Sorry blog readers for the lack of posts recently. We were at first lazy and now finding Swiss internet very expensive and slow. As most of you probably know we have now left South America and are in Europe. We will endeavour to update the blog with pictures when we get a chance. We landed in London on the 14th of July and spent a couple of days there and caught up with lots of friends there which was great.
We are now in the campervan (Betty) having come through the north of Italy through Switzerland and now on the south side of Lake Geneva probably going to France tomorrow.
ISABELLA
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Argentina, Buenos Aires (1st edition)
After San Pedro we arrived in Salta, Argentina where we were very excited to have our first great meal since Mendoza. Unfortunately though Phil caught a stomach bug and stayed in bed the whole time we were in Salta. After much deliberation, we booked our bus tickets to Buenos Aires. We didnt spare any thought to the budget and bought the executive suite bus which was well worth the money. Unfortunately before we got on the bus Adrienne started feeling sick as well and has since spent the last few days in Buenos Aires feeling bad, although the site of a shopping mall and Zara did a lot to make her feel better.
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
There are two cash machines in San Pedro and they only work sporatically. We were lucky as when we got there the machines were in the process of being fixed, so after two hours wait we were able to actually get cash out. Unfortunately we tried to get too much cash out and the ATM ate some of our money. Long story short, we found the idiots who were fixing the other ATM and asked them to come back and get our money. Our cash was jammed in the ATM and we watched hopefully as they took it out, unfortunately however they had some lame idea that our transaction would not go and therefore refused to give us the rest of our money. After multiple attempts to speak to them calmly our spanish gave out and we left, leaving it to HSBC to sort out. We are not the only ones that this happens to as the cash machines always jam, funnily enough tourists get 5000 notes and locals get 10,000, we think this may be a great money making venture for the local banks. 
After that we couldnt do too much in the fear that we ran out of money. Phil, Kelly and Steve did however go sandboarding in the nearby sanddunes. They had a fantastic time although were knackered at having to walk back up the sanddunes after sandboarding down. Phil is still finding sand in his ear, shoes and other orrifices after caning out at one point.
After that we couldnt do too much in the fear that we ran out of money. Phil, Kelly and Steve did however go sandboarding in the nearby sanddunes. They had a fantastic time although were knackered at having to walk back up the sanddunes after sandboarding down. Phil is still finding sand in his ear, shoes and other orrifices after caning out at one point.
Bolivia, Salt Flats & High Andes
Due to the current political strikes going on around Bolivia, we could not get the highly recommended train from Oruro to Uyuni, as the protestors had blocked the train tracks. Unfortunately for us that meant the only way down was by bus, something we had heard a lot about and spent a lot of time researching and planning to avoid. But alas it was unavoidable so we forked out a whole US30 each on the newest tourist bus in Bolivia, circa 1980, and made the 10 hour bus trip down to Uyuni. The road was as everyone had described, really really bumpy and not at all comfortable but we did manage to sleep a little despite the ice on the inside of the window and the contents of our stomach rattling.
In Uyuni we met up with Eadine, Ken, Steve and Kelly, who we had met in Cocacabana, to start the Salt Flat Tour. After a fantastic breakfast of pancakes and spiced apple for Adrienne we were on our way, although first stop was the liqour store for a couple of bottles of the wine, either for bribing the driver or consuming if it really was as cold as everyone was saying. Ken and Eadine had kindly booked our tour with a Blueline Tours for us, so 
we were saved the hustle and bargaining of the early morning tour companies at the bus 
station. The Salt Flats are amazing, created by the drying up of a prehistoric lake and rewetted many times, leaving the evaporated salt deposits. The final formation being about 40,000 years old. It is the largest salt flat on earth and the flattest place on earth, apparently NASA uses it 
to calibrate their satellites its that flat. After the salt flat we climbed further into the higher plato to the south of Bolivia where the terrain turned to desert and was extremely cold especially at night. 
