Bolivia

Where to start with Bolivia...well it was chaotic, first of all.  Dirty, dusty, extremely poor, unorganized, crowded, stressful, at times extremely inconvenient, sanitation was questionable, the buses were the worst and Jac puked in an internet cafe.  But despite all this it was an unforgettable two weeks and an absolutely integral part of the trip.  I think we needed the jolt, to wake us up to many of Latin America's political and social realities and to really help us appreciate Chile.

We crossed the border from Peru at Lake Titicaca and were in the lakeside town of Copacabana.  The town had a definite beach vibe, unexpected in the landlocked country and is home to the Bolivian Navy (just one of the many Bolivian paradoxes).  Lake Titicaca from here was absolutely stunning and the very first night we witnessed one of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever seen.  We made our way to Isla del Sol, an island in the middle of the lake (where all humankind was created, according to the Inca creation story) where we spent three nights hiking, relaxing, meeting what seemed like every hippie Argentine on the planet and getting really sunburned.  It was a gorgeous and farm animal filled few days and it was really nice to get away from cities and tourist stuff.

Next we were off to La Paz, the insane capitol where we spent a few uneventful days walking a lot, visiting markets, and gawking in wonder at the mess of it all.  Once you get used to the complete lack of any order, it's sort of beautiful to see so many people living so close together with no regard for any rules.  Example:  bowler hat and gathered skirt clad women take to the streets every day to sell vegetables, fruit, bread, cheese, llama fetuses, etc.  And wherever they congregate is then an unusable road because they just spread out their tarps and sit down in the middle of it.  And that's just how it is.  If you're driving through downtown and all the sudden you can't get to church (or the hospital or work or whatever) because there's an impromptu market in your way, that's just too bad.  Some drivers try to push on through anyway though, adding to the mess and frankly terror of wandering around La Paz.  Bustling and energetic doesn't do it justice, it's a city to be experienced, for sure.  Also this was the only time all summer that any of us were sick, Jac spent two days in bed (we think it was bad fry bread from a street vendor) so that was a further downer. 

From there we traveled to the smaller and more relaxed Sucre, which was quite beautiful and where we had the BEST papas rellenas ever.  Papas rellenas are potatoes filled with cheese and baked with onions and they are so so good.  Sucre is interesting because it's the constitutional capitol of Bolivia and many Bolivians consider it the true capitol, although the government operates out of La Paz.

Next stop was the wild west themed town (not really but it seemed like it) of Uyuni where all the tourists have to stop before seeing el Salar de Uyuni, the Bolivian salt flats.  The best part about Uyuni was probably the restaurant that Jac and I stopped for hot chocolate in that played Lady Gaga videos for an hour, we were mesmerized and didn't leave til closing.  "I guess we just needed some Gaga," Jac rightly observed upon leaving.  The salt flats though, they were AMAZING.  I don't have enough words to describe how incredible they were.  It was like another planet.  It was basically a dessert, but made of salt.  Miles and miles of the flattest ground MADE OF SALT.  And it had rained the night before, meaning there was a fine layer of water on top of the salt, perfectly reflecting the sky.  Everything was blue and white as far as you could see and so bright.  Spectacular, truly.

That was where Jac and I split up with Rob, we were then headed down to Salta, Argentina, a trip which would be the most trying 24 hours of our time together.  Bolivia is a fascinating and beautiful country, not for the faint of heart but a grand adventure nevertheless.