That's when things started heading South

The last stop on my Bolivian adventure was the world largest and highest salt flats in Uyuni. The landscape is other worldly, like a sea of white stretching in every direction. Without sun glasses a person could go blind in a matter of no time. Also a person's skin could fall off at the elevation that the salt flats are at. Once a massive interior sea in the highs of the Andes, now Uyuni is an other worldly site to see.

The salt flats are a world heritage site and the Bolivian government has recognized their extreme importance to the tourism and development of this out of reach area of Southwestern Bolivia. While that may seem amazing, there is always something there to ruin it. The worlds largest untapped lithium reserves lie under the salt flats. With the growing demand for heavy metals to charge the batteries we all seem to need, lithium prices have flown through the roof. It is now only a matter of time until the salt flats are torn up to mine the valuable lithium below.

There is more to the Southwest circuit then just the salt flats. The area contains volcanoes, rock formations, sand dunes, lagoons full of flamingos, wildlife, and geysers. In order to see all of these areas one must go on one of the many tours that do this circuit. A lot of the trip is spent doing normal road trip things in the end.

Of course there is the wildlife as well. Vacuñas, Flamingos, and Foxes.

The landscape of the Southwest is amazing. The high elevation desert creates a type of landscape I would imagine dinosaurs wandering around. Its amazing to see rocks that have been carved out only by the wind and sand through millions of years.

Going Up!

La Paz is the capital. When you arrive in Sucre, they will remind you that they are (kind of) and used to be the exclusive capital of Bolivia. They very much are not. They maybe the home of the judicial branch but their days of being the center of Bolivia active is over. Santa Cruz has taken over the business center and La Paz is the center of the Bolivian government. Sucre looks like the capital. The buildings are all white-washed giving it a Spanish colonial feel.

My time in Sucre was short. I was massively running out of time and the rich city center of Sucre had little to offer my imagination. I took a little private car winding steeply up to the highest city on earth, Potosi.

Potosi is famous as the place where all of the Spanish empire's silver came from. At one time, the mines of Potosi paid off the Spanish debt and the streets were literally paved in silver. The famous book "Open Veins of Latin America" by Eduardo Galeano tells the story of the uses of Potosi, which quickly became the most important city for the Spanish in South America. This is not a happy story though. Hundreds of thousands of indigenous and African slaves died in the mountain. The hell that Potosi represents is a dark mark in the past and one of the most telling parts of Latin American history. Now-a-days Potosi is still a working town where people wonder into the hells of the mines to see what little amounts of silver they can scrap from the mountain.

Riots, Risky Roads, and Ruffians

La Paz is nuts. The city itself is built in a valley, thus from the main road there is only one direction... up. La Paz may not be the countries most logical, largest, or prettiest city, but it has uprooted Sucre as the countries capitol. Thus, a lot takes place in La Paz. The city which is notorious for cocaine, is also home to a largest amount of indigenous people who stream to the city looking for employment. The city center looks just as rich as Santa Cruz as most of the impoverished live above the valley in La Paz's sister city called El Alto. Most significantly, La Paz is the governmental center. So on the day I arrived in La Paz and the taxi drive told me about the government overnight deciding to stop subsidizing gasoline, I knew it was trouble. The price of gasoline increased 79% overnight; making it impossible for almost any industry in the country to run. Word of protests,violence, and riots spread. The buses effectively stopped running and on December 30th, the city turned into a protest zone.

The riots, burning cars, and stones whizzing by my head in no way stopped me. I still did the stuff that everyone goes to La Paz. The most thrilling, Adrenalin pumping experience is biking down the "World's Most Deadliest Road." It starts at a whooping 4700 meters and ends at a tropical 1100 meters. With 63 kilometers length with only an 8 kilometers section uphill, the road rightfully earns its name. There is no guardrail, and not paying attention during one of the many turns could make a person E.T. there way to the afterlife. With good bikes, a little skill, and as my guide instructed "not being a fucking idiot" its a technically easy ride and an experience of a lifetime.

The riots quieted for the new years holidays as people spent time with their family, so La Paz turned back into a tranquil city and its natural beauty increased as the sun came out. The government square including the congress and the presidential palace was lively with people visiting the city center. The ancient San Francisco Cathedral shined in a colonial part of town. Most interesting is to see the city scaling the valley walls behind the colonial buildings.

The cities markets stretch beyond the Cathedral up the hills and valleys. It starts in the way too tourist witches markets were one can buy a dried llama fetish for good luck and moves up through a walmart type collection of different stands acting like departments. Similar to the Latin American way of doing business all types of one store group together, but Bolivians take this to a new meaning, putting 90 of one type of store selling identical products right next to each other. They generally all charge the same price making the one you pick largely arbitrary. The city also takes a quick turn towards poverty within a few blocks of leaving the Parada or maindrag.

La Paz's most notorious landmark is the San Pedro prison. A lot of people "know" a lot of stuff about this place, but its mysteriously functioning makes it so that even those that have entered seem to know little to nothing. Made famous by the book Marching Powder; claims have been made that it produces 75% of the worlds cocaine, the prisoners can leave when they choose to with enough money, and that it contains the world's most notorious drug kingpins. The scary part is, it could be true. Tours are illegal, but so is a lot of daily activity in Bolivia. This prison is a serious money venture for those inside and those associated. It is something one should take with caution, but intrigue may be a little too much to avoid.

