Category "Traveling"
My experience of Chile in San Pedro de Atacama wasn't enough, so I improvised a day at Valparaíso... and I haven't been disappointed! The guy who was in charge of organising the city did a real mess... and it's a good thing!
I travelled all night long from Mendoza where I had left my big packpack, and I arrived at 5am. I hung around, looking for a coffee and toilets, between drunk guys and very sociable prostitutes. I wasn't very happily stunned at that moment.
When the sun rose, I walked along the coast. The city is made of diverse buildings, stuck around some big half-circle-shaped port. And you can find anything! Spanish era monuments
council estates,
churches,
colourful houses,
tags of all kind and all size,
ascensores (hundred-year-old booths used to climb the steep hills)
but also the National Parliament. It's a nice mess (in a good way).
There is a very boho atmosphere, very Montmartre-like. I entered randomly a shop where they sold postcards of the town. The landlady told me the artist drawing them was french. Then she told me that she herself lived in France because she had to exile from the Pinochet dictatorship. I had read Isabel Allende's House of the Spirits, and it talked about how the dictatorship settled and how the opponents were treated, but meeting someone who actually went through it was a shocker. Even though we didn't speak much (it felt like she didn't want to say more, which I understand), I was impressed.
The most important museums were all closed for a reason or another, one because of the recent earthquake that shook Chile, some retired people told me: "The earthquake? Oh, we're used to it here!"
My only regret is not to have been able to stay here one night to enjoy the teasing valparaisian nightlife...
After a nearly 20 hours bus ride (thankfully they played Sherlock Holmes, I could deely appreciate Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law's acting), I arrived in Mendoza right in the middle of the Holy Week, which means that all hostels were fully-booked or expensive. Oh well...
I checked out what was Easter like here and after a bus ride (I had the money but not the change and some young mendociños gave me coins, turning down any refund, that was so nice), I arrived by a massive queue of people wanting to touch the statue of the Virgin and Jesus. The statues didn't look extraordinary at all, but the queue size was!
On the way back, I could buy lots of souvenirs at the big crafts fair on Independance Square.
The day after, I visited the San Francisco Church and I was pissed off because they were openly campaigning for the right at the next presidential election, because of the abortion right.
Then I went on top of Glory Mount, a tribute to the independance, to its heroes, but also to Chile and Peru.
Just besides, there was a zoo with an impressive number of different species. This way, I could see lions...
...but also condors!
Poor guys, they looked so bored, and they didn't fly :(
I was very happy to leave the hyper dry Atacama desert, and Salta did me good. A nice city, friendly people, a quiet park, good food (ice creams and empanadas...), and stuff.
I could have a look at the local contemporary artists, I liked Martha Sanchez's paintings, who reminded me of Giger's drawings for Alien.
I walked all the way up to Mount Saint Bernard to enjoy the sight of the city, I hope it made me lose the weight I put on with the empanadas.
Salta was not extraordinary, but it was relaxing.
Joys and sorrows in San Pedro de Atacama...
After leaving my friends in Bolivia, I went to this town who's got all defects: small, in the middle of the desert and close to the borders, thus expensive and also full of gringos like me. I put my tent there alone (a first, I was so proud!) and I walked around town. That was quick. There is, still, a lot to see, geysers, lunar valleys, and stuff. But the tours are very expensive and once you've done the Salar de Uyuni, it's not that interesting anymore. I dud the Gustavo Lo Paige Museum, which detailed the history of the atacameña culture, and showed the tools they used to snort hallucinogenic substances imported from Argentina. They had gorgeous snuff straws, I even bought one at the artesanal market!
The town has the particularity to be under one of the cleanest skies in the world and there is a stargazing tour. I did it, and it was marvellous. For two hours, we could use small, but powerful, telescopes to watch Mars, Saturne, nebulae... On one of the telescopes, you could even use your camera, which enabled me to take that picture of the Moon:
And when the tour ended, we were given the best hot chocolate I drank in months.
