Category

Bolivia

Category

Bus-capades. That’s how I would describe trying to get from the Uyuni Salt Flat back to Peru. The jeep driver told me if I went back to Uyuni, I would be stuck by the roadblock for possibly several days. There was no solution in sight and I was obviously going to miss my scheduled trip to Sucre. He suggested I go through Chile to get back to La Paz and finally to Cusco. Lasting over 2 ½ days, it ended up being the longest bus trip of my life.

Food Poisoning

I was terribly sick on my tour to Uyuni. I tried to fix my stomach the night before, but I woke up in horrible pain. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the guts and twisting the knife. I skipped breakfast, packed up my things, and loaded them onto the vehicle. I couldn’t do anything but try to sleep through the pain.

When my bus to Uyuni was cancelled because of a protest and roadblock, I decided to hop on another bus to Potosí. It was once the richest city in the world because of its silver mines and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. I went to the La Paz bus station and stopped at four or five different companies before I found Trans Copacabana, who offered a cama, or reclining bed, for the 10 hour overnight trip. My goal was to see as much of Potosí as possible and find a way to break the roadblock and get to Uyuni.

Boat to Isla del Sol

In Copacabana, we boarded a small boat to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) and sat on the top deck. The ride was windy and cold but I enjoyed the scenery. Lake Titicaca is a strong shade of dark blue and the contrast against the clear Bolivian sky was an incredible sight. On the way, we passed by the Isla de la Luna (Island of the Moon), where the Incas believed the rising of the moon was commanded. The ride took about 90 minutes.