Thursday 29 April
Cusco
So I went and bought a new padlock as I had to cut the other one open with a pair of giant scissors. One of the bad things about Cusco is the large number of touts offering you massages every five seconds. It was particularly annoying this morning as I has to cross the main square quite a few times today as I sorted things out after the previous night’s shenanigans.
However there was something else going on in the main square today. There was some kind of parade with lots of school children. They were all dressed up in uniform as though they were tiny soldiers – they had epaulettes, those rope things you get around the shoulder, all that kind of thing. It looked pretty cool.
I realised I had lost my sunglasses again. Oh well. I had made friends with a Canadian girl who shared a room with a couple of Argentineans and a Chilean. They were all heading to Sachsayhuaman (a..k.a. Sexywoman) today so I tagged along as I wanted to see that as well. They were all pretty cool people.
As well as Sexywoman there were a few other sites nearby, so we decided to do all of them as well. We took a taxi and went to one of the sites furthest from Cusco to work our way back. The first site was a series of small walls, though there was one rock in it that seemed to be a representation of Machu Picchu.
The second place was a temple built on a natural spring, and still had the water running through it producing a series of small fountains. It was starting to get cold and I had been unprepared for the exposed places that we were going, so it was a prime opportunity to buy the token alpaca jumper. I chose one with llamas on it. Well you have to really, don’t you?
After those two sites, which were pretty close to each other, we set off cross country to a random rock that was apparently of importance. It took us a while to get there and it didn’t help that I was only wearing Converse. But eventually we arrived and had a look around. It was apparently a temple of the moon, and there were various shapes cut out of the volcanic rock. It was clear that this rock had been formed by an underwater volcano, as it had the same jagged edges of the rocks in the Galapagos. We took a picture where we sacrificed the Canadian girl. Well, when in Rome, you know?
The light was starting to fade but with our Latin American sense of urgency we didn’t worry too much about that. We worked our way back to Sexywoman, having to cross a small ravine in the process. We ended up taking a cab once we were back on the main road as things were getting a bit late. We arrived at Sexywoman just as the sun was setting.
It’s a big old place, looking much like a fort even though it’s actually a temple. The rocks were six metres high on the ground level, and there were three levels (representing the three levels of the universe: the underworld, earth and the spirit world, represented by the snake, the puma and the condor). We hired a guide who told us about the history of the place. From the top we could see the whole of Cusco spread out beneath us, lit up in orange street lights as the night approached.
After that we returned to the hostel. There was a pub crawl on that night, so I decided I would go along to that. It ended up being pretty much just a normal night out, going to most of the bars I had been to before. I randomly met one of the people I was hanging out with in the Galapagos on the street, though at first I thought it was someone else entirely. Which was strange. We ended up at Mythology again. I think this was the night that was Queen’s Day in the Netherlands, and as such everyone was dressed in orange. I’m not sure why they celebrate that Dutch holiday in Peru.
I had some fun with a local girl and chatted with a typically tall Dutch guy who explained all the cheesy Dutch songs that were playing from time to time.
When I returned to the hostel I drank lots of water and found my sunglasses.
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Touched by the Hand of God
Wednesday 28 April
Machu Picchu – Cusco
I slept really well. I had set my alarm for five so I could get ready before catching the bus at six to meet with the guide at 6.30. I came to and noticed it was light outside. If I was waking up at 5 it wouldn’t be light outside. I checked the time on my phone – it was five to six. Fuck! My alarm hadn’t gone off.
I quickly put on some clothes, gathered my things for the day and headed downstairs. I noticed there were some bread buns out for the included breakfast so I nicked a couple of those to eat on the bus. By the time I arrived at the entrance to Machu Picchu, the guide had already set off but I managed to catch up with him. I noticed that most people were out of breath whereas I wasn’t. I put that down to having been at high altitude for some time now. It certainly wasn’t down to my fitness any more, that had been slowly deteriorating since the start of the trip.
The guide was really good, full of interesting information and explaining how everything worked in the city. To be honest although Machu Picchu is a wonder of construction, the real awe for me came from the surrounding landscape. The sheer drops that surround the mountain, plus the equally dramatic mountains rising around Machu Picchu are a wonder to behold. The Andes are full of dramatic landscapes but it’s hard to picture something more dramatic than this.
It also makes you wonder at what sort of civilisation would climb such outrageous peaks and build a city on top of it. Apparently one reason was that it helped avoid the effects of earthquakes. I’m not too sure about that explanation. After all, being on top of a mountain during an earthquake would open you up to the risk of falling off, surely? But despite that, there is also the impression that somehow, being here on top of the mountain you are that much closer to god.
