre and an interesting area showing the changes in time of how the indigenous people were taken over by the Spanish. The museum is huge and house the history of Potosi here and how the coins were made and distributed . The last area is about the wildlife and they have replica sized birds hanging or standing in this huge room. I have to say I'm really impressed with this museum. We then head to Juan street where the remaining museums are , but first have to go to the top of this oldest street to buy our tickets. The is a lot of superstition in Bolivia especially, a lot of people call it witchcraft, but it's no different to people watching paronormal programmes back home. The first museum is a little strange, they have art sculptures downstairs and then the middle floor is filled with leg all built up, oh and some playbills, is this really museum material? The last part is small scale displays displaying various times gone by and fiesta , deaths and Crosses of class. The next museum is the museum of precious metals . This houses the gold and silver that have been found with excavations over the years and shows the jewellery that the inca would have been adorned with. The last museum is about a guy called Murillo who was in charge of the mines , but was later hung.
    Mark is keen to explore the witches market here so we make our way down town. The climb up the hill is a killer for me and I worry that someone will come out and start selling me potions, we take a slow walk through and I'm shocked to see the embryos and baby llamas tied up in full display. After a short time here we spot a place that is really busy with the locals so wait for a table to take lunch. Lunch here is soup and I have steak rice veg and salad for 1.50. Its nearly time for the game and there is a pub next door so we head in here and watch the amazing game. I celebrate the victory with a deep fried Mars bar and ice cream. Its now 5 and we have to be back at the hostel for 530 as we are off to the Cholita wrestling tonight. The taxi driver tries to take us around the city because the traffic is just rammed but it's just the same outside luckily I spot a road we had walked up and asked him to stop where we were it was going to be quicker to walk. By now it was 535 but the Bolivians aren't known for being pronto so within 5 mins were on a bus to the wrestling. It really was quite funny like wwf on a small scale but with not so petite bolivian girls throwing each other around. All the characteristics of smashing each other with milk crates and spitting water in each others faces. The referees getting involved and getting a beating from the women all in all hilarious.    Leggi altro

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    La Paz

    15 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We arrive early in the morning, and for he first time Mark and I have not prebooked a hostel. In hindsight this is maybe not a good idea, but we agree to follow a coule of uys off the bus who have one booked.Its about a 15minute walk from the station, but i have to say the altitude is still bothering me. We are at 3500m above sea level and the oxygen content is about 70%, so the slightest bit of exercise leaves me breathless. As we walk along the street its very appaent how much bigger this city is and the fumes here are also greater , hey certainly dont have emission testing here. When we arrive at the hostel there are no rooms, and even the guys that have prebooked are told that there reservation isnt confirmed. Luckily here is another hostel direcly opposite and whil i wait with he bags Mark goes over and gets us booked in. We have a double room(surprise surprise) but to be honest after the bus ride and the party hostel i am ready for a good nights sleep. We take a little wonder around the area surrounding the hostel. The Presidents residence dominates the plaza close to us and is drowned with military and body guards to a point we are asked to cross the street instead of walking in front. We make our way down to the centre taking a short walk round the market which is packed with stalls selling various wares from household items to flower stalls to fruit veg and meat stalls. The crazy part is that all the flower stalls are together , the same with the fruit etc etc , its a shock any of them make a living. We casually walk around the square taking in the huge Sebastian Cathedral, and somehow ending up in the English bar. We have a couple of games of pool and Mark thrashes me, a quick bite to eat and then more exploring of the city. The place is so big and the traffic situation is crazy, I've nearly been runover 3 times and we've only been here a few hours. Mark lost his knee support so for a couple of hours we go into every chemist looking for one, but to no avail, then luckily I spot a sports shop selling trophies etc and asked in there, Mark now has support again and I'm glad because he's really struggled this past few weeks. We head back to the hostel and share a few beers when outside I hear a commotion as I go to the entrance a girl is out cold lying in the entrance of the hostel, I grab a pillow, and ask for a glass of water, I'm pretty scared as her eyes are irratic beneath her eyelids and she is out cold for a good 4 mins or so, then she wakes up and isn't even aware what happened, I take her into the hostel and sit her down, apparently she has had these quite regularly back home but they can't find anything wrong, but I insist she needs to go back to her doctor when she gets back to Switzerland. Mummying duties done for the day and Mark not even noticed me missing I head back, finish off my beer and retire to bed.Leggi altro

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    City Tour.

