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Round-the-south

February - July 2017
A 145-day adventure by Sara Read more
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  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 62

    Dragoman D16 Salt flats

    April 21, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Loaded into 4x4 at 10 o clock we started towards the salt flats. The landscspe slowly turned from rocky mud to crystal white salt in all directions. The mountains on the horizon appeared to float above the salt, and other 4x4 could be seen as little flecks zooming across the salt.

    Stopping at an island called Inca's house, it was covered in cacti meters tall that clung to an old coral outcrop. We were served lunch of chicken, rice, pasta and potatoes. They love carbs here! To work off the calories we went exploring up to the top of the island and came back down through caves. At the bottom Faye was struggling. She's been badly affected by altitude sickness and walking even a few steps affects her. The guides advise hospital every day but so far she's declined. She's missed out on a lot.

    Next stop was the middle of nowhere so that we could take perspective photos. Trickier than it looks, but a lot of fun! We continued on to the salt hotel which had hundreds of flags outside from every nationality. I wished I had a spare Welsh flag to tie up. On the edge of the salt flats we then waited for sunset which was a fiery orange.

    Back in Uyuni we set out for street food and ended up in a small place that was full of locals. We had llama steak with rice and chips and a large bottle of coke. It cost us £1.70, the cheap prices have arrived at last! Grabbing some popcorn on the way back were chilling in the hotel foyer when a couple we met in Pucon recognised us and we had a lovely chat. I wonder who else we will meet before Lima!    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 63

    Drago D17+18 Potosi and parades

    April 22, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    After a lesiurely start we all bundled into Mamasita for a 5 hour journey up to Potosi, one of the highest towns in the world. The road passed through hills, sandunes, riverbeds and hundreds of llamas. In one photo stop the llamas came down from the hills to curiously survey us. Finding that we didn't have food they continued on, passing only meters away. Stopping for lunch we baked in the sun by mamasita. It was so quiet, not a peep. That soon changed as we got into Potosi.

    A large town it clings to the sides of a mountain in a polluted fog. Famous for its dangerous silver mining it is also a Unesco heritage site. David wove Mamasita through the chaotic traffic and steep streets lined with market stalls. Dumping our stuff in the hotel we ventured towards the old town. Here the streets are full of pretty colourful old buildings, with galleys hanging over the streets. We passed the Bolivian mint and some pretty churches before stopping for some good coffee in the square.

    Returning through the indoor markets we passed a row of women in a stupor selling coca leaves from massive white bags. Passing the heaped fruit and veg isles into the meat section where a butcher was chopping up a carcas on the floor with dog fighting over the scraps. Outside in a square they were selling llama heart with potaoes as a snack.

    As night fell the old buildings were lit up and in the central square teenagers were practising their breakdancing moves. We had supper in El Tenedor a lovely restaraunt where Lou, Sheila and John joined the usuall 4 of us for some traditional Bolivian food. I had a dish with fried potatoes, chorizo, meat with chili coveres in a spicy sauce. Delicious, especially with reserva wine!

    Next day was a long drive with a quick panicked pit stop for lunch. Arriving into La Paz though was an amazing experience. As we came to an edge of a valley below La Paz sits in a bowl with redbrick buildings reaching high in every direction. In the background lay massive snowy peaks towering over the landscape. We wove down into the valley down busy steep streets.

    As we took a corner we could see a procession had taken over the street below us. As the smaller cars ahead reversed, due to Mamasita's size we had no choice but to continue on and become part of the parade! In front of us was a marching band and to thensides locals laughed and welcomed us to Bolivia and la Paz. They handed beer up to the truck and we enjoyed a good few minutes partying down the road.

    On a high after getting to the hotel we went out for mexican food but couldn't find any lively venues on a Sunday so reluctantly headed for bed.    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 65

    Drago D19 La Paz- Prisons and witches

    April 24, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Wolfing pancakes down for breakfast we headed out into the chaos of La Paz. The streets were already lined with Chollitas (the women in traditional dress) selling their wares. The streets are themed so ine will sell football shirts, the next street willnhave over 20 opticians etc!