After the tour I wandered around a bit more and took some photos that I missed the first time. Then I toyed with the idea of staying longer, but given the rush in the morning, the fact that I hadn’t showered, my out of breathness from climbing up and down a bit too fast, and that I hadn’t eaten properly all day, I was keen to get back into town.
I headed back and had breakfast. Again. I wondered through the town a bit and then went back to the hotel and had a shower. I think check out time was actually nine (it was much later) but I didn’t call attention to myself and managed to get away with it.
I then had a lot of time to kill before I had to catch my train that evening. I went to Aguas Calientes, the hot water spring that the town is named after (it has two names, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu Pueblo, which means Machu Picchu town). I semi-floated in the water for a while and almost fell asleep. I had a pizza for lunch. I ended up talking to the receptionist at the hotel, teaching her a bit of English (who knew that the verb to forget is so irregular, particularly in the past tense?) and showing her my photos from Machu Picchu. She asked me to email them to her, so I did a couple of weeks later, and she thanked me for it.
Eventually it was time to catch the train so I headed off and took my seat. There was a girl sitting opposite me who noticed I had a Tribal DDB bag. She asked me about it and it turned out that she had some friend who worked there. In Germany. She was German, and unusually for a German her English wasn’t that good, or at least she was more comfortable talking in German. So we had a long conversation, based on our mutual experiences working in the New Media industry. In German.
We also talked about the trip and it turned out she had booked a package in advance, like me, but everything had gone wrong for her. Nothing was where it was supposed to be when she arrived at the places. I thanked my luck that I hadn’t had those problems. Eventually we arrived at Piscacucho and took a bus back to Ollantaytambo. On the way there was a big lighting rig illuminating the area where some big machines were working. As I looked behind us I saw what was left of the railway when it had been washed away in the recent floods. There was the railway line, and there was a small cliff, where the water had removed all of the ground underneath the rail lines. All that was left were two steel rails, poking out over nothing, and the river flowing fast beneath it. It was quite a dramatic sight.
Back in Ollantaytambo we were due to change buses again, but German girl already had it in her mind that there would be no transport, so while everyone else got on a big coach, she walked in the opposite direction. I felt compelled to follow her so I did, and the coach left without us. Instead we eventually arranged a taxi to take us back to Cusco. I slept most of the way but German girl was kept awake by the reckless driving. I’d seen it all before. I was pretty sure I’d survive.
Back in town we said our goodbyes. It was a shame we had to part as we were getting on well and I was thinking naughty thoughts. I went back to the hostel. There was a good band playing with a frontman who looked like an Inca version of Anthony Keidis – i.e. like him but shorter, with black hair and dark skin. After that I found some random person to go out with, and headed to a club called Mythology. It was a pretty cool place and I had so much fun I lost my keys.
Machu Picchu – Cusco
I slept really well. I had set my alarm for five so I could get ready before catching the bus at six to meet with the guide at 6.30. I came to and noticed it was light outside. If I was waking up at 5 it wouldn’t be light outside. I checked the time on my phone – it was five to six. Fuck! My alarm hadn’t gone off.
I quickly put on some clothes, gathered my things for the day and headed downstairs. I noticed there were some bread buns out for the included breakfast so I nicked a couple of those to eat on the bus. By the time I arrived at the entrance to Machu Picchu, the guide had already set off but I managed to catch up with him. I noticed that most people were out of breath whereas I wasn’t. I put that down to having been at high altitude for some time now. It certainly wasn’t down to my fitness any more, that had been slowly deteriorating since the start of the trip.
The guide was really good, full of interesting information and explaining how everything worked in the city. To be honest although Machu Picchu is a wonder of construction, the real awe for me came from the surrounding landscape. The sheer drops that surround the mountain, plus the equally dramatic mountains rising around Machu Picchu are a wonder to behold. The Andes are full of dramatic landscapes but it’s hard to picture something more dramatic than this.
It also makes you wonder at what sort of civilisation would climb such outrageous peaks and build a city on top of it. Apparently one reason was that it helped avoid the effects of earthquakes. I’m not too sure about that explanation. After all, being on top of a mountain during an earthquake would open you up to the risk of falling off, surely? But despite that, there is also the impression that somehow, being here on top of the mountain you are that much closer to god.
After the tour I wandered around a bit more and took some photos that I missed the first time. Then I toyed with the idea of staying longer, but given the rush in the morning, the fact that I hadn’t showered, my out of breathness from climbing up and down a bit too fast, and that I hadn’t eaten properly all day, I was keen to get back into town.
