Tales from the Gringo Trail (Part 2)

Bolivia

Leaving the bus terminal I bumped into a Mexican traveler, Roberto, and we walked to the border crossing. Later I discover he is a TV celebrity in Mexico, a kind of Mexican Steve Urwin. The crossing from La Quiaca in Argentina to Villazon in Bolivia was quick and easy. The immigration offices are less than 30 metres apart and arriving at lunch time gave me plenty of time to cross and then buy a train ticket to Tupiza.

Villazon was like any border town I've been to. Narrow streets lines with currency changers and many clothes shops. At 3600 metres altitude the air was a bit thin and a few coca leaves were needed to stave of the tiredness.

Great Train Journeys of the World

The clean and modern train departed from Villazon on time at 3.30 in the afternoon. The first part of the journey was through desert like scenery and scrub. The tracks were very uneven and progress was very slow. Dropping 500m metres we were suddenly in a different world. Towering, eroded red mountains, lush green vegetation and the river next to the railway running red from the iron deposits. In the railway carriage the TV screen was showing the latest 'Mummy' film which was completely at odds with the splendor of the scenery outside. An incredible but short journey of only 3 hours with the train arriving in Tupiza on time. The train continued to Uyuni and Oruro but at night and at an altitude of over 3000 metres this is maybe not so enjoyable.

The Land That Time Forgot

After almost a year and a half of travel I´ve already used all the words I can to describe scenery and landscapes. I´ll have to use them all again but now with ten times the meaning for the landscapes in Bolivia. They are really that amazing(x10). An incredible surprise!

From Tupiza it was a 4 day jeep trip to Uyuni to see the Salar de Uyuni. The worlds largest salt flats. With my three new friends, Roberto, Carly and Judy, we had hired a jeep with driver and cook for the trip.


Departing from Tupiza early the next day the old Toyota Landcruiser struggled up the steep mountain road out of Tupiza, battery terminal coming off making the jeep suddenly stop and finally over heating at the top. No problem our driver was a top class mechanic, using muddy water from a puddle for coolant he had it all sorted while we took photos of the scenery. For some reason we all had complete faith in our driver and jeep for this 4 day journey to the back of beyond. Our drivers skills were again shown fixing a puncture, using an axe the on the wheel's split rims.



The journey took us up to the snow line and down past small towns and nearby mines, herds of llamas. Passing colourful lakes and rainbow coloured mountains I would not have been surprised to see hunter gatherers chasing long extinct animals.

Travelling through this alien landscape I arrived at Lagoona Colarada. If this was an alien landscape, the flamingos were the perfect alien birds. The bright pink birds feeding from the red lake, red and yellow mountains behind, if I´d have seen this as a photo I´d have thought the colours had been changed on it.

Before we reaching the salt flats we cross the railway that links Bolivia to Chile the coast. Bolivia lost the War of the Pacific against Chile and as a result has no coast line. The Chileans built the railway from the coast to Bolivia as a consolation to allow trade to the sea. Bolivia still disputes this loss of land. The Bolivian Navy is now restricted to patrolling the waters of Lake Titicaca.

Millions of years ago when South America was flat, Atlantic Ocean reached far into the continent. With the action of the earths plates and the formation of the Andes part of the sea was enclosed by mountains and lifted up to a height of 3500m. The water evaporated and Salir de Uyuni was formed. The largest salt flats in the world. Climbing on the rocks at the edge of the salt flats it was amazing to find the rock were in fact coral from the sea that was once here. On top of the coral was lava from the many surrounding volcanoes.

We were up 5am to drive out onto the salt flats and see the sunrise. With the cold temperatures and white everywhere outside it felt like we were driving through snow.

Bad bus trips of the world

The bus journey from Uyuni to Potosi was entirely on 'dirt roads' and sometimes using convenient dry river beds, a roller coaster of a trip through the mountains. Along the side of the bus was written 'Comfort Security and Elegance'. This I found highly amusing on this 20 year old bus with luggage on the roof, no leg room and the aisle filled with people standing for most of the six hour journey.