The day after, I decided to try my luck at hitchhiking. Unfortunately, I arrived too late (after 10, not many people want to go all the way to Argentina) but I met a very nice argentine guy, Coky, with whom I spent hours chatting outside the customs. At 8pm, when their office closed, we put our tent in the shittiest camping in town and went to a very nice restaurant, even though we were dirty and dusty.
The morning after, we tried again very early and we found people to take us. Unfortunately, the one who was to take Coky changed his mind and my guy left without me (motherfucking piece of shit bastard!). Coky could find someone else to get him there, but for me, it was too late, although I had already done my papers. I tried on the road, in vain. Being on a desert and trying to go through a border doesn't help. In the end, I had to cancel my exit tamp and buy a very expensive ticket for a bus leaving 3 days later (there are very few buses here, it is said to be so, maybe in order to trap tourists).
For 3 days, I was so fucking bored. Litterally: I got diarrhea. Also, I lost my feather (of my trenza) and I had to spend revolting amounts of money to eat or go on the net. Worse, I didn't want to interact with the people I met and I started to think I was completely antisocial. Thus I went for a walk outside the village and the beauty of the Atacama Desert did me good.
Then I enetered that small shop that sold the most neautiful (and also most expensive) panchos I have ever seen. I talked with the salesman who was very nice and we chatted like this for more than a hour about local culture, Europe, and stuff. It made me feel better: I am not antisocial, I'm just selective regarding the people I speak with, which I think is sane :)
When the day of departure arrived, I didn't sleep all night. I didn't have an alarm clock and I was terrified at the idea of missing the bus. I wrapped my tent very fast and I was first at the bus station. I nearly got an orgasm when we crossed the customs. Haaaaaa!!!
There are many places that I have visited in Latin America about which everyone was telling me it was absolutely amazing, blah blah blah, and once on the site, I was not necessarily stunned. But the Salar de Uyuni was different. It was truly magnificient.
First, Ada and Peter had chosen the agency. Despite having guaranteed everything with them (number of people in the car, places to see and stuff), we got some surprises. If I can give some advice about this, ask the agency to write everything on paper (landmarks, food, water, accomodation, and stuff) and confirm with the driver the program for everyday. Despite some problems, we have not been disappointed by the journey.
We started with the train cemetery,
then we arrived on the famous Salar,
where we could see the salinas.
We went on the lakeside to stay in a salt hostel,
and we ran after the lamas,
before taking pictures on the lake.
The day after we saw mummies in a cave,
and we went up on the neighbouring volcano. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to see the crater.
We then went to the Fish Island, which we boycotted to take many stupid pictures.
On the third day, we saw volcanic rocks near an active volcano,
we had lunch close to flamingos,
Then I managed to get ashamed in the middle of the desert by walking/falling into a muddy sulfur lake.
Later on, we climbed on rocks in the middle of nowhere,
and we slept by the Coloured Lagoon.
That night, we had wine!
The following day, early in the morning, we saw geysers
from very close
we went for a swim, despite the terrible cold, in the thermal baths.
And finally we saw the Green Lagoon and the volcano Licancabur.
And so we arrived at the border where I said goodbye to everyone
And I took the bus to Chile...
I stayed only one day in Tupiza. If you don't plan on going horseriding or biking, it's not really worth it, but it's gorgeous, a town with a "Far West" kind of vibe that reminds you that this is where Butch Cassidy died.
I wanted to take the train from there to Uyuni, that is famous for the stunning landscapes it's going through. Unfortunately, there are only night trains! And since I bought my ticket the very morning I left, I had to pay more, and stuff. In a nutshell, it was terrible.
But at least, I could make it to Uyuni in time to do the tour of the Salar de Uyuni with Ada and Peter!
Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, contrary to La Paz, who is the administrative capital. The town is beautiful and life is good.
I could visit the church of La Merced where I was alone. I treated myself with a cigarette on the roof.
I met a very nice french guy with whom I ate in good and cheap comedores, saw the Eiffel Tower and the dancing waters of park Thingy.
I also took the opportunity to go shopping and buy some gringo pants, that all tourists buy. But mines are better!
