Bolivia - now really a different world! After crossing the border at La Quiaca in only about 3 minutes (my fastest border crossing in South America so far!), I had to wait for the bus. My first impressions: everything much more chaotic, colorful, and slow. Everything is slow here, really slow! The bus starts loading about an hour before departure (you have to be there at least half an hour early), since the whole procedure takes ages. Then there are about 20 people in the aisle, standing for the whole ride. The bus ride for about 80km took a good four hours, including the change of one of the front wheels as it had a puncture. This is actually no surprise given the quality of the dirt roads.
The drive to Tupiza leads through stunning landscapes. Serrated rocks in all shades of red, different species of giant cacti, beautiful hills on the altiplano. Tupiza turns out to be a pleasant small town, today is the market day and many people from the surrounding villages come into town to buy and sell stock. Many beautiful old women in brightly colored skirts, boulder hats and the typical carrying cloth containing the vegetables, herbs, and the odd baby. Unfortunately they are not very fond of the relatively numerous gringos (well, you know every other foreigner in town within about two hours, but still, they seem to receive more than enough tourists hereabouts), and having their picture taken is something they obviously do not like at all.
Tried to chat a little with one of the old women selling all sorts of magical remedies including at least a hundred different herbs and dried parts of plants, mummified llama fetuses (apparently very popular with easter), armadillos, birds, toucan beaks and so on. She really would not like me to take any photographs. What a shame. Sat around on the street to watch people and street life, this already being totally fascinating! Just had the best pizza so far in South America - with goat cheese and sweet corn, yum! (Disculpen amigos argentinos, pero és así!)
I am very glad I have learned some Spanish in Buenos Aires! This was already a delight in Argentina, of course, but here it just allows for a completely different experience. Sorting out the necessary stuff for traveling (at times a little odd and inefficient in Bolivia!) is now a real pleasure. Being able to talk to the locals transforms the experience totally! Well, there are quite a few people who actually do not speak Spanish. But still.
So far, Bolivia is a tremendously positive surprise! The people are very friendly (at least the ones who are not so reserved), found very nice travel companions, accomodation turns out to be almost luxurious (I am sharing a double room with TV and private bath room with a nice Canadian girl I met on the bus), food is good, all fine! But slow. Had to wait about an hour for my pizza, one other customer in the restaurant... The internet is extremely sluggish, almost slower than the net in Tilcara during the rain. So no way I can upload any pictures from here. Maybe from Sucre or La Paz.
Tomorrow I will be taking off for the four day jeep tour through the altiplano to see the lagoons, volcanoes, and the salt lake of Uyuni. So it might be a little while until you hear from me again.