    15 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We have managed to get ourselves roped into doing a city tour, in a way im glad as we will leave tonight and I'm interested in the history of the city. A lot of people think La Paz is the capital of Bolivia, but Sucre still holds that status even though the Government is based in La Paz. This is definitely the prettiest city we have been in Bolivia and has an amazing charm about it. We start the tour at bone street which used to be a graveyard but was given back to the city.as a street, apparently one night two drunk men were walking along here and a ghost appeared one of them fell over and the other ran off, the one who fell over was never seen again so they buried bones in the street to ward away the spirits these were replaced about ten years ago with animal bones, a little walk took us to the oldest colonial buildings in the city. There are still quite a lot of houses constructed f adobe and as ucre has a Unicef world heritage site which means that all buildings have to be replaced with the same form and characteristics and no new buildings can be constructed. The bars on the windows aren't there to protect from burglaries they are to stop the boyfriends getting in . We then walk to the top of the city where we get a panoramic view from the original square. The next stop is cat streets where when the men went to war the women had cats to keep them company and they bread that fast that they overtook the streets but we're so aggressive that they actually made walkway either side so the cats would stay in the middle and not attack the people. The fist ever church is our next stop and then down to the main square where the various museums and houses of folkore surround it. As we are in the square we hear a band and before long the streets are full of people dressed in fancy dress childrns outfits. Today is national childrens day in Bolivia and my do they go all out.Its so nice to see the kids so happy. We walk own to the main courts of justice and when we go in there are boxes of files stacked high, its a woner anyone gets a fair trial here. Opposite is a big park with a replica of the Eiffel tower in, (well sort of ) and a little boaing lake. We finish the tour with a visit to the biggest hosital in the country, which actually takes up a whole block. I have to say the tour wasnt as good as i expected and we havent visited any of the museums, but we still have time but first must get our tickets booked for tonights bus. We get a taxi to the bus station as its a good 3km from town and when we arive we have a good haggle between he various companies and manage to get our tickets for just over 7 quid. W ctch a local bus back totown and go straight to the museums. I have to say the mask museum was my favourite with various masks from around the regions some in the dark which actually scared me. This museum also housed an area of art, of famous women and men in history that had made changes to various vunerable people. A really thought provoking display, but very cleverly done. Back to the hostel with just enough time to make a few calls to the fambo before heading to the ststion to catch our night bus . On the bus i try my best to sleep but the driver is driving like a luntic, and im aware of how many deaths theyre have been on this road , i must have drifted off as a 2 in the morning the whole bus is woken forr a pitstop, and seeing as the toilet isnt working on board its a welcome relief. Back on the bus and the road ahead sems to be more straight and i nod of again.Leggi altro