I headed back and had breakfast. Again. I wondered through the town a bit and then went back to the hotel and had a shower. I think check out time was actually nine (it was much later) but I didn’t call attention to myself and managed to get away with it.
I then had a lot of time to kill before I had to catch my train that evening. I went to Aguas Calientes, the hot water spring that the town is named after (it has two names, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu Pueblo, which means Machu Picchu town). I semi-floated in the water for a while and almost fell asleep. I had a pizza for lunch. I ended up talking to the receptionist at the hotel, teaching her a bit of English (who knew that the verb to forget is so irregular, particularly in the past tense?) and showing her my photos from Machu Picchu. She asked me to email them to her, so I did a couple of weeks later, and she thanked me for it.
Eventually it was time to catch the train so I headed off and took my seat. There was a girl sitting opposite me who noticed I had a Tribal DDB bag. She asked me about it and it turned out that she had some friend who worked there. In Germany. She was German, and unusually for a German her English wasn’t that good, or at least she was more comfortable talking in German. So we had a long conversation, based on our mutual experiences working in the New Media industry. In German.
We also talked about the trip and it turned out she had booked a package in advance, like me, but everything had gone wrong for her. Nothing was where it was supposed to be when she arrived at the places. I thanked my luck that I hadn’t had those problems. Eventually we arrived at Piscacucho and took a bus back to Ollantaytambo. On the way there was a big lighting rig illuminating the area where some big machines were working. As I looked behind us I saw what was left of the railway when it had been washed away in the recent floods. There was the railway line, and there was a small cliff, where the water had removed all of the ground underneath the rail lines. All that was left were two steel rails, poking out over nothing, and the river flowing fast beneath it. It was quite a dramatic sight.
Back in Ollantaytambo we were due to change buses again, but German girl already had it in her mind that there would be no transport, so while everyone else got on a big coach, she walked in the opposite direction. I felt compelled to follow her so I did, and the coach left without us. Instead we eventually arranged a taxi to take us back to Cusco. I slept most of the way but German girl was kept awake by the reckless driving. I’d seen it all before. I was pretty sure I’d survive.
Back in town we said our goodbyes. It was a shame we had to part as we were getting on well and I was thinking naughty thoughts. I went back to the hostel. There was a good band playing with a frontman who looked like an Inca version of Anthony Keidis – i.e. like him but shorter, with black hair and dark skin. After that I found some random person to go out with, and headed to a club called Mythology. It was a pretty cool place and I had so much fun I lost my keys.
As I Journeyed through the Valley
Tuesday 27 April
Cusco – Machu Picchu
So today I was finally off to Machu Picchu. There was a bus that was supposed to pick me up at the hostel at a certain time. There was some confusion about this and eventually a person spoke to me on the reception phone. I was given directions to go and wait around the corner on the pavement. It seemed a bit random and confusing. Lots of taxis stopped to help me out, but I wasn’t waiting for them. Thankfully the bus eventually turned up and I boarded.
It was a small minibus and we started to wind our way over the Andes surrounding Cusco, occasionally picking up and dropping people off seemingly at random. There were some interesting views and landscapes before we came to the edge of a massive valley. As we came over the top I saw the small town of Ollantaytambo spread out across the valley floor with huge vertical mountains rising up the other side.
We drove to Ollantaytambo, changed buses and went on to another stop called Piscacucho via a single lane road with lots of stopping to allow buses past in the opposite direction. We waited there in the dark for a short while and then we were called to our train. Eventually after some shunting around and various confusions we boarded the train. Off we set for a short journey. Unfortunately it was dark, so I couldn’t see any of the landscape that we were travelling through.
Finally we arrived in Machu Picchu, and though it was dark I could see a massive hill shooting up beside the train station. This was my first taste at close quarters of the truly amazing landscape of this area.
I met up with the person from the hotel and we walked into town. We crossed the stream that runs through the town over a small, bouncy suspension bridge. We arrived at the hotel which was perfectly adequate, and not feeling hungry I went to bed sooner rather than later, in preparation of the early start tomorrow.
Cusco – Machu Picchu
So today I was finally off to Machu Picchu. There was a bus that was supposed to pick me up at the hostel at a certain time. There was some confusion about this and eventually a person spoke to me on the reception phone. I was given directions to go and wait around the corner on the pavement. It seemed a bit random and confusing. Lots of taxis stopped to help me out, but I wasn’t waiting for them. Thankfully the bus eventually turned up and I boarded.
It was a small minibus and we started to wind our way over the Andes surrounding Cusco, occasionally picking up and dropping people off seemingly at random. There were some interesting views and landscapes before we came to the edge of a massive valley. As we came over the top I saw the small town of Ollantaytambo spread out across the valley floor with huge vertical mountains rising up the other side.