    Our 9th walking tour started at Sucre square home to La Paz's famous prison. Built for 500 inmates it now holds 2000 people, including the families of the prisoners. Children can be seen leaving the maingate for school across the square in the morning. Every prisoner must pay for his cell, therefore rich prisoners have spacious cells with plasma screen tvs and even hot tubs. The poor must start a trade within the prison to afford their cell which they could share with up to twelve other prisoners. It used to be possible to tour the prison but these days if you try the prison guards may not let you out without relieving you if your whole holiday budget.

    We walked through different markets including the witches market famous for selling llama fetuses for rituals and love potions to grab your man. In a more modern market we stopped for snacks. We had a yummy fried potato with a meat and egg filling. In the markets Bolivians stick to the same stall currying favor which means the vendor may thrown in freebies like an extra apple when asked.

    After hearing some funny ancedotes about the current Bolivian president (google his quotes) we finished the tour with a shot of orange liqour. Our next stop was the cable car system to get a better view of La Paz. A public transport, the cable cars are becoming La Paz's answer to the underground, connecting the poor towns up on the valley sides to La Paz below. On our line the locals haven't cottened on to the money they could make from the view at the top so we struggled to get the best photo once on the ground due to corrogated iron blocking the panorama.

    Back down in La Paz after a crazy taxi ride we had a brief by Gravity Tours on our bike ride for the next day before we had our goodbye meal in a Lebanese retaraunt. Leaving us in La Paz were the australian pair, John, Sheila and Charlotte. Most will be sorely missed and we've had an amazing time with them the last 3 weeks. It wasn't quite time to say goodbye though as death road was calling!    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    1
    Day 66

    Drago D20- Death Road

    April 25, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    If you mention the death road to many what pops into their head is Jeremy Clarkson nearly meeting his maker as he passed another car under a waterfall with just inches before he fell into oblivion. If you google it its called the most dangerous road in the world, and certainly if you drive a car or bus down it there have been deaths as recent as 2015.

    However on a mountain bike with common sense death is very unlikey and those with bad luck come away with a fracture. We set off at 07:30 with our dutch guide of the day Robbie. An ex chef he decided a decade ago to make his hobbie his work, and joined the gravity team in La Paz. Our other guide was Will an experienced mountain biker who came 3rd in the most recent Bolivian race.

    We were geared up and were matched to our bikes according to height. We all had our bikes blessed by Paccamamma (motherearth), mine was Sunday and with a trial ride around a parking lot we set off down 22km of asphalt road first. James shot off down the road, and whilst I idled in the back for the first few km I soon found my confidence and took it at my own speed behind the boys of the group. Its an amazing feeling wizzing down a road, the wind rushing around you. Izzy and I paired up having similar confidence so we could look out for each other.

    Having had our practice it was time for the real deal. Fulled up on sandwiches we started down the gravel death road, so named after the deaths of the POW who built it. One guide was at the front and the other at the back. Every 10km or so we would stop, regroup and get a brief on what to expect on the next section.

    The death road is almost continiously downards gravel. Going from around 4200m down to 1200m altitude its 64km of awsomeness on a bike. There were narrow parts, hairpin corners, waterfalls and river crossings. The views were amazing, but only to be enjoyed at a stop unless you wanted to fly into a 800m ravine. Having never mountain biked before it was a brilliant introduction.

    At the bottom it was high fives all round as not one of us came off our bikes. Gravity was a great company, due to the combination of good instructions and good bikes we passed many of the other slower groups who looked unsteady, uncomfortable and scared on their bikes. After a round of beer we went on to a monkey sancturary for a hot shower and food before taking the new road back to La Paz.