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    Seven Waterfalls

    11 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    We get up and have breakfast and were heading out to Waterfalls today. Its so easy to just do nothing on days like this but we only have today and tomorrow to finish off our sightseeing of this beautiful city. We were going to do the city tour but a lot of the places are closed on Monday as well so we agree we'll do this tomorrow. We catch a bus down at the plaza and after 10 minutes on the bus realise were on the wrong one. Luckily as we get off the bus we actually need to catch is just about to leave so we hop off one straight onto another and at last we're heading in the right direction. A lady gets onto the bus with her child in a sling on her back and he's carrying the biggest pack of multiple bags of snacks they take up more of the seat than me. Thankfully she doesn't stay on the bus long, and I'm once again free to breath. We continue up the road that leads us out of the city and it's amazing how big the city actually is the further we travel up the mountain. The bus ride takes about 40 minutes and ours is the last stop. We get of the bus and I ask which way to the waterfalls and the guy points us to a dirt track. We walk along and it takes us through a little village where the electricity line is held up by a stick and held together tied with plastic bags. Sasha spots some new born pups housed up in a couple of breeze blocks and after an affectionate 5 mins cooing we continue with our search. There is a small shop on the corner and the guy points towards the valley and tells us we need to head over the river. We trek down the hill and eventually reach the dry river. As we get there, there are two people sat under a tree, and then out of the corner of my eye I see two bulls and guess what I'm wearing a bright pink jumper, but I guess they can tell the difference between red and pink. The two people tell us to follow the river , which is really dry and we start to follow the river in the wrong direction, luckily he shouted for us to take the other path and once again we're on the right road. We trek along the river for another half hour, climbing rocks and mountaineering up rock faces until finally we reach the 5th waterfall. I am knackered and me and Mark decide to just stay here for a while to recuperate. The other guy's head off for the other waterfalls. Whilst we are waiting a guide comes up with two Americans and while we chat with him he tells us that a few years ago robberies were rife here and that police had dressed as tourists and shot one of the robbers dead. That is why there is a police station at the top off the hill now. With this in mind we decide to follow the other guys over the rock face , but I can honestly say that I'm glad we do, even though it's pretty hard going. The 6th waterfall is so pretty and the water is bright turquoise but a lot colder than it looks and I choose not to go in. Some of the guys decide to climb a lot higher and jump from the top into the water below. We spend some time here before trekking back. We take a slightly different route back and it's amazing how different the river looks from a higher position. Up the mountain we have to stop several times, how are we ever going to do Machu picchu? The bus is waiting for us at the top and we hop on back to the central market.We get off the bus as the traffic is bedlam, after a good 20 min uphill walk we are back at the hostel, and I am ready for a lie down. The hostel is a real party hostel and to be honest I need a good nights sleep. Mark and I pop out to the Thai place again and then back to the hostel for bed. Mark can sleep through anything but all night there are two argentinians in and out of the room and the noise is horrific. I eventually drift off to sleep at about 4am who's going to be a grumpy botch in the morning.Leggi altro

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    Money Money Money

    10 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    I wake early in the morning and go out to the street to have a quick cigarette , and the city is already bustling with people going about their business. I really like the feel of this place and would like to spend a little longer here, a lot of people said that Bolivians weren't that friendly, but I just think they are more private than other places we have travelled to. Mark gets up a short while later and we head out to expore the city. Our first stop is the house of money,The real name is the “Museo Casa de la Moneda” and it was originally built in the 1570’s and rebuilt in the 1800’s. It was the original Spanish Colonial Mint and today acts as a museum showcasing how the money was created back in the day as well as showcasing some local history.
    Basically there were something like 25 active mines during the few hundred years of Spanish Colonial times and the biggest one was Potosi Mountain aka Cerro Rico aka “Rich Mountain”. As a result, the money for Spain was being created here at the source and shipped overseas.Supposedly somewhere between 4 and 6 million local indigenous people died during the era as they were working the mines. They would be paid one of the smallest coins for 36 hours of labor inside a mine, it’s mind boggling when you think about it and a mule would cost 8 of those coins. The first coins were really primitive and made with some vices and a hammer and as time went on, so did the technology used.They would have mules spinning the turbine of sorts that would power four machines 24 hours a day. Each machine had an indigenous person operating them. The labor was intense on the mules and they would die every few months and supposedly the floors were covered in blood from the harnesses; an eerie place to say the least. Also intense was the safety gear the workers used to wear in the mines if you want to call it safety gear…As I'm taking photos in here I hear one of the guards speak with our guide to say the Chica hasn't paid to take photos, so I hastily put my camera away.
    PTSI the initial of Potosi are used as most of the world's money denominations eg. $€£ , the money was shipped all over the world via huge galleons. Last year a galleon was found of the coast of Columbians and is said to have contained $17 billion of gold and silver.
    The way the coins were manufactured over the years changed, but there were always elements of danger involved in the working of the machinery. Slaves were shipped in, but the amount of people that died meant that the locals of Potosi, ended up having to work in the mine many of them losing their lives, or limbs.
    The tour is really interesting and thought provoking and once again highlights how rich Bolivia was, and how many people just robbed them .
    Back at the hostel we have a taxi booked for 3pm to take us to Sucre .. a taxi is only £5 each for the 2 hour journey and the journey takes twice the time on the bus so it's definitely the better option for us. We arriive just after 5 and were greeted in the bar by the gang we were with in Casa blancas so it's like a reunion. Tonight is party night and for the first time since Brazil I decide to have a few drinks and a few more. I end up on the jaeger bombs and get absolutely sloshed. They have a club here and I attempt shaking a wicked hoof, but after a short time I realise the only option for me is bed.    Leggi altro

