On The Open Road

After an amazing hot shower and great sleep in a real heated hotel, we were ready for day two. I have to say most of the hotels we’ve been in have had a pretty good breakfast spread. Our group was raring to go, but our guide was no where to be seen. They live very much on island time here. More go with the flow than we are used to. Eventually someone did come to get us and took us back to the tour office where our guide was waiting. We also picked up one more person to join our group. After saying goodbye to Tina, we head out on the long drive. 

The next two days were more focused on the desert areas and lagoons. We stopped several times to hop out and take pictures of beautiful rock formations and gorgeous landscapes. We learned about vicuñas and saw lamas and even ostriches. Our goal for the day was to find flamingoes! I didn’t realize they would live here, especially with the cold weather and even more chilling winds. After two lagoons I was beginning to lose hope. But then we saw one! Yes, just one. So we explored on. Did I mention it was windy?! Each time we got out of the car we all put on everything we owned and braced ourselves. Finally we saw a whole flock of flamingoes and went to walk around. A path led around a bit of the lagoon and circled back to our car. I really wanted to sit and take pictures, but the wind made this impossible. My hands were freezing and my camera could not stay steady in the wind. We had to eventually call it good and take a cold walk back. 

Our next room was not nearly as nice. We had a small hostel basically just for our group. The lights are run on solar and there was no heating. Luckily a generator turned on at night to give a little extra light. We all huddled by the one heat lamp trying to warm our numb bodies. We played some question games to get to know each other and then started a vicious game of spoons (but we used chapsticks and round items that really added a challenge). If you ever need a good ice breaker, this is the one. Nothing bonds a group like smacking a chapstick out of a person’s hand just to win! 

When we finally gave up we all ran to our freezing rooms and jumped under the covers. We rented sleeping bags and I was bundled in a warm mummy bag with at least four layers of blankets on top of that. I eventually was able to take off one layer of socks. Our 5:00am wake up call came quickly and we jumped back in the car to try to see the sunrise with some geysers. The wind was at it again and made the geysers just look like clouds flying in front of us. But don’t worry, the rotten egg smell was still there. 

Next up was a glorious hot spring! While we were all terrified to have to run outside in our suits and then eventually get back out in the freezing wind, we had a great time. At first the whole pool was ours and a single flamingo wandered nearby. We tried to soak up all the warmth we could and left only once our fingers were too wrinkled to continue. 

I was incredibly impressed that the tour guides can find their way in the middle of no where. But several hours later we were back on the road to Uyuni. 

The tour was amazing. I lucked out with a great group of people and saw the most incredible and diverse landscapes. I highly recommend it! 

We Got A Bit Salty

I have to admit, I get anxiety about weird things. Some are rational, others maybe not so much. Our upcoming tour had me nervous for a few reasons. First I get car sick and this is a three day tour in an SUV with other people going who knows where. Second, I always worry about the group that will essentially be my team for days at a time. Third, were we going to freeze to death?! And fourth, how terrifying is the freezing hotel we have to bring sleeping bags for? 

Rebecca and I planned on a chill day in Uyuni  before the tour to not have to panic about timing. This also gave us a chance to do some additional shopping for warmth. Thank goodness for my scarf and alpaca socks! That night we got a message saying they were switching our days and we needed to be ready at 8:30 instead of 10:00. So much for a relaxed morning! So we packed, went to our freezing beds with all layers on again and tried to sleep. Of course the water froze again that night and we woke to no toilet or sink. But we were excited and didn’t care. At about 8:25 we got a message saying they changed their minds and would now pick us up at 10:00. Thanks for the early notice! 

As we pulled up to the office I kept my eyes out for who our group would be. Several people were inside or milling about. One of the workers walked us through our schedule and what we would be seeing. Then we met our guide and group. Now Rebecca and I were definitely the old ladies of the group, but we lucked out with three great travelers. Of course we were also the shortest so we ended up in the way back which had me panicked at first. Luckily the roads were more bumpy than winding so I wasn’t sick. We also got to share our seat with Tina the dinosaur! (Tina is a T-Rex, who loves salt- NaCl, hence why I named her Tina.) 

