The Saltiest Day of My Life

Some places on this planet are stranger than words can describe. The only things that come to mind are 'otherworldly' and, similarly, 'alien.' We spend our lives in places we consider 'normal,' sometimes pondering the environmental possibilities outside of this definition. Three days in the highlands of southwest Bolivia have reminded me that strange and strikingly beautiful can be synonymous. As there is no way for me to properly spell out what it feels like to be surrounded by this astounding landscape, I will provide more pictures than words. At some points we were in a seemingly endless desert, sometimes staring at volcanoes from what might as well have been the surface of Mars. Overall, our journey from the salt flats of Uyuni to the edge of the Chilean Andes left us almost burned out on sightseeing, as we were so incredibly overwhelmed by what exists at the furthest extent of one of the highest lands on Earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Paz / Weekend at Fernando's

First a disclaimer: In my last (full) post I noted that there is no good pizza anywhere in these places. I was incorrect. We managed to find the good stuff finally in the backyard of a flamenco dance school in downtown La Paz. Excellent French bread style pizza. Great piña coladas as well. Disclaimer over...

 

 

If one were to take LA and drop it in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, it might resemble the Bolivian capital La Paz. This city on the edge of the Andes is located at 3650 meters above sea level - the highest capital city in the world.

 

 

 

Nestled in a bowl high on the Altiplano, the city is simultaneously crumbling and being rebuilt from the ground up - among the dirty brick and old colonial buildings stand skyscrapers, brightly lit billboards, and street carts galore. Bolivia's growing middle class is definitely showing its face, but poverty continues to have a very strong presence. It is home to displaced mountain folk begging in the streets as well as one of the top restaurants in the world, Gustu.

 

What stands out most in this burgeoning city is the art - something we have noticed a severe lack thereof previously in our travels. The street art ranges from junk to excellent, and acts such as the Ballet Folklorico de La Paz are stunning. Yes, we went to the ballet. Great fun. Between the food, art, museums, and general atmosphere, La Paz is absolutely a great place to waste some time.

 

 

Also noteworthy is the Mercado de las Brujas, or witches market, where one can purchase wares including llama fetuses, San Pedro tea, entire walls of various sex potions, and coca leaf in all it's (legal) forms. Quite the odd assortment, though not as absurd as many people make it out to be.

- - - Weekend at Fernando's - - -

From the air, the land around Sucre resembles a heavily wrinkled shirt, or the skin of a bulldog. The constitutional capital of Bolivia is small, bustling, and home to many beautiful colonial buildings. The outskirts, like many places here, are impoverished, but signs of renovation and growth are all over.

 

Oh man Sucre. The intent was a one night stopover in the city as we trek toward Uyuni. Reality had us stay five nights at the house of Silvia and her son Fernando, found via Airbnb. I don't have much to say about the folks in Sucre other than the fact that they like to party. We made some friends and drank took much and visited a graveyard. Much of the rest of the time was spent lying in bed and eating. I'll have some better stuff for you next time, after the trip through Uyuni.