We drove to Ollantaytambo, changed buses and went on to another stop called Piscacucho via a single lane road with lots of stopping to allow buses past in the opposite direction. We waited there in the dark for a short while and then we were called to our train. Eventually after some shunting around and various confusions we boarded the train. Off we set for a short journey. Unfortunately it was dark, so I couldn’t see any of the landscape that we were travelling through.
Finally we arrived in Machu Picchu, and though it was dark I could see a massive hill shooting up beside the train station. This was my first taste at close quarters of the truly amazing landscape of this area.
I met up with the person from the hotel and we walked into town. We crossed the stream that runs through the town over a small, bouncy suspension bridge. We arrived at the hotel which was perfectly adequate, and not feeling hungry I went to bed sooner rather than later, in preparation of the early start tomorrow.
Thursday 12 August 2010
I’m Just Killing Time
Monday 26 April
Cusco
I had one day to spend in Cusco before heading to Machu Picchu. I spent some time walking around town taking pictures of the amazing mix of Inca and colonial architecture, with various hills and mountains sitting behind.
In the evening I met up with some people in the hostel and ended up going to dinner, me with about 10 other girls. It was good fun. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the main square. It was beautiful, with all the night lights and the street lights from the hills behind looking like a cloud of large orange stars.
Afterwards we had a few more drinks in the obligatory Irish Pub in Cusco, which claims to be the highest Irish-run pub in the world, and probably is.
Cusco
I had one day to spend in Cusco before heading to Machu Picchu. I spent some time walking around town taking pictures of the amazing mix of Inca and colonial architecture, with various hills and mountains sitting behind.
In the evening I met up with some people in the hostel and ended up going to dinner, me with about 10 other girls. It was good fun. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the main square. It was beautiful, with all the night lights and the street lights from the hills behind looking like a cloud of large orange stars.
Afterwards we had a few more drinks in the obligatory Irish Pub in Cusco, which claims to be the highest Irish-run pub in the world, and probably is.
Take Me by the Hand
Sunday 25 April
Cusco
Today I spent the morning researching Colombia. Andres, colleague of mine at Tribal DDB was from Colombia originally and he gave me some recommendations of where to go. I check the guidebooks and they are in agreement so I have a rough idea of what I’m doing.
I watch the weekend’s episodes of Doctor Who. There’s no F1 this weekend. For lunch there’s a BBQ in the main courtyard of the hostel, so I have some of that. I meet some Argentineans from my room who are checking out, but not before they eat at the BBQ too. I asked them how they rated Maradonna as a manager. “He was a great player,” is their response. That says all you need to know really.
I wanted to sort out my trip to Machu Picchu this afternoon. I had a rough idea of what was needed so I headed off into town to find the train station to buy a ticket. I knew from my research that the train line wasn’t fully restored, so I would have to take a bus to Piscopicchu and take the train from there. However the train station didn’t seem to be open. It was Sunday after all and the trains weren’t running from there anyway. But there was a travel agency nearby so I went in there and asked about getting to Machu Picchu. Well they kinda saw me coming and gave me the cost of a full package which included the bus, train, hotel at Machu Picchu, an English speaking guide and so on. I did a rough maths calculation in my head and it seemed to be a good deal so I took it.
In the evening I had dinner with some people I met at the hostel. After that, there was a film being shown back in the hostel – Shutter Island by Martin Scorsese. It was OK, one of your standard psychological thrillers. Then bed.
Cusco
Today I spent the morning researching Colombia. Andres, colleague of mine at Tribal DDB was from Colombia originally and he gave me some recommendations of where to go. I check the guidebooks and they are in agreement so I have a rough idea of what I’m doing.
I watch the weekend’s episodes of Doctor Who. There’s no F1 this weekend. For lunch there’s a BBQ in the main courtyard of the hostel, so I have some of that. I meet some Argentineans from my room who are checking out, but not before they eat at the BBQ too. I asked them how they rated Maradonna as a manager. “He was a great player,” is their response. That says all you need to know really.
I wanted to sort out my trip to Machu Picchu this afternoon. I had a rough idea of what was needed so I headed off into town to find the train station to buy a ticket. I knew from my research that the train line wasn’t fully restored, so I would have to take a bus to Piscopicchu and take the train from there. However the train station didn’t seem to be open. It was Sunday after all and the trains weren’t running from there anyway. But there was a travel agency nearby so I went in there and asked about getting to Machu Picchu. Well they kinda saw me coming and gave me the cost of a full package which included the bus, train, hotel at Machu Picchu, an English speaking guide and so on. I did a rough maths calculation in my head and it seemed to be a good deal so I took it.
