Mar 11, 2010 - Bolivia, and the Death Road

The guy selling us the journey explained we would go for 4 hours to another depot in a place called Puno next to lake Titicaca, be greeted by a guy with a sign waiting for us showing us to the next bus which would then take another five to six hours to get to La Paz. ... The first part was okay, then we got to the depot and three hours later we finally managed to get a bus headed towards La Paz. ... We rode all the way back up, negotiated the landslide again and headed back towards La Paz. ...

Mar 10, 2010 - Salt Flats Tour

We had a VERY stressful morning after i wrote that last entry - we asked the receptionist in the hostel to wake us up at 6 so that we could make it to the airline office at 6. what a palava! We then got to La Paz feeling horribly tired and spent the rest of the day monging around whilst we waited for our overnight bus ride to Uyuni, where we would start the salt flat tour the following morning. ... We then went on to a hot spring, which although it was torture changing into our swim suits because of the cold that encompassed you, when you got in it was the most heavenly feeling in the world and you never wanted to get out again! The rest of the day we spent driving back to Uyuni (where we started off), stopping off every now and then to take pictures and look at even more beautiful sights and landscape. ... We arrived a lot earlier than expected, so just ate supper and chilled whilst we waited for our overnight bus back to La Paz.We had a VERY stressful morning after i wrote that last entry - we asked the receptionist in the hostel to wake us up at 6 so that we could make it to the airline office at 6. what a palava! We then got to La Paz feeling horribly tired and spent the rest of the day monging around whilst we waited for our overnight bus ride to Uyuni, where we would start the salt flat tour the following morning. ... We then went on to a hot spring, which although it was torture changing into our swim suits because of the cold that encompassed you, when you got in it was the most heavenly feeling in the world and you never wanted to get out again! The rest of the day we spent driving back to Uyuni (where we started off), stopping off every now and then to take pictures and look at even more beautiful sights and landscape. ... We arrived a lot earlier than expected, so just ate supper and chilled whilst we waited for our overnight bus back to La Paz....

Mar 4, 2010 - Buzios, Sao Paulo and La Paz

The other guests were such a nice bunch - mine and Izzys favourite being a black scottish man called Phillip! Funnily enough we bumped into a group of our uppingham friends, as well as a group of stowe/woldingham/eastbourne friends that were travelling together- all of whom we had just missed in previous places and werent expecting to see during our trip in south america! had a really fun time in Sao Paulo, didnt feel nearly as dangerous as we were hoping after hearing all the terrifying horror stories about the crime there! we stayed 2 nights before getting our flight to la paz which was SUCH a bore. ... 00 peruvian time, and had to wait a whole 13 hours in the airport before we could get our connecting flight to la paz! if we wanted to leave the airport we would have had to pay $30, so izzy and i decided it really wasnt worth it, and spent our day sleeping like tramps on the chairs and wandering round the little gift shops. ... definitely NOT one of the most exciting parts of our trip so far! when we finally got to la paz at 2. ... la paz is AMAZING. ... SO glad we did it, and i felt such a sense of achievement when we finally got to the bottom (after a long 6 hours) and headed to a hotel with a swimming pool and a buffet lunch waiting for us - although my hands were so tender and literally moulded to the shape of holding the brakes, which its pretty much essential to do the whole way down! we were planning on doing the salt flats after four nights in la paz, but that all fell to pieces when the stupid rain decided to pour down. ...

Feb 19, 2010 - Uyuni, Salt Flats, Atacama Desert and Salvador Dali

Another ghost town on the edge of the largest salt flats in the world.Another ghost town on the edge of the largest salt flats in the world....

Feb 15, 2010 - Once the richest city in South America

Potosi, once the richest city in South America, now a ghost town.Potosi, once the richest city in South America, now a ghost town....

Feb 13, 2010 - Sucre - Civil War

Sucre, Bolivia’s second capital city, yes second (they sure are greedy here) is the capital of history for the country. ... It was in this city that the countries declaration of independence was signed, Sucre for a long time was said to have been the richest city in South America; thanks to the silver mines of Potosi, thus the city has had a huge colonial past, resulting in many of its buildings striving forward in architectural design. ... It is currently carnival time here in Sucre. ... I awoke this morning to silence, which is a change when living here in Sucre. ... Tomorrow we head to Potosi, for only a day as we choose to stay in Sucre an extra day. ...

Feb 8, 2010 - Death Road - The Worlds Most Dangerous Road - Sorry Mum!!

I didn’t get much sleep last night, for today I was to embark on a truly deadly adventure, cycling down the worlds most dangerous road, descending in altitude over 3,000 meters, a drop big enough for 3 sky dives. At 3pm we boarded the bus to drive up the worlds most dangerous road, before heading into La Paz. ... Tonight we meet our new tour guide, Juan, who will be with us from La Paz to Rio. ... He seems like a great guy, but on our first meeting with him, he had to deliver bad news.I didn’t get much sleep last night, for today I was to embark on a truly deadly adventure, cycling down the worlds most dangerous road, descending in altitude over 3,000 meters, a drop big enough for 3 sky dives. At 3pm we boarded the bus to drive up the worlds most dangerous road, before heading into La Paz. ... Tonight we meet our new tour guide, Juan, who will be with us from La Paz to Rio. ... He seems like a great guy, but on our first meeting with him, he had to deliver bad news....

Feb 6, 2010 - La La La La Paz

We encountered on our drive into La Paz every possible type of weather; rain, hail, snow, sleet, sun. ... La Paz itself is a fantastic city, steeped in history, culture, murders and muggings. ... On our first full day in La Paz myself and Kevin spent the morning at the Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking office planning the following days events, the afternoon on a city tour. ...

Feb 6, 2010 - La Paz (Bolivia)

I didn´t make it to La Paz whilst I was in Bolivia earlier in my trip and in the absence of being able to do the Inca Trail I decided to make the trip from Cusco. ... La Paz is a big city that is surrounded by huge mountains. ... One of the mountains overlooking La Paz is over 6000m high and is capped with snow. ... However, for me that is where the charm of La Paz ends. ... The main reason for me coming to La Paz was to cycle down the worlds most dangerous road, often referred to as the road of death. ...

Nov 11, 2009 - Villa Tunari (Inti Wara Yassi animal sanctuary)

I decided long ago that i wanted to do some voluntary work at Inti Wara Yassi so was really happy to get here. At midnight myself and 3 other volunteers set about trying to get a bus out of Villa Tunari. ... There was no way of booking a seat on a bus so we had to stand in the road and flag down any bus that passed.I decided long ago that i wanted to do some voluntary work at Inti Wara Yassi so was really happy to get here. At midnight myself and 3 other volunteers set about trying to get a bus out of Villa Tunari. ... There was no way of booking a seat on a bus so we had to stand in the road and flag down any bus that passed....

Nov 10, 2009 - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz was just another South American city. ... The plaza was really pleasant but other than that there was not much to do here.Santa Cruz was just another South American city. ... The plaza was really pleasant but other than that there was not much to do here....

Nov 5, 2009 - Sucre

Sucre is the nicest city I have been to in South America (so far). ... There is a large limestone quarry near Sucre where dinosaur prints have been found perfectly preserved. ... Also, whilst I was in Sucre there was an opening ceremony to a kind of mini Olympics between 5 South American countries. ... Most of the group I met in Sucre were vegetarian and I was cooked a really nice meal on my last night here. ...