Another tourist activity in La Paz is a local form of professional wrestling called Cholita Wrestling. It is famous because large amounts of actresses dressed in the fully traditional dress. It is awesome to see the locals throw popcorn at the bad guys and chant for the heroes.

La Paz by night

Just a real quick all photo blog of some picture I took of La Paz at night.

The Bolivian Navy

Lake Titicaca is the world's highest navigable lake. At 3,811 meters about sea level, it is literally breathtaking. The lake lies on the border of Bolivia and Peru and has incredible mythological significance to the Incans and local indigenous groups. In Bolivia the last city before Peru in a small town called Copacabana. This city exists for 3 major reasons: it is a massive pilgrimage site for people coming from all over to celebrate a local brand of Catholicism that mixes local and Christian theology, it is the main port to get to Isla del Sol, and its a nice stop for the average Gringo Trail person to stop between Cusco and La Paz. Thus, Copacabana for me was the first place in almost 3 weeks that I was back amongst tourist. Copacabana is nestled on the lake shore between 2 cerros. The cerros on both sides raise up just about 4000 meters. Thus, I heaved my way up both cerros to get a good look at the lake.

Copacabana is home to one of the countries oldest and prettiest churches. A lot of the Pilgrims who come here drive their cars in order to have them blessed. The cars are dressed up with colorful flowers and feathers then blessed by Catholic priests. Local Paceña beer is then poured on the car is bless it.

The mixed religion shows itself most prominently in the side room of the Cathedral called La Virgen Negra where people go in and light candles in order to pray to a dark or black Virgin Mary. The eerie scene dates back more to the local culture and the incredible significance of Lake Titicaca to the Incan mythology. The lighting of candles to the black virgin is done the same way make small sacrifices were given to the Incan gods at Lake Titicaca in ensure victory in battle and good harvest.

Isla del Sol is even more significant to Incan mythology. It is the birthday place of the Incan people, the place where the gods came to earth and created the sun (and the moon on neighboring Isla de la Luna). It is the place where the first people appeared. It is easy to see why the biggest island in the lake become so import. Nearly treeless because of the elevation, the Island has a blaring solar presence that is certain to sunburn even the heartiest of travelers. The Island it far enough of the coast that in every direction is crystal clear blue water.

An ancient temple on the islands far northern side is all but ruins now, but it the remains of the Incan cult of the Sun. The ruins which have been largely reconstructed make up a maze of old building associated with the old mythology.

Overall, when you're not hunkered down in the Bolivian rainy season, Lake Titicaca shines so bright you cannot barely see anything in front of you. One way or another, it a place that still remains as tranquil as it was during the Incan empire where one can forget their worries.

Alto Cristo

After Samaipata and Santa Cruz I spent a little amount of time in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Thanks to Poland's recent interest in building large Jesuses, Cochabamba has lost its title of largest stone savior to them. Still, the Jesus in Cochabamba is nothing to scoff at. This Jesus is still large, he is is charge of Cochabamba, and he has come to save your soul. Plus for only 4 bolivianos you can take a sweet lift up to him and avoid the multitudes of stairs (and muggers).

Cochabamba's center is very pretty. The town has very old roots, and holds one of the countries 2 important universities. Thus, the colonial architecture of Cochabamba is amazing. Yet, unlike La Paz, Sucre, or Santa Cruz, very little about Cochabamba feels designed for tourists. The city still seems to be Bolivia's most functional city and is a pleasant place to come for people looking for something different from the craziness of La Paz, the odd but pretty falseness of Sucre, and the rapid hustle of Santa Cruz.

The area around Cochabamba is the area where the vast amount of Bolivia's coca production takes place. This area is home to current president Evo Morales and his coca growers movement of the 90's. It is what fuels this largely vastly impoverished region and the road that connects Cochabamba and Santa Cruz drops sharply in elevation. The road starts in the high altitude of the beginning of the Altiplano and goes through the cloud forest to the tropics. It is full of lakes and beautiful scenery.

Trout is a famous dish of Bolivia, and even though I didn't partake, the meal looks really cool.

My favorite part is the cloud forests. It is amazing to rise through the mountains and see the clouds surround the car and see peaks of maintains sticking through the clouds. This area is so green and lush is is amazing to look around. The rainy season really effects this area of Bolivia, and roads frequently are washing out, so the whole area seems somewhat like a mountain wonder.

Where the Condors Fly

Santa Cruz is Bolivia biggest city, but don't make it a destination. It is depressing and exists mainly as Bolivia's commercial center. What is not to miss is neighboring Samaipata. It is a swank little tourist/hippie town that has some of the countries greatest hiking including Condor trekking and Incan ruins.

Santa Cruz is about 300 meters above sea level and was hot enough to make someone roast within their own skin. Samaipata was amazing pleasant at around 1650 meters. Within a 3 hour taxi ride you start to ascend into the Cordillera Occidental and the flora changes from tropical to cloud forest.

The puebla has a lot to offer as well. The town is full of vegetarian restaurants, local markets, a museum for local artifacts and anthropology, a World War 1 plane that crashed in the town and then was made into a statue, and plenty of pleasant streets to keep the tourism at awe.

While I am a hiking fanatico, my favorite part of Samaipata was the Zooligico. It is an animal refuge. They take animals in that have been illegally obtained or abused and give them a place to recover and live. This included birds, llamas, mountain pigs, turtles, and the fan favorite monkeys.