Southern Bolivia

Uyuni (1 night), Potosi (2 nights), Sucre (8 nights)
24th May - 12th June

So somehow I spent three weeks in Bolivia, I didn't realise how much there was to do there and the fact that Argentina and Brazil put me over budget meant that it was time to move on quickly out of Chile and save some dough by chillin' in Bolivia... as oppose to Chilean.

I was quite scared to take out my camera in Southern Bolivia, and in all of Bolivia generally because of all the stories I'd heard about muggings and backpacks being cut off of people's backs! Sian, Grace, Chris and Jonny and I arrived in Uyuni dead after the Salt Flat tour so instead of moving on as quickly as possible, which most people do we stayed the night and ate in a fantastic Lonely Planet recommended American pizza place. The group split up with the girls and Chris heading further south while Jonny and I moved onto the eastern city of Potosi.

Potosi has been a mining town since the 14th century, and for a long time had a greater population than New York or London. Along with Bolivia's other largest industry (cocoa farming), it is one that most people have vary little choice as to whether they go into it or not. On our trip into the mine we spotted a few potential 16 year olds, nothing younger despite hearing reports from other groups. The legal age limit is 18, and once you start working your life expectancy is vastly reduced. It is extremely rare to hear of miners who have worked in there for more than 25. At one point we met a miner who had worked in the mines for 26 years.. he had one collapsed lung and serious serious scars from the front of chest all around to his back, he breathed out of a hole in his neck and was missing an eye. Not for the faint hearted. I found the entire experience thrilling, I loved crawling like a soldier through all the narrow tunnels and clambering down meters and meters of uneven rocks and elements. 'Watch out/Don't look up because you'll get X in your eyes!' X being a number of outrageous fresh elements powerful to burn out your eyes! Be grand, I say! Such a shame that Jonny lost all the photos on his camera because he took some great pics that day :(

After the mine tour we shared a taxi with some pals to Sucre, the 2.5 hour trip cost us €4 each. Sucre was the surprise of Bolivia for me, a delightful whitewash 'constitutional capital'. It was easy to notch up 8 nights here when every day consisted of waking up, eating some cornflakes and banana for breakfast before making my way to 3 hours of spanish classes. Coming back for a quick sandwich in our delightful three story hostel with a terribly sociable rooftop terrace run by the OCD workhorse Mike the German Mathematician. Mad man, horrific jokes. Once everyone had made their lunch and come back from the various Spanish schools a big group of us would make the steep walk up to the city's viewpoint and pan out in the sun, all working on Spanish homework whilst sipping fresh fruit juices until the sun went down. Dinner was either a group family meal with fresh market produce (€3 each MAX) or else out in one of Lonely Planet's recommended top spots (including drinks total=€10 each MAX). So hard to leave.