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    Hi Ho Hi Ho

    8 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    I woke at 6 this morning and just sat downstairs trying to be really quite catching up on my blog. We have a tour to the mine booked today and the feedback in the hostel is thatits quite dangerous but what would life be without a bit of risk . Antonio collects us from the hostel at 9ish and we all board the bus to collect our safety gear. This consists of wellies, a rain coat and matching trousers and a headlamp. While we are all getting kitted out Antonio has us dancing to YMCA with a fake stick of dynamite and a hammer, we really are a show. We board the bus again and we arrive at the warehouse , which really is a little corner shop. Antonio is a real character and cracks a joke that this is a terrorist shop as its the only place in the world you can buy dynamite. Yes you heard right we have the option of buying a stick of dynamite for 2.50 this idea scares the shit out of me. can you imagine if someone irresponsible got hold of this, it could blow your hand off. We all decide not to buy the dynamite and leave this part to the proffesionals . We are told to buy the miners a gift and we all chip in to a kitty to buy a bag of goodies . The other things you can buy here are cigarettes made with cocoa leaves cinnamon and orange and cocoa leaves , 98% alcohol and bicarb that you can use to help the taste of chewing the cocoa leaves as they really dont taste that great. Once wed all bought our goodies it was time to head to the mine. Antonio constantly cracked jokes and did help the feeling of anticipation that i felt. He was actually a miner from the age of 14 and the average life expectancy of a miner is 35, this is due to the inhalation of dust and the conditions these young kids are expected to work in is really ridiculous. Upto 2500 people work on the mine 500 of them being in the tunnels underground. The average miner earns 120 Bolivianos a day but the further underground you work the more you get paid up to 200 bolivianos per day, but honestly I will never complain about working again.
    As we enter the mine I am shocked at how narrow the passages are. We trek through various tunnels as Antonio explains more about the working conditions in the mine and how they pay 5% to the lawyers 5% to the hospitals 5% to the families who've lost someone and 5% to the government for the gas, oso even in Bolivia they pay 20% in taxes. The tunnels are so narrow and low that at some points we actually have to crawl through . We reach the first god of the mine and they give an offering of cocoa leaves and alcohol and a cigarette , well two of everything actually one for the padga mamma and macho mama, these are the gods of the mine who they are thankful too and give offerings to keep them safe. As we veture through the mine there are several of these figures and we stop on numerous occasions to make our offerings as we climb rickety ladders . We are underground a good 2 an a half hors and already ive had enough. These poor guys who work here day in day out must get up in the morning and think oh god have i really got to do this all over again. Our last offering is to the Diablo , the picture says it all the idea of the huge manhoo is for good fertility , god help anyone that has to endure that. As we make our way back we are given the option to descend a stage further, but i opt out and as we stand at the side of the track a cart comes hurtling through, this is how the minerals are transported through the mine. This place is so dangerous cos as we all follow antonio out i hear another cart coming and we all dive to the side of the track to let it past. Eventually we make our way out and ive never been so glad to see sunlight. There ar two children outside the man and i offer them both one of my wafers they both take them hastily and i dont like making assumptionsbut i would say that they have lost the father to the mine as the mother is also working outside. Its strange how children have a way of communicating even without speaking but the sorrow in that small childs eyes will live with me for a long time. Her brother is around all the rest of the group trying to sell rocks out of his very neatly organised box of minerals and as i try to take a hoto of the young girl she pulls her hat down over her eyes . I leave the mine with a heavy heart and although it has been an experience it has also been a massive eye opener. We return to the yard to get undressd and were dropped of directly at the hostel . After a quick washe we all go out for lunch together to a place that is really popular with the tourists and with there being a group of nine we have to wait to sit down. We order the lunchtime special which consists of soup, steak egg chips and salad and a drink, all for £1.50 . We then head to the market as i will cook chicken satay for us all tonight. The market is huge and sread over several floors with fruit, veg , meat electrical stuff clothes, actually anything you could want including viagra and cocoa leaves. Back to the hostel and a shower is in order i can feel the dust from the mine drying my skin out like leather. Everyone helps out with dinner and we have a feast . I go to bed thinking about the small girl.    Leggi altro