In the evening I had dinner with some people I met at the hostel. After that, there was a film being shown back in the hostel – Shutter Island by Martin Scorsese. It was OK, one of your standard psychological thrillers. Then bed.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Saturday 24 April
La Paz, Bolivia – Cusco, Peru
So basically all of today was spent travelling to Cusco. You can’t go overnight because you have to cross the border in the middle. The bus isn’t the best but it’s perfectly fine. My dodgy stomach is playing up a bit but I go to the toilet at the border and after that it’s fine.
I sleep for most of the way. There’s not much available in terms of proper food, so I end up eating snacks for most of the time. They gave us lunch on the bus, but that was snacks too. By the time I arrive in Cusco the food has made me feel like crap, despite having slept for most of the time.
I check in to the hostel and head into town for a proper meal which makes me feel a bit better. It’s my first view of the city and it looks fantastic. A proper tourist town but in a good way – the mix of Inca and colonial architecture together, well preserved. It’s beautiful, definitely the most beautiful city I’ve been to in South America.
Back at the hostel there’s a band playing. I join with a couple of people from my dorm and listen. I spy an opportunity. You know what it is. The band have a wheel by the side of the stage that people spin and based on that they play something. It had come up with “Reggae” the last three times – it was badly weighted. They asked someone from our table to come up, no one wanted to so I went up on their behalf. I span the wheel and it landed on Reggae again, which was boring, so I moved it on to the next section, which just happened to be “Request.” Sensing an opportunity I asked them if they knew Mr. Jones by Counting Crows. They didn’t so I mentioned that I could play it on the acoustic guitar which was sitting on stage.
They were OK with that and then the singer asked me if I knew the lyrics. Well of course, I offered to sing it as well. So I ended up playing the song with the band. They didn’t know the chords so while I played the bass player looked at what I was playing and then communicated that to the rest of the band. We got by OK – the band was pretty good – and played the whole song. It went down a storm and there was a big cheer at the end, I think the biggest of the night – but then I would say that.
Afterwards I joined up with a big group and we headed out to a bar called Bullfrog. It’s a really nice place with cool decor and two for one drinks. I had a few and then went home.
La Paz, Bolivia – Cusco, Peru
So basically all of today was spent travelling to Cusco. You can’t go overnight because you have to cross the border in the middle. The bus isn’t the best but it’s perfectly fine. My dodgy stomach is playing up a bit but I go to the toilet at the border and after that it’s fine.
I sleep for most of the way. There’s not much available in terms of proper food, so I end up eating snacks for most of the time. They gave us lunch on the bus, but that was snacks too. By the time I arrive in Cusco the food has made me feel like crap, despite having slept for most of the time.
I check in to the hostel and head into town for a proper meal which makes me feel a bit better. It’s my first view of the city and it looks fantastic. A proper tourist town but in a good way – the mix of Inca and colonial architecture together, well preserved. It’s beautiful, definitely the most beautiful city I’ve been to in South America.
Back at the hostel there’s a band playing. I join with a couple of people from my dorm and listen. I spy an opportunity. You know what it is. The band have a wheel by the side of the stage that people spin and based on that they play something. It had come up with “Reggae” the last three times – it was badly weighted. They asked someone from our table to come up, no one wanted to so I went up on their behalf. I span the wheel and it landed on Reggae again, which was boring, so I moved it on to the next section, which just happened to be “Request.” Sensing an opportunity I asked them if they knew Mr. Jones by Counting Crows. They didn’t so I mentioned that I could play it on the acoustic guitar which was sitting on stage.
They were OK with that and then the singer asked me if I knew the lyrics. Well of course, I offered to sing it as well. So I ended up playing the song with the band. They didn’t know the chords so while I played the bass player looked at what I was playing and then communicated that to the rest of the band. We got by OK – the band was pretty good – and played the whole song. It went down a storm and there was a big cheer at the end, I think the biggest of the night – but then I would say that.
Afterwards I joined up with a big group and we headed out to a bar called Bullfrog. It’s a really nice place with cool decor and two for one drinks. I had a few and then went home.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
We Could Be Heroes
Friday 23 April
La Paz
A new person moved into the room today called Sanji, a lawyer type. He looks a lot like Mohinder Suresh from Heroes, which is cool. In the morning I watched the rest of the grand prix and then picked up my bus ticket and laundry.
In the evening I went out with Sanji to a restaurant a few blocks away. He had the Fodor guide so it’s not your usual backpacker place. In fact it’s full of locals, some of whom are getting very drunk and emotional in celebration of someone’s birthday.