We quickly left for Potosi, the most tragic town of South America. Indeed, when the conquistadores discovered the massive reserves of sliver in the mountain standing over town, they exploited slaves in terrible conditions to extract minerals. The town became the economic center of the continent almost instantly. But as soon as resources finished, it was downfall. Nowadays, some people (even 15-years-old teens) still work there, in a cooperative, to find other types of minerals. It is possible to visit the mines but we preferred not to. The town is nice, full of churches, built by christians who got rich on the blood of the slaves.
Ada and Peter had decided to go directly to Uyuni while I wanted to see Tupiza and so we said goodbye.
I visited the House of Money, where they explained a lot about the history of the town, the country, if not the continent.
And then I left alone to Tupiza...
During an 18-hour bus ride between mountain-surrounded La Paz and amazonian Santa Cruz, we got surprised by the heat.
After one day there, we quickly understand we didn't have much to do there and we left for Samaipata. (I still took the time to take a picture of a soldier outside the town hall, hee!)
Samaipata is very touristy because there you can visit national park Amboro or Ché's last stand, but prices are very high. However, there's something you can't miss: the best french bakery in Bolivia!
Oddly enough, the town looks very quiet, but it is said to be the central point of marijuana traffic.
Waterfalls of... Thingy are not that impressive but beautiful and, most of all, strong!
We found Luna there by chance, a friend met in Rhiannon, and we left together to visit the ruins of El Fuerte (once again, not that impressive) and we camped there. Luna is probably one of the people I will remember the most on this trip.
The last day, we also went hiking in a canyon, and we took a lot of rain.
And the afternoon, I saw the animal refuge, with its oversocial pigs and monkeys, including my friend Cheetah:
On the way to La Paz, we passed a river by boat. And as there was no bridge, the bus took another boat.
Then, we nearly had an accident, but no.
When we arrived in La Paz, we got welcomed by police who acknowledged us about the different dangers of the town, and even recommended hostels.
We explored the touristic area, of course, with its "witches market" (they are rather nice by the way),
its huge "black market",
its delicious, cheap, multivitamined, fresh juices,
its beautiful monuments. By the way, the cathedral is just by tge presidential palace, whose facade is bullet-riddled!
I visited the National Museum of Art. If the first floor was not very original, the second one shows bolivian modern artworks and explains the evolution of national art. But you can take pictures only of the inside court :(
I also went to the cemetery. Its organisation is just incredible: it looks like coffin buildings, and they are ordered in streets!
We also went to Tiwanaku, the most important pre-columbine of the country. If the site itself is interesting, but not so much, the huge statue exposed in the neighbouring museum, whose carvings are very precise, is impressive. But then again, pictures were not allowed! So you'll get a picture of the Sun Gate.
Since we didn't do the most dangerous road in the world, Ada and Peter did the most spicy curry in the world. It was very, very hard, but they made it!
I tried again to find a gay club, in vain.
I went to the bolivian cinematheque, the boho theater of the town, if not of the country, right in the middle of the south area, the rich aream to see a movie called Zona Sur, about... the rich area of La Paz! It was interesting, even though I didn't understand half of the dialogues.
Also, we wanted to see the "Cholita wrestling", where traditionally dressed andean ladies fight on a ring, but for logistic and ethical reasons, we didn't go.
We hung around for a bit, in an arabic restaurant and an "indie" club... It was nice. La Paz is a town where there is a lot of party and you get a good time there.
After passing the bolivian border (can we take San Pedro with us??), we went to Copacabana, another town by Lake Titicaca, to see the Sun Island. The town is small and quiet, there's not much to do, apart from visiting the surprising church whose morish influence is obvious.
And see the little chapel on the side as well.
As well as the mirador.
We spent a few hours on the Sun island to check out the ruins. We could see the Sacred Stone where the god Viracocha would have given birth to the first Incas (even though the legitimacy of the legend is debatted).
We dipped into Titicaca quickly, we should have spent the night there, it was very nice.
Back to Copacabana, we asked about buses, and we learnt that a strike started the day after, so we packed the bags in 30 minutes and we ran to La Paz.
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