It’s been a very eventful two weeks since leaving my volunteer post at the orphanage in Cusco. I have a lot more to write about than I have time for, and in Bolivia the internet is so slooooww that it takes about ten minutes to upload a single picture. So this is just an outline of what I’ve been up to and after I return to England on the third of September I plan on writing things up properly and uploading all of my pictures and so forth. Effectively this is probably the last post I make here until I return to England.
I travelled from Peru to Bolivia the way I always travel here; by bus. My first bus took me to the sleepy town of Puno, on Lake Titicaca, which I loathed for how touristy it was. Next I travelled to La Paz, the new capital of Bolivia, via the border town of Copacabana; which also rests on Lake Titicaca. Whilst I only stopped for a few hours, it was a nice diversion and I had some really tasty trout from the lake.
Only spending a single night in La Paz, next I went to the Salt Flats of Uyuni, the largest such site on the planet, where I had a four day tour. We visited volcanic geysers, a hotel made completely of salt and a hot spring in a place with an outdoor temperature nearing minus thirty degrees C. The salt flats themselves are astounding. Although they’re more impressive in Bolivian sumertime (it’s winter currently) when the entire flat appears as a mirror due to the water on it, it was still a surreal atmosphere. It stretches so far that the mountains in the distance begin to distort like a mirage, and the horizon is completely flat, as if you are standing on a sea pure white in colour, with no end in site. The whole tour was done in a 4×4, and as we were lucky to have a very energetic guide the trip was great fun.
Next the town of Potosi, which due to its silver resources used to be the richest city in South America. The silver mines exist to this day, and the working conditions haven’t changed for decades, possibly even a century. It was an eye-opening experience, at times sad and shocking as we talked with one of the miners there. Father of three, and having worked in the mine for ten years. He told us about what it was like working there as we shared a drink in the dark tunnels. The life expectancy for the miners is around 30-40 years old. He was 17.
Spending just a day per city, the following day I arrived in the old capital of Bolivia, Sucre. It is a beautiful city with some incredible architecture and a wealth of museums. The people of the city too seem more wealthy than any others I have seen in the country, with trendy clothes and expensive accessories. In my day in the city, I learnt about local textile artists, and went to visit a place where dinasour footprints making tracks some 300 metres long have been preserved in the side of a mountain. Due to the movement of the plates over the years, the footprints now lie on a completely vertical wall. Later in the afternoon I visited another museum and learnt rather a lot about the history of Bolivia’s independence; and how it tied in with that of its neighbours, particularly Peru and Argentina.
Finally, I returned to La Paz where after going to see an amusing local wrestling show with ‘Cholitas’; female wrestlers, I awoke early the next day for a thrilling mountain bike ride, straight downhill what is here commonly known as the most dangerous road in the world, or as the Death Road. As it clings to the side of the Andean cliffs, a steep drop on the side with lots of tight corners, the road holds the world record for the greatest number of fatalities as buses used to drop off the side, taking their passengers with them. Since four years ago, there is a safer alternative road, and the original Death Road is now primarilly used for thrill seeking tourists and travellers. The equipment was all very professional and we had a guide; the road was rocky with pebbles but not slippery in the slightest. The biggest risk was being distracted by the incredible scenery!
I’m leaving in a couple of hours for a wildlife reserve deep in the jungle called Ambue Ari. It’s a volunteer establishment where I’ll have to work long days for a whole two weeks, helping to look after endangered and injured animals like pumas, tigers and various kinds of monkey and birds. I don’t know what to expect really – the park is new and constantly expanding, and the number of volunteers varies by the day. Hopefully I’ll have some interesting jobs to do and I’ll be able to do some good.
One thing is for certain though, I’ll be out of my comfort zone. There is no electricity in the park and it is 40 minutes awayfrom the nearest town by bus. The nearest major city, Santa Cruz, is a further five hours away. Many of the volunteers return from the park bearing scars from scratches from big cats, and not only is the area notorious for mosquitos and other hungry insects, because the animals react badly to DEET, only 100% natural repellent can be used; which I doubt does a whole lot of good. I’m expecting to be eaten alive.
When I return I have a further 2 weeks to make my way back to Lima for my flight home to England – and I already have more than enough ideas to keep me busy on my way back north.
During my travels I’ve seen some incredible things, but it’s the people I’ve met that I’ll remember most. Soon after leaving Cusco I befriended and travelled with a girl from Japan for a few days, I’ve made friends with people from Quebec, France, Holland and yet again met more people from Basque country; not to mention a very special friend from La Paz. With four weeks before I fly back to the UK; whilst being a bit sad that I’ve passed the halfway point of my trip – there is still much to come before the end, and the exciting thing is I don’t really know what yet.
Until September!
Chau Chau.
Tommy