After the meal we went back to the bar where we joined the others for more drinking games. But I had to get up early so I take it easy and go to bed at a sensible hour.
La Paz
A new person moved into the room today called Sanji, a lawyer type. He looks a lot like Mohinder Suresh from Heroes, which is cool. In the morning I watched the rest of the grand prix and then picked up my bus ticket and laundry.
In the evening I went out with Sanji to a restaurant a few blocks away. He had the Fodor guide so it’s not your usual backpacker place. In fact it’s full of locals, some of whom are getting very drunk and emotional in celebration of someone’s birthday.
After the meal we went back to the bar where we joined the others for more drinking games. But I had to get up early so I take it easy and go to bed at a sensible hour.
Making Plans
Thursday 22 April
La Paz
I was hungover this morning. It’s what happens in La Paz. Some people get stuck here as they go out too much and then wake up too late to check out. Check out time here is 1pm. That takes some doing.
I did some research over what to do next, deciding where to go, where to stop off. In the end I decide to go straight to Cusco. There are some places to stop in between but for various reasons I don’t think they’re for me. Plus at the end of the day I want to go to Machu Picchu, that’s what I’m here for.
I watched the grand prix qualifying and then booked my bus to Cusco and did some laundry. In the evening I checked the bar for people I knew but couldn’t see anyone so I went to bed and caught up on my sleep.
La Paz
I was hungover this morning. It’s what happens in La Paz. Some people get stuck here as they go out too much and then wake up too late to check out. Check out time here is 1pm. That takes some doing.
I did some research over what to do next, deciding where to go, where to stop off. In the end I decide to go straight to Cusco. There are some places to stop in between but for various reasons I don’t think they’re for me. Plus at the end of the day I want to go to Machu Picchu, that’s what I’m here for.
I watched the grand prix qualifying and then booked my bus to Cusco and did some laundry. In the evening I checked the bar for people I knew but couldn’t see anyone so I went to bed and caught up on my sleep.
City Calling Me out into the Night
Wednesday 21 April
Uyuni – La Paz
It was a pretty uneventful journey to La Paz, I slept fairly well despite having to go to the toilet a couple of times. We arrived in La Paz at about 6. I took a taxi to the hostel and had to wait for reception to open at 7. I hadn’t booked in advance but they had space. I managed to get a bed in a small en suite dorm which was sweet. Although I couldn’t check in until 1.30. So I killed time by having a much needed shower (the first in three days), breakfast and faffing around on the internet.
I checked into my room and met some of my roommates who were pretty cool. I started downloading the Doctor Who and Formula 1 episodes from the weekend given that I hadn’t been near internet access for a few days.
I went for lunch at a place a few blocks away and had a chance to look at the city properly for the first time. La Paz is situated in a valley, and the main road through the city is in the floor of the valley, where the river once was. It is as Jeremy Clarkson once said, “the world’s highest capital, and also the worst.” I’m not sure if he’s been to Asunción and I hear Port-au-Prince isn’t that great right now but he’s probably right. It’s remarkably nondescript and there isn’t much to look at. It’s very similar to the new town in Quito in that respect. An unruly collection of modern buildings put together without context.
In the afternoon I meet a new roommate called Debbie. I go to the bar and have a drink with her. We have a conversation about national pride and I explain how it’s possible to be proud of being British without (a) having to go on about it and (b) having to put other countries down. I mean, after all, you just have to say “Empire” and the conversation’s over. It’s that simple.
Anyway it was clear I was winning the “discussion” as Debbie started to go pale and spoke about feeling ill. She asked me to find the nearest toilet and so I went off to do that. But it was too late. By the time I had returned she had been given a bucket by the barman and had already thrown up. I like to think I have that effect on a lot of people. Though the altitude probably helped.
She retired to her bed and luckily I noticed my other roommates in another part of the bar. They were with a few other friends that they had already made and I joined them while they were in the middle of some drinking games. I took part and thankfully had the benefit of being less drunk than they already were. There was also one member of the group who was that rarest of beasts – a nice Israeli. (Just to remind you in case you’ve forgotten but the majority of Israelis that travel in South America at least are disgustingly rude and universally hated.)
After the hostel bar turfed us out we went on a hunt for bars that were still happening. One was full of Israelis. The other two were empty. After the third the others called it a night. As they were leaving so were a group of randoms who were going to the fabled Route 36. Well, I had to go once while I was in La Paz so I went with them. I did what everybody does there and then, when it was over, I went home.