     It must have been an amazing way for Sheila, John and Charlotte to end their trip. With a heavy heart we said goodbye as they had an early flight the next morning. We will be joined by two new people Karen and Ollie as we continue on to Copacobana tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 67

    Drago D21 The original Copacabana

    April 26, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Breakfast was an odd site as our group had shrunk to five. Joining us are Karen from outside London, and Ollie who has been travelling with Dragoman since Rio Carnaval.

    Jumping on Mamasita the first hurdle was to find a road out of La Paz that was open and truck friendly. We had many quizzical looks from the locals as the mobile maps sent the truck up a steep hill with a dead end. The angle was above 45 degrees and it felt like an impossible task to get us down. Izzy and I started praying. Thank god David used to drive trucks for the army as he safley got us down. After an hour through market filled streets we made it to El Alto where the road promptly finishes as its still being built. Its guesswork to find a diversion.

    Once we finally escaped the city it was 2 hours untill we had the first glimps of lake Titicaca the worlds largest lake at altitude. Going on for miles it truly looks more like a sea. Putting Dave and Mamasita on a barge where the driver was busy bailing out water (!), we passengers hoped on a small ferry boat and hoped he would make it across. Reunited in one piece we continued on to Copacabana.

    A religious town with a large basilica Copacabana is also very touristy. We decided to climb up the hill to get views of the town below. Within a few steps we were reminded that despite the fact that the lake looks like a sea, we were definetly not at sea level. Taking it slow we continued up passing stations of the cross untill the top. We had a beautiful view down to Copacaban where a brass band had started to play. Bybthebtime we were back down the band had packed up but we wandered around its pretty basilica.

    At 7 we were marsheled over to Bistro Cafe where we met the infamous Fatima. She once helped Dragoman when they had a border problem, and she now runs the monopoly on a few of the dragoman activities. She served up an amazing trout and chocolate mousse meal.

    Her son Leo was our guide for the next day so after a brief on our activities we set off to bed.    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    1
    Day 68

    Drago D22 The Moon and the Sun

    April 27, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    By 8 we were on the roof of a little boat sailing across lake Titicaca to the peninsula. We got off below the virgin from lourdes. Bought there from France its a large pilgramage for the faithful of Bolivia and Peru in August. It was a statue hidden in a little crevice. We continued past following a inca trail across the peninsula. Climbing a small hill was tough at the altitude and breaks were needed.

    Leo was an exubrant guide giving talks on history and fauna as we passed different plants. Many of the local plants are good for altitude sickness, like Muna or are halluciogenics like the St Pedro cactus. The local tree has bark that comes off like paper and is currently being replanted everywhere after eucalyptus took over after the British bought it over. Leo is an interesting character, he wore his coat like a cape for the whole day along with a bright pink hat and white eightes style wrap around glasses!

    We continued down to a hidden village called Sanpaya which had beautiful stone buildings set upon the hills. We stopped for lunch on one of the terraces enjoying the sun and only two cholitas passed in that time. After a brief siesta the boat was waiting in a small harbour to take us over to moon island. Before we left brave Izzy took a dip in the lake at a balmy 12 celcius.

    At moon island was a restored temple of the moon which Leo explained had housed virgins that wove for the wealthy in society. Passing market stalls on the way down James bought keyrings representing mother earth Pacchamama and a amulet of a condor for safe travel.

    Arriving at Sun island afterwards we had the shock of hundreds of tourists. The island is currently undergoing a turfwar so the north of the island is closed. Leaving the south crowded. In the north there are two villages one of which is the port and the other the tourist village. For years the tourist village has taken most if the revenue and the port village got angry and have now stopped tourists for two years.

    After 12km hiling we arrived at our hostel at the top of the village. A nice cold beer and a coffee with whiskey courtesy of Olly were had while watching a thunderstorm over the lake an awesome sight.    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 70

    Drago D23 + 24 The blessing

    April 29, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    After a lovely breakfast we walked down the steep
    steps of the village to the docks and rode on top of the boat back to Copacanana. After a brief coffee with Fatima and saying goodbye to Leo we had a blessing to go to.