Our first stop was a train graveyard filled with rust and tetanus. We had fun climbing onboard and pretending to be conductors. 

Next stop was the whole reason for us going to Bolivia. The salt flats! Our guide, Axel, had us close our eyes a few minutes before arriving to get the full effect. On the count of three we all looked outside and were simultaneously blinded by the brightness of sun reflecting off pure white salt. Just like staring at the snow on a bright Colorado day. It was incredible! The salt went on for miles and crinkled under the tires as we drove on. We visited an old salt hotel that is no longer used to keep the salt flats protected. The tables, chairs and walls were all created from salt blocks. No, I did not lick anything, but it was definitely salt. 

The salt flats were created from salt lakes that evaporated many years ago leaving behind a thick salt crust. The flats have several islands scattered about. We visited one filled with cacti that truly seemed out of place.  Climbing to the top gave us views for miles. I loved that even the signs and parts of building were made from dried out cacti. I’d never really thought about what they looked like when they died, but the texture with holes all around made for a fun effect. Of course Rebecca and I stopped to practice our cactus poses before moving on. 

It was finally time for fun photos! Our guide had great ideas and enjoyed using Tina to her full effect. My whole group got into our photo shoot and we had a blast making a fantastic video, and pictures with fun perspectives. Johnny got in on it too and got to be as tall as me. He was super exited! 

The last stop for the day we pulled on boots to be able to stand in a few inches of water. Once again we closer our eyes until we were in the center of the mirror effect. When we opened them you couldn’t tell which way was up or down! I couldn’t believe the beauty surrounding us. We played in the water and took a million photos of the sun setting while Axel set up a table of wine and treats. Not a bad way to wrap up the day. 

One last highlight was the hotel they took us to. I don’t know why we didn’t stay there the night before! It had actual indoor heating, hot showers and a great restaurant. And of course salt decorated headboards. The next two days we were heading to the desert and lagoons to find flamingoes and apparently Mars. Man, this place has it all! 

Add Bolivia to the List

While I am currently having a great time in Bolivia, getting into the country was not my favorite! Not only are the flights in the middle of the night, but it took us two hours to get through customs! Part of this was because of getting a visa, but part was just how long it took for them to check in each person. We knew we needed a visa, but several sites said you could just get them at the airport. We’ve done this before and it was easy. Well not this time! This time we stood there watching the clock tick by as they helped us get situated. Many people looked just as confused as us. Thank goodness we were able to get an Uber and our hotel had a 24 hour desk. By about 6:30am we crawled into bed and crashed for a few hours. 

After some much needed sleep we woke up the sounds of a parade outside our window! Turns out Bolivia was thrilled we had arrived. Or it was Corpus Christi. The streets were filled with people celebrating and while they don’t honk as much as in Peru, the sounds were everywhere. 

Our first stop was a walking tour. I don’t think I realized that La Paz is basically all hills. No matter where you go you will end up climbing upward. Luckily, our guide was hilarious and told the most fascinating stories. We learned about an unbelievable prison that is basically run by the inmates. (Christy I thought of you a lot during this.) The prisoners have jobs within the building and many even move their families in with them! There’s also a cocaine factory inside that the police just ignore. Could be a Brad Pitt movie one day, so keep your eyes out for that one. 

We learned about the many superstitions people have. Some include burying lama fetuses under a newly built home or building to bring luck.  I loved the way they spoke of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) and everything we owe to her. We walked through the Witch’s Market with more cures and potions than one can handle. The boxes were quite graphic and helped anyone to understand what they were for regardless of language. My favorite quote of the day though was when she talked about their traffic laws. Again, there are none, and she said their traffic lights are really more like pretty Christmas lights used for decoration. 

Our next day we went on a real adventure in figuring out the city. There are amazing trams that connect through the city and give you a bird’s eye view of everything. We wanted to do a small hike in the Valley of the Moon and it seemed a fun way to get there. So we made our way and hopped on. Everyone here is always kind and says hello and quickly can see we don’t know Spanish. A man tried to talk with us and we all laughed sharing our words for colors that we knew in both languages. A new passenger got on and he quickly asked him if he spoke English. Talk about luck! Not only did he speak English but he worked for the American Embassy. We had an amazing chat and he ended up walking us to where we needed to go. From there we tried our first mini-bus experience. Of course the driver looked at us for two seconds and knew exactly where we wanted to go. 

