South America - Bolivia & Peru, July 2010

 

*Welcome to Bolivia*

As I wiled away my time on the 26 hour bus journey north from Argentina, I eagerly awaited Bolivia, South America´s poorest country but the highest, most isolated and most rugged nation. After spending a small fortune travelling the length of Argentina, my wallet couldn't wait for dirt cheap Bolivia. First evening in Tupiza, I made a mistake, tucking into an 80p burger and chips which hadn't been freshly cooked. My delicate Westerner´s tummy wasn't ready, and 24 hours later after my debut horse ride in canyon country, I found myself sprinting out of an internet cafe to spew on the street - not nice!

I survived a rather rough night and felt well enough to face my pre-booked 4 day Salar de Uyuni tour. I was a shivering ghost for the initial few days, as I struggled with the altitude and the sickness aftereffects. But I enjoyed some cracking mountain and lake scenery, the company of 4 crazy girls from France, Japan and Israel, and the grand finale of the tour, the Salt Flats at sunrise.

*Playing with fire*

Potosí, the world's highest city at 4070m, has been mining silver since the 16th century. Millions have died and thousands work the mines today, working shifts of up to 24 hours, worshiping their devil known as Tío, and chewing coca leaves to help with fatigue, hunger, cold and altitude. I did the customary mine tour, dodging laden mine carts thundering along narrow tunnels, meeting miners at work, including many children, crawling through dark shafts, and blowing up dynamite!

*One big high*

Backpackers like to talk, and word of mouth is invaluable to learning trade secrets and discovering the must-see sights. When I first heard of Huayna Potosí, I was full of awe and liked the sound of this kind of adventure. The 3-day trip from La Paz involved some gentle acclimatisation, hiking and ice climbing practice on a glacier during the first couple of days. The hard grind of the final day began with a midnight wake up and breakfast. We began a slow walk at 1am in darkness, with a head torch, ice ax and crampons, linked by rope to our buddy and our guide. This seemingly endless zombie procession lasted 5 1/2 hours, culminating in a final steep ascent to reach the summit at 6088m, just in time for sunrise. Wow, what a reward!! The view from the narrow peak was incredible - one big high!

*The Death Road*

´The World's Most Dangerous Road´, as they like to call it, plunges 3600m in height over the 64km stretch from just outside La Paz to near Coroico. Plenty of vehicles dropped off the edge before a replacement road was build a few years ago. Now the tourists have it mostly to themselves to zoom down as fast as gravity will take them. Many cyclists have died, careering over the cliff edges, including one Israeli girl a few weeks before I did the cycle. Thankfully I survived to tell the tail, and had a blast flying down, with no near misses! It was cool starting muffled up in the chilly mountains, and finishing a few hours later in hot and humid jungle-like conditions!

*DIY Inca Ruins*

Cuzco is a magnet for tourists wanting to hike the Inca Trail, set eyes on Machu Picchu and visit other Inca ruins. Results - sky high entrance, tour and transport prices. DIY adventurous option for me - 3 days, 4 minivan rides, 3 buses, 2 taxis, 1 train, 2 hitch-hikes, hours of hiking in light and darkness later - Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley conquered! Machu Picchu is such an iconic sight; it was great seeing it for some precious minutes, free from people, after being one of the first through the door at 6am. It is rightfully one of Peru's highlights!

*Colca Canyon condors*

One of the world's deepest canyons, Colca, is impressive. I hiked down 1000m to a delightful little oasis for a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. Unfortunately after a few hours of relaxing, I had to hike back up during the afternoon´s baking heat. The ice-cream at the top tasted delightful! I then played a game of dodge with the tourist police to avoid paying a tenner to visit a condor lookout point. I stayed on the bus 5 minutes longer and hopped off at another (free) clifftop lookout. I only saw one magnificent condor glide effortlessly by, but enjoyed saving the cash and avoiding the hordes of tourists!

*Huaraz hardcore hiking*

I earmarked a fortnight for two big hikes near Huaraz, which is ‘mountains central’ in Peru. I had assumed paid tours were necessary, but other backpackers hinted that it was straightforward to do it yourself. In the tours, donkeys carry your backpack, your tent is erected before your arrival at camp, and all your meals are cooked for you; too easy, I thought!

First, I did the Santa Cruz 4-day hike myself, renting gear and carrying everything I needed to survive. This was a bit of a struggle, I admit, with the altitudes making it a little tougher than Duke of Edinburgh hiking days! The rucksack thankfully got lighter as I munched my heap of food. There were some cool views, but the cloudy weather meant I didn't see it at its finest, but I was satisfied that I had taken the challenge and the more adventurous option!

I met Peter Hubbard, my fellow athletics club mate from Edinburgh, who was cycling the length of South America (follow his progress and stories here: http://peterhubbard.blogspot.com)! I had thought taking a tour to do the Cordillera Huayhuash hike was a must, but Pete casually suggested we do it ourselves, and I didn't need much arm twisting! So we did a big shop for 10 days of food, I hired some gear, and off we went the next day. We had an awesome 9 days of adventure with perfect weather, spectacular mountain vistas and some cool local encounters. The stories will have to wait!

*Mountains - beach - jungle*

After 2 months at high altitude, I looked forward to warmer climates, heading to the beach for a couple of days of chilling in Huanchaco on the Pacific Ocean. Then I flew to Iquitos in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon for my first jungle experience. A rush of heat and humidity greeted me as I stepped off the plane, and it didn't let up one bit there forward! I did a fun 5 day trip with endless wildlife encounters and new experiences - monkeys galore, pink and grey dolphins, snakes, frogs, snakes, parrots, spiders, bats and much more. I swam in the Amazon River and a jungle lake. I went fishing and ate my catch for lunch, albeit only a bite size portion! I camped a night away from the comfort of the lodge and kept my sanity in the midst of swarms of mosquitoes; all rather different from Edinburgh living!

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I´ve got 1 month to explore the delights of Columbia, then 2 weeks for a Brazilian taster. I will be back in Edinburgh on 15 August and I start teacher training at Moray House on 23 August. I will enjoy the remainder of my long holiday while I can!