Uyuni – La Paz
It was a pretty uneventful journey to La Paz, I slept fairly well despite having to go to the toilet a couple of times. We arrived in La Paz at about 6. I took a taxi to the hostel and had to wait for reception to open at 7. I hadn’t booked in advance but they had space. I managed to get a bed in a small en suite dorm which was sweet. Although I couldn’t check in until 1.30. So I killed time by having a much needed shower (the first in three days), breakfast and faffing around on the internet.
I checked into my room and met some of my roommates who were pretty cool. I started downloading the Doctor Who and Formula 1 episodes from the weekend given that I hadn’t been near internet access for a few days.
I went for lunch at a place a few blocks away and had a chance to look at the city properly for the first time. La Paz is situated in a valley, and the main road through the city is in the floor of the valley, where the river once was. It is as Jeremy Clarkson once said, “the world’s highest capital, and also the worst.” I’m not sure if he’s been to Asunción and I hear Port-au-Prince isn’t that great right now but he’s probably right. It’s remarkably nondescript and there isn’t much to look at. It’s very similar to the new town in Quito in that respect. An unruly collection of modern buildings put together without context.
In the afternoon I meet a new roommate called Debbie. I go to the bar and have a drink with her. We have a conversation about national pride and I explain how it’s possible to be proud of being British without (a) having to go on about it and (b) having to put other countries down. I mean, after all, you just have to say “Empire” and the conversation’s over. It’s that simple.
Anyway it was clear I was winning the “discussion” as Debbie started to go pale and spoke about feeling ill. She asked me to find the nearest toilet and so I went off to do that. But it was too late. By the time I had returned she had been given a bucket by the barman and had already thrown up. I like to think I have that effect on a lot of people. Though the altitude probably helped.
She retired to her bed and luckily I noticed my other roommates in another part of the bar. They were with a few other friends that they had already made and I joined them while they were in the middle of some drinking games. I took part and thankfully had the benefit of being less drunk than they already were. There was also one member of the group who was that rarest of beasts – a nice Israeli. (Just to remind you in case you’ve forgotten but the majority of Israelis that travel in South America at least are disgustingly rude and universally hated.)
After the hostel bar turfed us out we went on a hunt for bars that were still happening. One was full of Israelis. The other two were empty. After the third the others called it a night. As they were leaving so were a group of randoms who were going to the fabled Route 36. Well, I had to go once while I was in La Paz so I went with them. I did what everybody does there and then, when it was over, I went home.
You Won’t Get Me, I’m Part of the Union
Tuesday 20 April
Reserva Eduardo Avaroa – Uyuni
We had a really early start today – 5.00 am – and the first thing I did was go to the toilet. I had also been awake coughing for half the night so I was pretty tired. But the night sky was clear and the starts were the brightest I ever saw on the whole trip. There was no light pollution this far from civilisation, and you could see the milky way clearly. We packed the cars and set off.
The first stop was a bunch of geysers that made the air smell of bad eggs. Their steam spouted off impressively though I noticed the locals had places a few rocks over them to increase the pressure. Well, it is all about the tourism around here after all. After that we stopped off at another place that had hot springs. It seemed a bit much to ask to get undressed in the freezing temperature to get into a hot spring but, after I had been to the toilet, everyone else was in and enjoying it so I guess if it was OK for them... I jumped in and it was absolutely lovely. With the post-dawn sun shining through the steam rising off the pool, it made for a magical experience. And it was my first wash since the start of the trip. After breakfast we were back in the car and the driver said I looked like a different person. So that wash was needed then.
We stopped off at a few more mountains, volcanoes and lagoons and dropped one of our number off at some place where he was getting a connection to Chile. We then had a long drive back to Uyuni. Usually it would take four hours, but because of the strikes we would have to go off-road, through the scrubland that surrounded the area. At one point we picked up some random people who were walking through the area – an old woman and her kid. The woman sat next to me and the kid was on top. The woman and our driver spoke to each other in Quecha, the local indigenous language which unsurprisingly sounds a bit like Japanese.
I slept for a lot of the way. The sun set at about six and was beautiful once again. Once night had fallen things were getting tight – I had a bus to La Paz to catch at 8. We were working our way through the desert outside Uyuni. The main obstacles were the small river valleys that crossed the area.
Then just as we were approaching one of the rivers, there were a group of people standing around and some cars. What was it? The driver explained it was the blockade. They had come off the roads to catch the people driving off-road as well – just like we were. This was bad news. I could miss my bus.
The strike was against the Washington Group. They were running a mine in the area that was full of silver. One of the concessions to the locals in return for letting them mine there was to build roads for the surrounding area. They had built one road – from the mine to the local village and to the airstrip that they had constructed, but nothing else. It seemed they were getting away with tons of silver without caring for the local population, some of the poorest people in the world.
