Bolivia

Bolivia is a whole other world. I didnt spend much time there though I plan to return for my understanding of this little secluded culture is not complete. It is one of the poorest countries in South America and yet the people seem to want to keep it that way. Now I dont say this out of fact or anything I heard it just seems that way. The land border also poses a very powerful cultural border. The is definitly a hard crust around the personality of the people that instantly evaporated the second I crossed the border to Argentina. I had a rough adjustment to the cold responses I recieved to questions that I was not used to from the warm people of Colombia. Though in this medium sized country there holds a whole lot more than poor people relations.

The food was way better than we expected from all the horror stories of blandness and bacteria filled soups. Riquisima was the food the colors in the shops was overwhelming. There was too much to buy and for way too cheap. We had a number of field days sweeping the streets for wall hangings and purses. I out did myself. But if you go to Bolivia for nothing else. Go for the earth.

I saw for beauty in the natural creations of the land than ever before. While Rocio wrote and rested in the hostal Debbie and I explored the strange floor of El Valle de La Luna. A moonlike valley with crazy rock formations and deep crevases created by dried of rivers and repeated flooding. Though there seemed to be no moisture in the air currently I felt vbery much like I was wondering what seemed like the surface of the moon with an occasional shrub. But whos really counting.

After La Paz we took a wonderful 4 day tour of the salt flats of Uyuni. We were a crew of six Umut from Turkey, Danielle from Australia, Raphael from Brasil and the three of us girls. In these for days I was bombarded with the worlds creations. A salt flat that went for miles in all directions with the apearance of ice. A strange island in the middle covered with very penile looking cacti. Flamigos, foxes, llamas, and a stray emu. We saw numerous lagunas of strange colors. beautiful white capped mountains and steaming valcanos. Geysers and deserted towns of maybe 200 people. We drove for hours across desert of many shades to run into a valley of rock formations 30 meters high carved by the wind. I was in nature heaven. Not to mention our little group became a tight nit team quite fast.

Danielle and I discussed it when I pointed out that the first night we had separate rooms Rocio, Debbie and I in one and the others in other rooms. THe second night we opted to all share a room though us three girls were on one side and the other three on the other. The third night I looked around and we were all mixed up. It worked out nicely especially when we found ourselves listening to the same Bolivian folklore tape, a group called Alaska, for every hour in the car and did I mention that the last day was a 9 hour drive back.

The hard thing about Boliva was the honesty of the people. You can buy a bus ticket but really not know if the bus is gonna come at all or not so you gotta stay on the workers toes until you have your ride outta there. But we survived and after four different bus rides we made it to Argentina shortley after though Bolivia left me with a wonderful present of a bacteria infection in my intestines which I am just now on the recovery I hope.

I will fill you in on the last week as well. For a week we have been in the north of Argentina we had a wonderful time in the little town of Humahuaca where we ushered ourselves into the world of empanada eating and matte drinking. I am really getting the hang of a Buenos Aires accent and an outside of Buenos Aires accent. For all the travelers here are from Buenos Aires. Now I dont have much to share of the last five days becuase I mainly spent them wallowing in misery of my bacteria filled stomach. But we did spend many days in the city of Salta where Rocio and Debbie were able to rejoice in there new connection woth civilization. So while I rested and moaned they waxed and did laundry and checked out the city. I am writing this from Cafayate a wonderful wine country town where the wine is delicious a glass is 30 cents and a bottle is 2 dollars. Ver very nice.