    Outside the basilica in Copacanana lies a lane for new cars to be blessed every friday. It was too good an oppertunity to be missed. On the pavement a cholita had a stall and went about beautyfing Mamasita for the blessing. She had flowers, ribbons and even a golden top hat. We couldn't find the priest but mother superior came out to bless the truck. After a prayer she dowsed Mamasita and us in holy water. We drank some wine giving the first sip to Pacchamama and then we set off fire crackers. Mamasita was officially blessed for safe travel.

    We crossed the border after Copacabana into Peru. Our 6th and final country in South America. We continued through tidier villages and ordered farms up into Puno. A stop on to Cusco there wasn't much going on apart from an amazing Peruvian-French fusion resteraunt called the Incadoor. If you're ever passing through its a must!

    Next day after a minor engine hiccup we set off to Cusco stopping at Racchi that's famous for Inca temple and grain storage. There we bumped into another Dragoman tour. It was surreal to see Mamasitas twin Amber.

    Late afternoon we arrived into Cusco city. Driving through the outskirts it was time to say goodbye to Mamasita. She'd carried us for 22 days of fun and was the extra member of the group. At the depo she'll be serviced and put into hibernation for a few months untill her next trip in August. Sleep well Sexy Mamma.

    Quickly changing at the hotel Cusco we went out for a meal with Darren the mechanic in Cusco and had mouthwatering peruvian food with outstanding passion fruit pisco sour. We continued onto a dive bar not far from our hotel and James and I won a game of pool against Ollie and Izzy! A bit tipsy we collpased into bed.    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 71

    Drago D25 Cusco City of the Incas

    April 30, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    With a hangover I dragged myself out onto the streets of Cusco. Its historical centre is picturesque with colonial buildings surrounding the square. A parade was ongoing celebrating workers days with council workers marching to a military band. Around the square we could see more traditionally and colourfuly dressed people awaiting their turn so we had 30 minutes at the chocolate museum awaiting their parade to start. I bought gorgeous smelling chocolate face cream which has been doing wonders for my skin!

    Back in the square the colorful dancers were out dressed as sheppards with toy llamas hanging from their backs. They danced and jumped around with wrestling masks on their faces. Spotting a KFC across the square I stampped out my hangover and we joined our last walking tour of South America. We learnt that every church in Cusco is built on Inca temples and the remains can be seen in the perfectly crafted walls the Incas were known for. In some of the walls you can still see animal shapes in the rocks such as llamas and serpants. We saw a shop selling traditional instruments like a llama jaw bone and conch shell. Ending in a bar with a pisco sour shot!

    Shopping for a few hours I finally got my alpaca jumper we returned to the hotel to meet Pierro our guide for the next few days as we trek over the andes. Another multiday trek he tried to put our nerves at ease and got us excited for the next few days!    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    Day 72

    Drago D26 Wild Andes Trek

    May 1, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    An early start our first stop was Saquesay Huaman (Pronounced near enough Sexywoman) a temple that sits high abobe Cusco. Pierro explained its likely meaning was sastisfied head, as Cusco was shaped like a Puma, the temple is placed where the head if the Puma would be. The site was used to study asrtonomy. It had stairs that aligned with the summer solstice, across from an alter with a llama shape in the wall. Gigantic stones formed its walls which must have taken hundreds of people to move. Most temples were built around natural stone formations, making them closer to Pacchamama.

    Next stop half an hour outside Cusco was Chinchero where we were first shown into a weaving demonstration. The girls in traditional dress showed us how they treated alpaca and llama wool and then dyed it using natural compunds found around the village. Tying the threads to a frame it could take them 4 months to create a table runner, the pattern they created all from memory. I bought a lovely alpaca wool scarf here and they enjoyed dressing us up for a photo!

