Days 198 & 199 - Wednesday 5th & Thursday 6th April 2006
After arriving in Potosi at 2am and having to search around for a place to kip, we slept in a bit. First it was a stop in a Salteña restuarant where we hungrily devoured two of the cornish pasty type treats, before we headed to a travel agency to book a trip to the infamous mines of Potosi for the following morning.
Days 196 & 197 - Monday 3rd & Tuesday 4th April 2006
We awoke to much better weather - sun shining, no clouds. This put me in a better mood. I reckon I must have some kind of SAD syndrome going on. It was a totally different landscape from the day before, desert plains and the only snow in sight was atop the peaks that rose maejstically above, seeming close but in reality miles away.
Day 195 - Sunday 2nd April 2006
5am came around pretty sharpish. There was a little suprise waiting when we got up as well - 2 inches of snow! As we set out about an hour later we sat in the back freezing our nuts off. That pretty much sets the scene for the entire day!
Day 194 - Saturday 1st April 2006
As we awoke in the village we found out just how remote it was - nothing around as far as the eye could see. At breakfast we were informed that our replaccment jeep would arrive at around 1pm. Naturally we assumed that would be more like 3pm.
Day 193 - Friday 31st March 2006
After nipping into Tupiza town to get some breakfast (a pastie type thing named a Salteña) we loaded our packs onto the waiting 4×4 whichwould be our transport for the next 4 days for our trip to the Salt Plains. Things started slowly. The driver made a few stops picking up last minute provisions and obtaining our tickets for the National Parks which we would be visiting. We left town via a track on yet another dried up river bed, bumping our way along the gravelly surface.
Day 192 - Thursday 30th March 2006
Close by the town of Tupiza there were a few opportunities to spendan afternoon hiking,and in keeping with my idea of getting out of the town more often, that is exactly what I decided to do. The six of us all decided to hike to a place known as El Cañon, and with a name like The Canyon we supposed it must be impressive. Or maybe it was just that the locals lacked imagination.
Day 191 - Wednesday 29th March 2006
Arriving at the Bolivian border at 7am the formalities were pretty straightforward and I got another stamp in my passport. It was immediately obvious as I walked from the border to the bus terminal that Bolivia was definately not a first world country.
