A high and dry, wild and wet, majestic history medley – RTW 2018

JohnM · Jun 26, 2018

Well, I’ve been in Bolivia 12 hours and I’m blown away by the awesome vibe!

LPB at El Alto, above La Paz, is the highest commercial airport in the world at 4061m - so the tip is to walk sloooowwwly off the bird. La Paz is at 3600m, so still well within altitude sickness territory. My previous experience at 4-5000m in similar parts in Chile, Peru and Ecuador has been fine, but I’ve just been taking it slowly today to acclimate after coming straight from sea level.

I found a hip winebar cafe established about nine months ago by a guy from Melbourne. Great coffee (flat white

) in the middle of the day, so I went back for a meal this evening. Low-key food but done with finesse.

All the wines and beers are Bolivian and I had a very good Cab-Merlot. Got chatting to the owner and he says there’s an up and coming wine region at Tarija in the S of Bolivia with a similar climate to Salta in NW Argentina (notably the home of Torrontes white, as well as being noted for reds. A visit there is in my plans for April next year.)

He also has playing the best Spotify playlist, and through superb speakers, that I’ve ever heard. Very eclectic and some great Australian classics mixed in.

Hip and groovy. Highly recommended when you’re in La Paz!

The lights twinkling on the slopes to El Alto on the stroll back to my hotel.

tgh · Jun 26, 2018

Are you going to "do" the death road ? It's a real hoot on a bike .. not sure about a bicycle

JohnM · Jun 26, 2018

tgh said:
Are you going to "do" the death road ? It's a real hoot on a bike .. not sure about a bicycle

I’m adventurous, but not that adventurous! Also getting too old for that sort of thing. Besides, they don’t call it the death road for nothing...

tgh · Jun 26, 2018

It's just another road, and quite safe really.
I used up a few lives on a mad race down the main drag but found return to LaPaz up the death road pretty tame.. but very scenic.
It was really interesting to go from high to low and see the eco system change.
The LaPaz traffic was something else , the guide was not waiting so it was keep up or find our own way home.

JohnM · Jun 27, 2018

I was talking to a 20-something girl yesterday who had done Death Road on a bicycle as part of a day trip out of La Paz the previous day. She enjoyed it. I was marginally tempted as I have today free before my tour starts. But at about 45 years older than her, I decided to show some common sense for once in my life...

Very foggy in La Paz this morning, so I’ll convince myself it was a sensible decision from that point alone.

drron · Jun 27, 2018

Seeing I can fall of a bicycle on the flat within 5 metres I am with you on that decision.

RooFlyer · Jun 28, 2018

If you change your mind, make sure the GoPro is hooked up to the handlebars, so we can all enjoy the ~~consequences~~ ride.

Bindibuys · Jul 1, 2018

Just landed in La Paz to join you all on this adventure (TR) - yes I am late.
Loved La Paz, this will bring back some memories. Though husband thinks I should have stayed in the Witches Market.
For future flights on this trip, happy to take 8A.

Boca68 · Jul 2, 2018

craven morehead said:
Just catching up , standing ovation for last onboard !!

Why thank you @craven morehead ..... certainly not expecting that ovation. (I do encores BTW

)

As latest on, sounds like a fabulous trip @JohnM You and me crossed paths in LIM, could have caught up for Pisco Sour or two. Anyway, enjoy!!
If you need something near Iguazu, have friends on the Argentinian side. Just don't mention the war! (Paraguayan War circa 1864-70) ssssh

JohnM · Jul 3, 2018

Boca68 said:
Why thank you @craven morehead ..... certainly not expecting that ovation. (I do encores BTW )

As latest on, sounds like a fabulous trip @JohnM You and me crossed paths in LIM, could have caught up for Pisco Sour or two. Anyway, enjoy!!
If you need something near Iguazu, have friends on the Argentinian side. Just don't mention the war! (Paraguayan War circa 1864-70) ssssh

Too bad we couldn’t catch up in La Paz. I’m just back on air after three days on the Salar de Uyuni and in those hills called the Andes.

I’m staying on the Brazil side of Iguassu and will only cross to the Argy side for a look - but thanks for the offer.

JohnM · Jul 3, 2018

After spending four days in La Paz (interesting city) to acclimatise to altitude after coming straight from sea level, it was time to get into the real business of why I’m in Bolivia.

Here are some snippets. I will follow up in detail when I get home in September.

It was a full day’s drive from La Paz to Uyuni, the jumping-off town for a three day circuit by 4WD across the famed Salar de Uyuni, a 12000 sq km salt lake, and on up into the Bolivian Andes before heading back to Uyuni this afternoon. Altitude in the range 3600m to just shy of 5000m. The circuit is about 1000 km.

In a word: sensational!

Salar de Uyuni.

1B, Toyota Landcruiser, c. 4600m, high altiplano, Bolivia.

Lago Colorada, 4300m.

Up at 0500h this morning to make all objectives today. C-c-c-cold! 1B Toyota Landcruiser, heading through 4800m.

And dawn at the Polques hot springs and a lovely warm soak while the drivers prepared breakfast.

craven morehead · Jul 3, 2018

JohnM said:
After spending four days in La Paz (interesting city) to acclimatise to altitude after coming straight from sea level, it was time to get into the real business of why I’m in Bolivia.

Here are some snippets. I will follow up in detail when I get home in September.

It was a full day’s drive from La Paz to Uyuni, the jumping-off town for a three day circuit by 4WD across the famed Salar de Uyuni, a 12000 sq km salt lake, and on up into the Bolivian Andes before heading back to Uyuni this afternoon. Altitude in the range 3600m to just shy of 5000m. The circuit is about 1000 km.

In a word: sensational!

Salar de Uyuni.

View attachment 130568

1B, Toyota Landcruiser, c. 4600m, high altiplano, Bolivia.

View attachment 130570

Lago Colorada, 4300m.

View attachment 130571

Up at 0500h this morning to make all objectives today. C-c-c-cold! 1B Toyota Landcruiser, heading through 4800m.

View attachment 130572

And dawn at the Polques hot springs and a lovely warm soak while the drivers prepared breakfast.

View attachment 130573

Simply .... Wow !!

JohnM · Jul 6, 2018

Another snippet from sensational Bolivia.

Now in Sucre - the ‘White City’. It’s at 2800m, so 800m lower than La Paz and a noticeable relief after the 4060m of Potosi and almost 5000m in the Andes.

Nice colonial buildings. It’s where the original South American revolution against the Spanish began, but ironically Bolivia was the last country in the region to gain independence. It’s now the constitutional capital of Bolivia but the government is in La Paz.

JohnM · Jul 6, 2018

Sucre is also known as the City of Chocolate. There are lots of classy chocolate shops around the centre. Chocolate espresso is highly recommended

.

JohnM · Jul 6, 2018

Saltenas, a Cornish pastie-shaped food with a beef or chicken-based filling, are a very common morning hot snack in Bolivia. It’s almost a ritual. The interesting thing about them is that the filling is very liquid. They are served with a spoon but Bolivians have the knack of eating them without using the spoon and without spilling the soupy content.

Now, how do they do they make them to be like that, I wondered. It turns out that the meat and veg filling is cooked, then a gelling agent added and the mixture allowed to cool. The gelled mix is then wrapped in the pastry and the final version is produced on demand by heating, which re-liquifies the filling. Neat!

Delicioso

.