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    Moving On

    6 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    So yet again we are packing our bags and moving on to pastures new. We don't have to be out of the hostel till 11. We were woken at 6 this morning with what I can only describe as a world war siren, and a short while later with bells ringing. We drifted back off, but literally opposite the hostel is a building site. They start early here and then finish for their siesta. We have already bought our tickets for the bus and head towards the shop to drop of our luggage so we can have our last feww hours exloring Uyuni ... the shop is closed and there is no way we can walk about in this heat with our backpacks after half an hour I spot the lady in the shop and run over to ask her if we can leave our bags and she tells us that the bus is no longer leaving at 1.30 so I ask her for a refund and she kindly obliges and luckily we manage to book a different bus that will leave at 1pm so we drop our bags and go for our stroll. Its crazy that in this place there is a prison as well as an airport. The Dakar rally takes place here and I honestly believe that's the only reason why they have it as I can't see some of the people who attend doing the journey we have just done. Theyre are very strange statues throughout the town that have an affiliation with witchcraft as well as the asscociation with trains. The train system was a big factor in uyuni because it was how they transported the minerals from Chile to Bolivia but obviously with the restrictions that are in place is the reason why they now have a train cemetery. We return to the place where we will catch the bus and board shortly afterwards. The bus isnt quite the luxury we have been accustomed to but it has wheels and im sure it will get us there , however after an hour it becomes apparent that the seats are a lot smaller and it is really cramped, this is going to be a long 3 hr journey. We travel through random countryside and for the first time in a long time i witness a thunderstorm which doesnt seem right in the current landscape. The bus driver keeps randomly beeping his horn and i soon realise it is to get the llamas off the road. As we drive through the landscape the different coloured volcanoes and mountains make for quite a sight but the amount of rubbish caught between the prickly plants is unbelievable, they have bin wagons here, but where the rubbish is dumped is questionable. After 4 long hours we arrive in Potosi and im shocked at how big it is. There are lots of narrow winding streets all on slopes and we are currently at 4000metres above sea level which is causing me a few problems with the altitude, but nothing to worry about. They have a natural remedy here of either chewing cocoa leaves or making tea with them . The concern here is that most of the people barely have a tooth in there head, i suppose the same effect as when you sniff a lot! We share a taxi from the station with the Brazilian guys that we met in the ticket office and arrive to our hostel, they have nor booked in advance and when they arrive they're is no room in the inn so we say our goodbyes and get checked in. The hostel is impressive and also has a kitchen which is unusual I Bolivia. As soon as we arrive there is a guy in reception offering the mining tour, and there is quite a lot of mixed feeling about this as it's renounced for being dangerous, but hey ho we both book onto the tour.
    We order a large beer and while Mark finishes off the bottle I go to the supermarket to buy the essentials. We will have spicy noodles tonight and all the ingredients are available including really hot chillies. As I'm preparing dinner we can hear lots of music outside and when I go out there are young boys in a parade playing all types of musical instruments in a procession through the street , this is followed by really impressive fireworks. We think this is the only one but various bands follow suit and all evening various processions pass through the street followed by fireworks. The scary part is some of the fireworks are hand held and they're seems no problem with this even with the amount of people around. We head to bed just after 11 and even though the jovalitys are still going on I fall asleep instantly.    Leggi altro