The driver spoke to the people and then we drove off. “What’s happening?” I asked. Apparently we had to spend the night with the protesters at the main blockade about 300 metres away. Hmm. We drove towards them and then our driver killed the lights. The car behind us also did the same, but the third car in the convoy didn’t, which seemed a bit stupid. We turned around and started driving back towards Uyuni. Our car was faster than the others so we sped away quite well. Our driver phoned the others to make sure they were OK. After a bit of back and forth it turned out everyone was fine and we had all escaped the blockade without any trouble.
Then the main concern was to get to the bus station in time. As it was we arrived at around 7 so I had an hour. Everything was going to be OK.
I arrived at the bus and overheard two Irish girls talking about how they were held at the blockade for two nights before they managed to contact their consulate and arrange their release. Looked like we had a lucky escape. I also spoke to an older Dutch couple who were in our convoy but without a driver who spoke English. They had had no idea about what was going on!
On the bus they served a small spaghetti dinner which was lucky as I was thinking I would have to survive on snacks, given I didn’t have time for an evening meal. The bus was really good quality and thankfully I didn’t have to suffer the chickens and so on. Soon enough I was asleep and on my way to La Paz.
Reserva Eduardo Avaroa – Uyuni
We had a really early start today – 5.00 am – and the first thing I did was go to the toilet. I had also been awake coughing for half the night so I was pretty tired. But the night sky was clear and the starts were the brightest I ever saw on the whole trip. There was no light pollution this far from civilisation, and you could see the milky way clearly. We packed the cars and set off.
The first stop was a bunch of geysers that made the air smell of bad eggs. Their steam spouted off impressively though I noticed the locals had places a few rocks over them to increase the pressure. Well, it is all about the tourism around here after all. After that we stopped off at another place that had hot springs. It seemed a bit much to ask to get undressed in the freezing temperature to get into a hot spring but, after I had been to the toilet, everyone else was in and enjoying it so I guess if it was OK for them... I jumped in and it was absolutely lovely. With the post-dawn sun shining through the steam rising off the pool, it made for a magical experience. And it was my first wash since the start of the trip. After breakfast we were back in the car and the driver said I looked like a different person. So that wash was needed then.
We stopped off at a few more mountains, volcanoes and lagoons and dropped one of our number off at some place where he was getting a connection to Chile. We then had a long drive back to Uyuni. Usually it would take four hours, but because of the strikes we would have to go off-road, through the scrubland that surrounded the area. At one point we picked up some random people who were walking through the area – an old woman and her kid. The woman sat next to me and the kid was on top. The woman and our driver spoke to each other in Quecha, the local indigenous language which unsurprisingly sounds a bit like Japanese.
I slept for a lot of the way. The sun set at about six and was beautiful once again. Once night had fallen things were getting tight – I had a bus to La Paz to catch at 8. We were working our way through the desert outside Uyuni. The main obstacles were the small river valleys that crossed the area.
Then just as we were approaching one of the rivers, there were a group of people standing around and some cars. What was it? The driver explained it was the blockade. They had come off the roads to catch the people driving off-road as well – just like we were. This was bad news. I could miss my bus.
The strike was against the Washington Group. They were running a mine in the area that was full of silver. One of the concessions to the locals in return for letting them mine there was to build roads for the surrounding area. They had built one road – from the mine to the local village and to the airstrip that they had constructed, but nothing else. It seemed they were getting away with tons of silver without caring for the local population, some of the poorest people in the world.
The driver spoke to the people and then we drove off. “What’s happening?” I asked. Apparently we had to spend the night with the protesters at the main blockade about 300 metres away. Hmm. We drove towards them and then our driver killed the lights. The car behind us also did the same, but the third car in the convoy didn’t, which seemed a bit stupid. We turned around and started driving back towards Uyuni. Our car was faster than the others so we sped away quite well. Our driver phoned the others to make sure they were OK. After a bit of back and forth it turned out everyone was fine and we had all escaped the blockade without any trouble.
Then the main concern was to get to the bus station in time. As it was we arrived at around 7 so I had an hour. Everything was going to be OK.
I arrived at the bus and overheard two Irish girls talking about how they were held at the blockade for two nights before they managed to contact their consulate and arrange their release. Looked like we had a lucky escape. I also spoke to an older Dutch couple who were in our convoy but without a driver who spoke English. They had had no idea about what was going on!
On the bus they served a small spaghetti dinner which was lucky as I was thinking I would have to survive on snacks, given I didn’t have time for an evening meal. The bus was really good quality and thankfully I didn’t have to suffer the chickens and so on. Soon enough I was asleep and on my way to La Paz.
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