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Dizzying delights. La Paz, Bolivia to Lake Titicaca to Arequipa, Peru.

5 Apr

The rolling valley that is La Paz is dotted with lego shaped houses, streets smelling of freshly baked humitas and lights haphazardly draped through streets like a badly decorated karaoke bar. Even when we arrive at 5am in the drizzling rain, its already buzzing with vendors selling their wares and mini-vans tooting and carting locals to works.

The city of La Paz hits you like the waft of an Indian curry from a nearby kitchen. Its the ‘hope-you-like-chilli’ variety, choking your nostrils and sending your salivary glands into overdrive. It doesn’t look like much but its spicy, hearty, daring – an unpretentious big city, a melting pot of indigenous farmers, sleek Bolivian businessman, expat extrepreneurs, and camera-snapping tourists – all digging their spoon into the bowl wanting another lick. I can already tell this is going to be better than the average vindaloo.

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Tupizzaria with Salt – Tupiza to Salar de Uyuni.

25 Mar

It’s been a long bus ride from Potosi to Tupiza – we’re travelling with fellow Brits Beth & Adam, it’s hot, it’s a long time since we left Potosi, they’re unwell and we could all do with getting to our respective hostels. The bus stops, great we’re here, actually no we’re not;  there’s no town to be seen. We’re halted at a road block behind a parade of trucks, buses, cars and vans – our driver turns off the engine in sympathy for his fellow motoristas who are protesting at having to renew their annual licence in La Paz. It seem’s we’re not going anywhere for a while…

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Only the devil can save us now. Potosi, Bolivia.

21 Mar

At 4070m, Potosi is the world’s highest city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is set against the backdrop of a rainbow-coloured mountain, the Cerro Rico – but a beautiful eye to a depressing soul, for Potosi’s history is a long, sad tale…

“The city was founded in 1545 following the discovery of ore deposits in the mountain, and Potosi veins proved most lucrative. By the end of the 18th century the streets were ‘paved’ with silver, it grew into the largest and wealthiest city in Latin America, underwriting the Spanish economy for over two centuries.

Millions of indigenous people and imported African slave labourers were conscripted to work in the mines in appalling conditions, and millions of deaths occurred. Today thousands continue to work and die in the mines: although the silver has been depleted…” [extract, Lonely Planet]

More than 8 million have died since the opening of the mine, though this number encompasses only those who have died from mining accidents. It does not take in the millions more who, due to unprotected exposure to noxious gases, have lost their lives from silicosis pneumonia. The mines still operate and are no less dangerous than 100 years ago, using primitive tools in temperatures from freezing to +40C. Earning less than $2 a day, they have a life expectancy of 35 years. With a lack of other jobs in the area, children as young as 10, who have lost their fathers in the mine are forced to enter themselves, with little hope of escaping.

In order to truly experience the past and present horror of this city, we decide to visit a cooperative mine, led by Rodrigo, ex-miner-come-hostel-owner-come-tour-guide…

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The shadow behind the rainbow. Santa Cruz to Sucre, Bolivia.

19 Mar

It’s the witching hour when we finally arrive at our hostel, Jodanga Backpackers, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Grabbing a short nap gives us the morning to book a flight to Sucre for AU$40 each. I am hesitant, wondering how this can possibly be enough to cover a plane engineer’s wage, but a 15-20 hour ride on a bus without bathroom was too scary to contemplate…

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