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    Salt Flats

    6 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Dennis is on time in the morning, and once again wrapped up warmly we make our way to pick up Lisa and Yan. Lisa has been a god send as not only does she speak fluent english, her Spanish is also perfect, and although i understand a little she understands everything and manages t get us a few extras thrown in on todays trip. We stop at Denniss mums to collect breakfast and lunch and then make our way to the flats. How he knows where he is driving is something to respect as it all just looks the same and even the tyre marks are no clue as there are hundreds of them . He stops in a place and Mark with his hiking boots gets out. There is quite a lot of water surrounding us only about 2 inchs but with how cold i am already i certainly dont want wet feet. Dennis gets out a couple of stools and tredding on the raised salt platforms we manage to get out to take some photos of the sun rising over the mountain range. The sun's reflection on the salt is stunning and we head back into the truck to drive to the salt hotel on route we see little mountains of salt, and these are made by the villages to dry out and use for table salt. We arrive at the hotel and take our breakfast , and ake a small walk around the hotel built ut of salt that has every flag outside but not the unioin jack. Next stop was the isla which is an island in the middle of the salt plain that is filled with cactus, i thought this was going to be really touristy as when we pulled up there were about 2other 4x4s here , but Dennis had timed it perfectly and as we got out everyone else seemed to leave so we had the island to ourselves. The cactus on here were huge and towered above us and when we reache dthe top the viiew was truly amazing. The island was formed by a sub terrainial volcano many years ago and its amazing that any form of life can actually live on here, but it obviously works somehow and really is a jewel in the crown . The accent to the top once again takes my breath away and we are currently at four thousand metres above sea level , any type of physical exursion really takes its toll, and i am glad when we finish our photo opportunities and make our way down. All public toilets here charge you to use them and issue you with a small piece of toilet paper that cant be flushed down the toiet as their systems cant handle it. The next stop is the volcanoe and we drive along a small dirt track that leads off the salt flat and into a little village that we buy the tickets for entry to. Just under the volcanoes summit is a cave filled with skeletorial mummies froom the 12th century.Its really quite spooky , AND AS WE ENTER THE CAVE IS A SMALL BOLIVIAN MAN WHO TELL US ABOUT THE MOTHER AND CHILD SACRIFICIAL MUMMIES THAT WE SEE WHEN HE SHINES HIS TORCH ON THEM. tHERE ARE ALSO MUMMIFICATIONS OF vacones a small version of the llama family. We only spend a smal amount of time here as staning here looking at the remains of kids who have been sacrificed doesnt tick any boxes for me. We drive back down the hill and out of the village to a central area on the salt flat and make our pitch for lunch. There is someting quite irronic about sitting on a plastic stool in the middle of this sea of salt eating a t bone steak with a volcan behind us and Mark and i just sit back and take it all in. After dinner is the imaginitive photo shoot and the photos will tell this story for themselves, but Dennis is an absolute god send at giving us ideas and setting them up. The obligatory posing done we drive back across the salts and dennis stops to show us the hole that have been made to obtain pieces of salt crytiliization , i get a bit nervous because when i put my hand into the whole there is water underneath, but Dennis assures me there is nothing to worry about and its back in the jeep to drive to the small village sellng artisan bits and pieces . I have no intention of buying anything, but when i see hat similar to the one i have given to Suiali back in Brasil and find its only 3.50 i make my purchase. Our last stop is tthe train cemetary and to be honest isnt really what i was expecting so a few snapshots and were out of there . Lisa and Jan are heading back to spend a night inVilla de Mar befor there onward journey, so we say our goodbyes and can honestly say its been a pleasure spending the past couple of days with them . They have recommended the pizza in their hostel so mark and i spec our tickets for tomorrows journey and head there for our tea. Wow it has to be one of the best pizzas we have eaten and certainly the best in South America and we wash it down with a bottle of homemade lemonade . Full to the brim its another early night, well we do have a double, and that doesnt happen often so lets say we finish the day making hay while the sun shines.Leggi altro