Phil regrets not bringing his puffy jacket as this would have been the 2nd time it would have been cold enough to actually wear it.
Close to the Chilean border we got to 4900+ metres where there were geysers, mud pools, and slightly lower down some hot springs and flamingo filled lagoons.
Phil was the only one of our group brave enough to actually get in the hot springs as it involved getting undressed in the subdawn freezing conditions. He waited until the sun rose before he got out. The towel and thermal pants he wore in the 
hotsprings promptly froze over while we had breakfast. Instead of going back up to Uyuni, we decided to hop off our tour, along with our tour buddies, and go to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. We are so happy we made that decision until we experienced the cash inept town that is San Pedro.
In Uyuni we met up with Eadine, Ken, Steve and Kelly, who we had met in Cocacabana, to start the Salt Flat Tour. After a fantastic breakfast of pancakes and spiced apple for Adrienne we were on our way, although first stop was the liqour store for a couple of bottles of the wine, either for bribing the driver or consuming if it really was as cold as everyone was saying. Ken and Eadine had kindly booked our tour with a Blueline Tours for us, so 
we were saved the hustle and bargaining of the early morning tour companies at the bus 
station. The Salt Flats are amazing, created by the drying up of a prehistoric lake and rewetted many times, leaving the evaporated salt deposits. The final formation being about 40,000 years old. It is the largest salt flat on earth and the flattest place on earth, apparently NASA uses it 
to calibrate their satellites its that flat. After the salt flat we climbed further into the higher plato to the south of Bolivia where the terrain turned to desert and was extremely cold especially at night. 
Phil regrets not bringing his puffy jacket as this would have been the 2nd time it would have been cold enough to actually wear it.Close to the Chilean border we got to 4900+ metres where there were geysers, mud pools, and slightly lower down some hot springs and flamingo filled lagoons.
Phil was the only one of our group brave enough to actually get in the hot springs as it involved getting undressed in the subdawn freezing conditions. He waited until the sun rose before he got out. The towel and thermal pants he wore in the 
hotsprings promptly froze over while we had breakfast. Instead of going back up to Uyuni, we decided to hop off our tour, along with our tour buddies, and go to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. We are so happy we made that decision until we experienced the cash inept town that is San Pedro.La Paz, Bolivia
La Paz, administrative capital of Bolivia, is a large city surrounded by the Andes with approximately 1.5million. Here Phil and I shopped in the markets and tried the various delicacies that Bolivia has to offer, in particular the English pub and the "traditional english indian curry house!" where llama tika masala was one of the house specialities. Phil and I both purchased jeans at the black market and Phils US10 Calvin Kleins lasted a whole day before the colour went out of them. Apparently the reason girls jeans are twice as expensive as the guys is that they are originals = YEAH RIGHT. The witches market was interesting with dried llama fetuses being their speciality, which the locals bury the foundations of their house for good luck. Another site was one of the locals dinner, chicken feet soup, luckily we didnt get a chance to try such a delicacy.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Copacabana, La Paz
Cocacabana is a little town on the edge of Lake Titicaca and a great place to just stay and hang out a little. After being recommended by our friends Nicolette and Stef, we stayed in La Cupula hostel (the splurge option in the Lonely Planet – a big US20 per night!) and met some great couples who we have since been travelling with. Our only really touristy event during our three day stay was to visit "Isla del Sol" (translated Island of the Sun) which is an island about 1 mile off the coast of Cocacabana. It may have only been a mile but with a boat full of 50 or more people and only one outboard engine it took a little over 2 hours. The island itself was a bit of a let down but still a nice days walk.
Sunset over Copacabana
As promised dad here is a map to make it slightly easer to look up the encyclopedia (we leave tonight from La Paz to Uyuni (Bolivia), then to San Pedro (Chile), Salta (Argentina) Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls (Argentina Brazil Border), Rio (Brazil). Oh and maybe Uruguay on the way.
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