Week #20
The Salt Flats did not disappoint! A tour from Uyuni to Tupiza and arriving in Tarija.
October 8, 16:13
The bus just left he busstation at Potosí to go to Uyuni. We were so excited to spend a nice day in Potosí, but we didn’t do the research. It was Sunday, so almost everything was closed. The museum we wanted to go to, churches we wanted to visit, coffeeshops where we wanted to relax, markets we wanted to see. Everything. And on top of that: my dad threw up on his pants. Altitude really is a bitch. We brought him back tot the hotel to rest for a few hours, so now he’s feeling a bit better, luckily. But other than that, Potosí is a really nice city! And the local soup with a volcanic rock thrown into it, Khalapurka, was really really good!
October 9, 18:01
This was just insane! We visited the famous Salt Flats today. And for as far as you can see, it’s all white. A shape of mountains in the far distance and a clear blue sky above. This was one of the places I was most excited about visiting, like almost every other tourist in Bolivia, and it did not disappoint! It was just incredible to see and because of the immense size, it sometimes still felt like we were the only people there! Super happy I got to go here with my parents. One of the most beautiful and impressive places in the WORLD and I am here, with my parents. Crazy life.
But of course: a picture is worth a thousand words. So here: to the value of 8000 words:
October 10, 17:08
Oh my god, look at all those flamingos! I have never seen this many this close in the wild. And not at one lake. No. At every lake we drive past! Flamingos everywhere! Also, they don’t stand on one leg here. Not one. Every single flamingo stands on two legs. And we have a theory about it: because it’s so windy at this high altitude, they will fall if they stand on one leg. So they have to stand on two.
October 11, 20:13
VICUÑA, VICUÑAS, look LLAMAS, more VICUÑAS, LLAMAS. This was basically what you could hear in our car today. We also visited an active geyser and some more pretty lakes, but the animals are what excite me the most. And I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of looking at them. Such interesting creatures.
I am laying in bed and luckily I already feel a little bit better, cause after the hot spring I did NOT feel good. I think the heath, not enough food and altitude finally got to me too. (My mom was the one feeling really bad last night) It still was a great day though, with great views and muchas LLAMAS y VICUÑAS.
October 12, 15:12
Only ten more minutes in the car and then we are in Tupiza! We are driving through the famous red mountains surrounding the city. Absolutely beautiful! The day has been rough though. We left at 7 in the morning and only had a few little stops every now and then. Mostly to look at llamas, one lunch stop in a dry lake bed surrounded by huge rocks and one at an abandoned city of ruins, said to be the first Spanish town in Bolivia. It was a crazy tour, but I am so so happy we are almost at the end. As beautiful as the landscapes are, they have been very similar. And 4 days in the car, even when not driving yourself, are so tiring. Not to mention the stupid guide we have on this tour. All he did was point at rocks and say ‘look that look like monkey’, ‘it look like bird’. Just shut up and tell us something interesting about the nature and environment. We think that if you get an English speaking guide, the ‘quality’ of the guide drops. So if you ever find yourself looking for a tour through the Eduardo National Park and the Salt Flats, just go with a Spanish speaking guide. The level of English of many guides isn’t good enough anyway to be able to tell something interesting. So might as well safe some money and get a better guide.
October 13, 15:22
Alright, the plan is this: my mom and I are going out to buy snacks and drinks. My dad is going to shower, cause he still smells like horses. And Mike will meet us in half an hour at our hotel. We went horse back riding this morning through the canyon just outside of Tupiza. First time on a horse, for all three of us, so we all were a bit nervous, but unnecessary so cause it was so much fun! The horses knew exactly where they were going and were listening really well, so it was super easy. And now this afternoon we’re gonna relax by the pool and play some cards. Ultimate vacation feeling. I hope Mike can handle the intensiveness and competitiveness of our family when playing cards. It can get tense.
October 14, 17:38
We are getting ready to go out for dinner. My mom found a place online so we don’t have to go on a hunt anymore, which is very nice. We arrived in Tarija around 13:00 and then immediately went for a stroll around the city. It feels like such a nice place! People are having a drink outside on terraces, the streets are clean, the temperature is nice, locals are super friendly. I love it!
Although, we are feeling a bit emotional right now, cause it’s the last full evening with my parents. Tomorrow they have to be at the airport around 19:30. Time has gone by soooo fast these past two weeks. It was so nice to go backpacking with my parents! Showing them what I have been doing all this time. And what a privilege to be able to do this with both my parents. I’m super grateful and happy we got to/ are doing this.