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    Crossing the Border

    5 aprile 2016, Cile ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    The transpit picks us up at 7 in the morning and we are sharing the minibus with 2 guys from Chile a German and two French. We literally drive for 5 ins before we stop at the border, We are one of the fist buses here and join the line to get our outbound stamp for Chile. Chile has been a really fantastic place even though its been quite short lived, the place has so many beautiful and original things to see as well as the most amazing place to see thesky at night, When i first got on the bus i thought everyone was Chilean and was worried that the conversation on this very long trip was going to be minimal, but i guess that was just with it being so early, beacause as soon as we got to passport control the 2 chilean guys were really chatty. W e arrive at the border and the woman insists that we should have a visa, but im really sure we dont need one, unless things have changed in the past 12 months, im beginning to panic when the guard calls me forward and questions why my passport leaving Chile was stamped with yesterdays date . He stands us to one side and it soon becomes apparent that everybodys passport is the same and the guard at the Chilean border hasnt updated his stamp.
    Breafast is prepared and me and the chilean guys go and have our last cigarette and picture taken in Chile before tucking into ... the usual cheese ham and marmalade with bread and coffee and cake to follow. As we eat our rucksacks are loaded onto the 4x4 and covered with tarpaulin, but there is some confusion a little while later when we are told we are being moved to another 4x4 and when i ask why there is no answer. We are now on a different vehicle and say goodbye to our short lived Chilean friends after exchanging facebook accounts. It is then explained that the other 4x4 was doing a 3 day tour and because we were going direct was the reason why we were now teamed with Lisa and Jan, 2 germans who were lovely.
    I was absolutely desperate for the toilet and when i asked where the toilets were i was pointed to a building ...oh no the toilets werent in there it was where i had to piss behind. There were over 100 people stood around but needs must and i let nature take its course . We boarded our truck having transferred our luggage over and we were off on the very bumpy sandy track to Uyuni. We made several stops along the way with the first being for a toilet break and because we had no Bolivianos we had to pay a ound to use them. The truck also took us through the national park which you have to buy yor ticket for 150 bolivianos each. We had no Bolivianos so had to take a terrible exchange rate , but managed to get rid of our Chillean pesos that we wouldnt be usin anymore so job done and we were back on the road. The journey was quite intense as we were thrown around in the back and the higher we got the more the altitude started to affect me . We then stopped at a small village called Villa de Mar which was beautiful, Bolivian women in there traditional dress of puffball skirts and all with two long plaits topped with straw bowler hats. There are llamas in the fields and it really is a lovely place . We are called into a house where i think were going to be shown around and are pleasantly surprised to find lunch laid out for us consisting of rice tuna salad and jelly for afters . On the top of the 4x4s are tanks of fuel where they take a hose out and just top up the tank, not thesafest way to travel, especially all the bumping around that has to be done, once everything is topped up we are back on the road. We were offered another stop at a place called San Christobel, but we all made the choice wed rather just get there and 4 hrs later we arrived in Uyuni . On the entrance to the town is a prison which would make sense as you wouldnt get very far if you escaped. On route we have made enquirys about doing a trip to the salts tomorrow and have agreed a good price with Dennis our driver who will give us a private tour at sunset. We say our goobyes and arrange to meet at 5 in the morning. When we check into the hotel we are on the second floor and when we get to our room i can barely catch my breath, the oxygen percentage is 40 percent less here an the effects are apparent immediately. After a short rest we take a walk into the square and grab a bite to eat. I have the tortillas and Mark has llama steak and we are both happily fulfilled with delicious food and more than ready for an early night.    Leggi altro

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    The Geysers

    5 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We wake at 4 to get a quick shower and prepare for the transport that will pick us up at 430. We have been warned about the cold so have wrapped up in loads of layers , including hats and gloves .The bus is on time ish and we board as we drive around the various hostels picking the remaining passengers up. Its quite funny because when we get to one of the hostels the people arent waiting and the driver shouts at the top of his voice " phillipe" its only 5 oclock in the morning and im surprised that he hasnt woken up half the town . The idea is that we will be there for sunset and as we leave town and the light , the night sky lights u. The stars are once again so impressive and we travel along on the bus for nearly an hour with my face stuck to the window just watching them. As we make our way up the hill the bus comes to an abrupt stop and the 2 guys get off. They use their phone as a torch and then are back on the bus rooting through atool box( im actually surprised they have one) taking various tools out and within 20 minutes or so we ar back on the road. As we continue we can slowly see the sky begin to light up with the sun but it is still behind the mountains so im sure it will be ok. We pull into the National Park and its time for a toilet break, as we get off the bus it is absolutely freezing and one of the guys says his phone is showing -4 . As we look across the car park there is actually a guy in shorts but it is very apparent he is regretting it.Everyone back on the bus and the short journey is made to the site , we can actually see them from afar but we head towards them and i am shocked at how large a site it is. The guide tells us it is the 3rd largest geyser site in the world and gives us a full explanation of how thermal activity below ground hits an underground water source if the temperature of he lava is right and the water has eroded enough rock the ash water and lava charge together and find the weakest spot forcing itself upwards penetrating the surface with its hot water and sulphur gases. The site is about 3and a half miles and the varying sizes of geysers and heights they go to are magigal, surrounded in the steam the make with it being so cold. As the sun rises over the mountains the change in temperature is instant and we all stand eating the breakfast the guides have prepared , warming our bodys in the process. I have never been so glad for a cup of hot coffee(even if it is with instant milk). Once we are all warmed we drive a short distance to the thermal spring pool, but Mark and i opt not to go in as even though it is warmer it is still cool and getting out of a hot spring into the fresh air is an option wed prefer not to do today . The next stop is a small village where we get to try Llama kebabs and meet the real people who live here , who have ascended from eru where they used to collect the taxes so had to find a hiding place, because as you can imagine they werent very popular. The village is very small and packed with various tour buses vying for there next sale of the overpriced animal on a stick. Our guide walks us to the outskirts of the village where we get to see the houses and animals as well as the fresh water streams and the bus picks us up from here to take the hours journey back to San Pedro. The early morning has written us off and we opt for a quiet afternoon chilling at the hostel and once again bumping into our old Malaysian friend AAron. We all sit and chat and we are all leaving in the morning to head to Bolivia so after a few beers and some hot dogs we retire to bed .Leggi altro