    Continuing through the village we came to a temple. The temple itself was replaced by a church but its terraces still remained, and its thought it was used to experiment with plants, a massive Incan labaratory. Each terrace was 5 degrees temperature diffrence from the last. Here on the steps you could see old Inca symbols and swirls etched into rock.

    The church built by the spanish in the 16th century was covered in beautiful art. A virgin Mary was surrounded by mountains, a tribute to Pachamamma. On the way back to the bus we grabbed a local snack choclo con queso, corn on the cob with cheese which was delicious.

    We soon arrived in Zurite our room for the night in a homestay. Set within a quiet white courtyard we set our stuff in the dorms before sittting for lunch. It was a grand affair with three courses each as delicious as the last. The chef they revieled would be coming with us as we camped - amazing!

    Fuelled up we were dropped two hour away to see an area with four natural temples that people still use today from the offerings we saw there. A cave opening was the temple of Pachamama, a rock shaoed like a condor another. A altar perfectly cut from the stone was temple of the moon and a waterfall with a frog shaped rock by the water was the temple of fertility. Our warm up walk back was gentle through andean flat roads arriving back in Zurite in good time. Another amazing meal from the chef including a vegetable soup and pudding made from purple corn and a local cocktail of Macho Te (herbal tea and pisco- we had a looot of Pisco) we headed for bed before the big trek the next day.    Read more

  • TravelerRound-the-south
    1
    Day 73

    Drago D27 Over the top

    May 2, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    So anybody that knows me knows that up until I met James I gave any walk that involved a lot of up a big miss. On the W trek I cursed the topographic maps that while showing down ment a lot of up. Today therefore was the biggest walking challange of my life. Continious 1000m up whilst at altitude- lets go!

    We started straight up from 3500m at our homestay into the early morning mist. Walking through fields Pierro our guide coached us each step had to be slow and deliberate or we would puff ourselves out. He promised a break every 20 minutes with big ones every hour. The landscape turned from fields to bushes and trees. Out of the mist a temple of hummingbirds appeared, and one or two of the birds could be spotted in the bushes. The temple was reclaimed from the wild by Dragoman, one of their initatives in the area along with conservation and the jobs the trek creates.

    It truly was a wild andes trek as the path largely disappeared, and we pushed through the undergrowth. As we climbed above the mist an elderly man and a horse appeared- our ambulance and driver in case of bad altitude sickness. Mr Wari was a man of little words, always wearing a cap and doing the whole of the trek in his sandles, he was a legend. More than once I caught his look of exasberation as we took another break. I bet he could do the whole trek in a day!

    The bushes and trees dissappeared at 4000m to be replaced with grass. The ambulance loved this and munched his way to the top. The breathlessness got worse at this point and stops were needed every 10 minutes or so. Slowly we made our way to the pass where at the top I lay down for a good rest. We had done the climb in record Dragoman time! No wonder I was exhausted! My sats at the top were 85%, back at sea level I'd have put myself on Oxygen!

    Pierro grabbed a wooden musical pipe out of his bag along with some Pisco and taught us how to thank Pacchamama for our good weather (a shot). James and Izzy full of extra energy went up to the peak. Olly, Karen and I were happy to remain lying down. Lunch was calling half an hour down the valley and we set off and came accross a mini camp with dining tent and a toilet! We had a 3 course lunch (so good!) and a siesta!

    Walking up after lunch I didn't feel so good, with a mild thumping headache and dizziness. I had a touch of altitude sickness. Pierro advised water, painkillers and mixture he called condor piss - a cologne to open the airways! Camp was at a lower altitude so we marched across andean flat with the camp team rushing ahead of us to set up!

    As we got to the camp my headache was clearing and it was luxary as they brought warm water to our tents for a bush wash before again spoiling us with food. Pierro introduced us to hot chocolate with pisco before we passed out in our tents. Our Doite sleeping bags from Santiago were soo cosy even in sub zero temps. Thank god!    Read more

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