Potosi

Bolivia was full of surprises, Potosi at 4060 metres above sea level is the world's highest city, I was expecting a drab and bleak city. I was greeted by a city of elegance, colour and vibrancy. Once the richest city in South America in Spanish colonial times, created from the nearby silver mines in the mountain that towers over Potosi, Cerro Rico.

The mines financed the Spanish Empire for over 200 years. The mountain has the name 'The mountain that eats men alive'. Maybe as many as 8 million people have lost their lives in the mines in Potosi, mostly indigenous people and African slaves who were forced to work for 20 hours a day in appalling conditions. People work in the mines today, still in medieval conditions. The mines are full of toxic dust and silicosis is a major problem, once the miners contract this illness they only live a few years more. The American film 'The Devils Miner' made in 2005 shows the life of a 14 year old boy working in the mines, watch it and you´ll see what I saw here. I took a trip into the mines and was horrified with the conditions. Walking through unlit tunnels climbing ladders into a tiny enclosed space, I watched a miner hammering at the rock to create a hole for a stick of dynamite. I was almost suffocating from the lack of air and the dusty atmosphere. I was told by the guide that this miner would work here for 10 hours he and was already dying from silicosis. The miners chew on coca leaves which helps them deal with the conditions. Below ground they pay homage to the god 'El Tio'.

The Spanish mine owners created this god to scare the indigenous workers. They give alcohol, cigarettes and coca leaves as an offering to El Tio in return for his protection. We took gifts for the miners and their children. The families live beside the mines so they can stop their equipment from being stolen.

The Cerro Rico was once 1000ft higher and it is now forbidden to remove material from the summit, so the city´s landmark doesn´t disappear forever. Last year 15,000 miners were working in the mines but now there are only 5,000 due to falling mineral prices and as a result mining is no longer the main industry in Potosi. A far cry from the colonial days.

Later when visiting the Casa de la Moneda (The Royal Mint museum) it is very ironic that after years of Bolivia producing coins for Spain, Spain now produces some of the coins for Bolivia. Inside the museum, the giant wooden machinery used to produce the strips of silver for the coins was perfectly preserved by the high altitude. When the mules which powered the machines died, they used slaves from Africa instead.

Risky Planet

Sucre had been the scene of recent riots and fighting. On the streets there was no evidence of this and the city had returned to normal. Country people fighting with town´s people fighting with the police. A complicated situation that I can´t begin to explain. Bolivia is a divided country on many levels, geographically, politically and ethnically. The majority are indigenous people, who are poor and live in the highlands. The rich minority live in the lowlands that include the mineral rich areas of Santa Cruz and Tarija and are of Spanish desent. El Presedente Evo Morales (the first indigenous president) was discussing redistribution of wealth from the lowlands to help the large population of poor people in the highlands. This sparked a revolt in the lowlands with rioting and talk of the separation. A referendum was announced and the country was at peace.

Travelling through the highlands of the country he has almost complete support, every building has Evo painted on the side of it and a big tick.

Sucre is the Judicial Capital of Bolivia and has many fine buildings all white washed. It´s a fantastic city and not at all what I expected to find in Bolivia!

Happy that Sucre was a safe place, for the time being, I decided to make it my home for Christmas and New Year. I would also be away from the back packer hoards in the bigger towns. I contacted the Fox Language Academy and enrolled for more Spanish lessons and also volunteered as a classroom assistant to help teach English to under privileged people. The school is non profit making and the money I paid for Spanish lessons helped to pay for under privileged people people to learn English.

I spent Christmas Eve at the house of the School's director with his family and friends eating traditional food. Christmas Eve is a sober affair in Bolivia, New Year's eve is when they party. My Spanish teacher had asked me if I wanted a lesson on Christmas day, I was a bit surprised but agreed when she told me her husband was unemployed and she needed money to by her children presents.