Our hike was beautiful and the man at the park did a wonderful job of explaining the area. He even played a wooden flute beautifully.  

That night was food tour night! We had a small group of travelers and an excellent guide. I have to say one of my favorite dishes might have been the beef heart. It was very tasty! We also tried a pastry, delicious smoothie, fish, potatoes, soup, beer, and more. More traditions were shared and I got to be the drink pourer. I made sure everyone had the same amount, even if it was only a little. I loved sharing travel stories with the group, which included a man who had been traveling for three years, and a girl who will be gone a year. So many adventures! 

Our last day in La Paz was spent wandering around and shopping while seeing the sights. From an incredibly different cemetery, to funky roads with museums to street art and performers. 

La Paz was a great experience filled with some of the kindest and understanding people I’ve met. I probably won’t be back to this city, but enjoyed my time there. 

I Got a New Continent!

I’m closer to a goal of getting to each continent. (Emperor Penguins I will see you one day!) And I added a country to my list. I can’t say this was the smoothest start to traveling internationally again, but it’s going to be good. 

One goal for this trip was to pack lighter than ever before. With overnight buses and jungle excursions we didn’t want to be weighed down. Talk about a challenge! Can’t wait to wear the same outfit each day. So after editing down what I could bring, and shooting down my mom trying to add to my list, I was ready to go! Unfortunately, Rebecca’s first flight was delayed and I was in a bit of a panic that I’d suddenly be alone at 1:00am in Lima, Peru. Thank goodness she showed up and we we spent the next seven hours trying to sleep. Since that wasn’t happening I enjoyed some Ted Lasso. “Be a goldfish!”

After landing and an easy trip through customs I was sure things would be ok because a driver with my name on a sign was to meet us outside the airport. But no “Jessica” was to be seen. Of course the taxi drivers are prepared for this and jumped on us like seagulls to French fries. At this point it was 1:30am and we just wanted a bed. A nice driver talked to us and off we went. Turns out you have to be very specific when asking how much something is and make sure you clarify if it’s dollars or sol. Lesson learned. But we arrived safely and learned the rules of the road. There are none! Stop signs are suggestions, speed limits are nonexistent, and police just watch as you run red lights. So glad we aren’t driving! 

After a few hours of sleep we spent our day walking through Miraflores. Thank goodness for Rebecca and her love of maps! Of course our first stop was a park full of cats where we learned that you can adopt the kitties you see! I think that would be the perfect souvenir. But I should wait until the end of the trip I guess. Then we walked down to the ocean and enjoyed our first ceviche. 

After our self tour we had a guided tour through several districts. Our fantastic guide gave us history and fun facts. We saw murals, statutes, parks, churches and more. I loved the thousand olives trees that all started from just three that were brought to Peru. 

Our second day we decided to pretty much walk all of Lima. Our food tour was across town and didn’t start for hours, so hey might as well see the city and work our way there. We went through several beautiful parks. Sadly not the fountain one I wanted, but hopefully when we return at the end our trip. We started noticing a trend of long lines outside of banks. This turned out to be for several reasons, including of course Covid. Then we saw a protest near the palace, but everyone seemed very calm and police were there if needed. They let us into the courtyard since once again our attire screamed tourist. We were able to wander and visit a chocolate shop and church. Everything was great until we went into the crypt and a bat flew in front of my face. Then I was done. 

Our food tour was phenomenal! The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and our group was small and happy to chat. We tried delicious foods I’ve never heard of and had the best version of a churro ever. In the end I was beyond full, but very happy. Our guide even stayed with us to make sure we got an Uber. Thank goodness for kind people! 

After a quick two days we are heading to La Paz, Bolivia for a bit. For some reason the flights are at odd times, so it’s currently midnight and we are taking off in an hour. Tomorrow is sure to be interesting!