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    oSan Pedro de Atacama

    4 aprile 2016, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Wearrive in San Pedro at 9 in teh morning , and we ar now totally in the dessert , everywhere is covered in dust and its not what i expected , but then again i dont acually know what i was execting. We walk to the hostel which is only 15 minutes or so , but already at this time it is absolutely baking. We will certainly be slapping on the suncream here . The hostel seems pretty good, and everyone is really friendly. Sometimes when the hostels are really large like the one in Santiago people seem to keep themeselves to themselves more . We have decided to get down to the plaza after having a shower, and getting a trip booked for today as well as looking at how we are getting out of here. The irony of planning your exit as soon as you get to somewhere is quite strange but really is a necessity . The town is packed again with tour operators all vying for your business, but the advice is to shop around , and its quite shocking at the difference in the prices . After much heckling we manage to get a package deal of the Valley de Lunar , The geysers and our transfer all booked in one go. The bus leaves at 4 tonight, so we have a couple of hours exploring thhe little town as well as putting in some washing . All the buildings are made of cactus wood and adobe , and the roofs out of cactus and llama bladder to hold it all together, The city was founded in 1540 and not a lot has changed since then apart from the doors and the windows. The old church still stands proud in the centre of the town surrounde by its red brick walls and just opposite is an artisan market selling wares from knitted jumpers , wooly hats and sunglasses as well as the local trinkets like ens with little hand knitted llamas on and the infamous cocoa leaves. We purchase some sunglasses as tthey are a necessity here , the sun is so stron and i havent had any since mine blew in the lake at Fitz Roy. We go back to the hostel to drop our bits and pieces off before walking back to town to sit in the square and have a rereshing drink. There are 2 guys playing folk music and tit reallly is so tranquil just sitting here and people watching before going to wait for the bus to moon valley. Th bus picks us up promtly and we head out with a private tour which is a group of Germans so the guide speaks in English for the whole trip . Th e scenery is yet again breathtaking and as we climb to our first viewing point i realise its not a good idea to wear flip flops, we have the opportunity to take a few photos before continuing up the rocky path, just before we rech th summit my flip flop has a blow out , but luckily i manage to repair it, but the havianas are in desperate need of replacement and will be one of my first buys in Bolivia. Sumit reached, flip flop mended and selfies taken we make our way down to the valley. The area is surrounded by volcanoes, Snow capped moutainds and beautiful red rocks, and the contrasting colours are beyon belief. It is a small ride in the bus to the mirador wher we will watch the sun set and we are all handed pisco sours to sip as the sun sets. There is]== rock here called coyote rock which is said to be the rock where the coyote stands to drop his rock on the roadrunner. Mark and I queue for our photos and then head to watch the sunset over the valley. The colours as the sun goes down changes through the spectrum of the rainbow and as im watching a small puff of smoke hangs over the volcanoe in front making it look like its blowing smoke rings . The sunsets so quickly and its back to the bus for the journey back. When the sun goes the temperature drops dramatically and its jumpers on to walk back to the hostal . We have a quick dinner and head to bed as we have a 4am start in the morning but ther is little chance of us getting any sleep as there is a dj in town tonight and a party is being had right outside our window , i eventually drop off just after 12.Leggi altro

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