The out stretched hand begging for money was an all too common sight in Sucre. The poor people go to the main square on Christmas morning hoping to be given food or anything. A few of us at the hostel grouped together to buy some food to give out there.

On New Year´s eve there was a big celebration in the square with music organised fireworks and more concerning, everybody elses fireworks. It was 200 hundred years since the start of the revolution against the Spanish colonialists.

La Paz

Arriving to La Paz by bus is one of the most amazing way to arrive to the city. Driving along the edge of the high plateau the whole of La Paz can be seen in the valley below. It´s almost like flying into the city. It´s an incredible city, very busy with chaotic street markets everywhere. Culturally interesting with very high quality museums and art galleries.

The Coca Museum was very informative about the indigenous peoples use of the coca leaves. The leaves act as a mild stimulant, allow you to work longer and stave off hunger. They are also nutritious and help the effects of altitude and are not addictive. The indigenous people have used the leaves for thousands of years and it is part of their culture. I personally found a cup of coca leaf tea in the morning most enjoyable. The USA is trying to eradicate all coca plants in South America because of their use in the manufacture of Cocaine. Evo Morales (an ex coca plant farmer himself) has expelled the US Drug Enforcement Agency from Bolivia with the reasoning that the cocaine abuse is a problem of the USA not Bolivia.

Each afternoon there were demonstrations along the main street. Camposinos (country people) marching with shirts off, flying the multicoloured indigenous flag and letting off homemade fire crackers. It sounded like a war zone and the police were out in force with riot shields. A sinister squad of police motorcyclists prowled the streets with the pillion holding a rubber bullet gun with a fearsome stack of ammunition on the waist. We´re told to avoid political demonstrations in case they turn nasty but this was irresistible to watch.

The World´s Most Dangerous Road

Quite a claim. Built by Paraguayan prisoners of war in the 1930's it was once the only road between La Paz and Coroico. Ironically the Paraguayan´s are still managing to kill Bolivians long after the war was over. Before the road was 'closed' to traffic an average of 100 people were killed every year. I had seen photos of the road with trucks passing each other and massive drop offs at the side of the road. A new road has been built now and the road is 'almost´only used for down hill mountain biking. 64km long with a vertical drop of 3345m.

Not recommended in January and February due to the rainy season and resultant landslides, but what the hell, it couldn´t be that bad and there was no way I was going to miss this opportunity. Kitted out with super cool down hill mountain bike, with massive suspension travel, disc brakes, tyres that wouldn´t have looked out of place on a motorbike and a full face crash helmet the 'Downhill Madness' was to commence. 24KM on tarmac loosing 1000m then 4km up and down. These beasts were not designed for going up hill, undeterred 4 of us cycle the section, the rest go in the minibus. We reach the 'death road' itself, a dirt road with no crash barriers, many crosses mark where people have died. Exciting stuff.

The Corners of Death being the most exciting with the road cut into near vertical cliff with 100´s of meters of drop to the jungle below. Waterfalls cascaded over the road. All very safe though, we only meet one jeep going the other way. Without traffic it´s now pretty safe, the guide kept the speed down and I found the bikes weren´t geared for flat out speed, but I guess the consequences of crashing could have been fatal. The scenery was amazing, the experience of cycling though the mountains of Bolivia was unmissable and riding a Rockymountain DH bike worth $3500 was awesome.

On route to Peru was Lake Titicaca and the Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) important in Inca mythology as the birth place of the sun. A tranquil island to spend a day or two and it´s incredibly beautiful. A fitting end to five weeks of travel in Bolivia where I found the people friendly and welcoming and the country was generally safe to travel in, but maybe I´d been lucky again.

Since leaving Bolivia I learned that Evo Morales has won the referendum to change the constitution in favour of the majority, the indigenous people. In Sucre I witnessed the NO campaign with posters likening Evo Morales to other South American dictators such as Pinochet and Hugo Chavez. He may not be perfect but having seen the poverty at first hand in Bolivia I cannot argue against his reasoning to help the poor majority. I hope and wish for peace and prosperity in this beautiful country.