panpipes, peeing into Pringles tins and other high and low lights

Hi from Tupiza in the worst internet place yet - slow and dodgy keyboard - so forgive any typos. yes we have made it at last to the Altiplano and we are now at 3000 metres, quite low by Andean standards but still enough to make me a bit breathless whenwalking up a hill (that is my excuse and Im sticking to it, OK). We are now hearing lots of panpipe music. This place is simply stunning, we are in and have travelled through wild and rugged mountainous red barren landscapes studded with cacti on bonebreaking buses along white knuckle making narrow dirt roads with hairpin bends and steep drops down ravines 100s of metres deep. Yes I was scared!! The bus trip was meant to be 10 hours overnight from Tarija which was our last stop before here (our 3rd overnight bus ride in 4 nights - we pushed ourselves a bit far but there wasn´t really a chouice as that is when the bus left) . However, around midnight we just stopped inexplicably in pitch darkness. We are used to this by now so we just assumed the driver had an errand to run, was hungry, wanted a rest etc etc. However, after an hour or so of no activty, we just gave up wondering and tried to sleep. Naturally, there was a crying baby, someone with a cough and several loud snorers. Even tamazepam didn´t work this time, the bus was claustrophboic, windows didn´t open, the door was closed and we were at the back of the bus. THere were more pasesngers than seats and the whole aisle was blocked with people lying in the aisle. There was just no escape. I should also point out at this stage that bolivian buses do not have a loo and one of the walkom menfolk (who shall remain anonymous) was simply busting to go, to the point of desperation. Peeing out of the window was impossible as they didn´t open. Necessity being the mother of invention, I suggested the pringles tin but desperate as he was, in the end his modesty just wouldn´t allow him to do it even in the dark (and after all we hadn´t opened the tin yet). Eventually he got to the point about 4am where he just battled his way to the door, lit by the camera, not bothering about the grumbling people over whom he was trampling and escaped from the prison. The relief was immense! apologies about the toilet theme to anyone reading this of delicate nature but planning one´s bathroom visits becomes quite a issue in a country with virtually no public loos and even on the rare occasions when there is one, they are too revolting to use or to tell you about here.

Anyway, back to the bus having stopped inexplicably. At first light the reasons for the stop became clear: there had been a massive landslide on the road in front of us. We were about 6th in a line of buses, 4wDs and trucks. The queue was the same on the other side. It was pretty obvious that only a bulldozer would be able to clear it, yet to their credit, the bolivians got stuck in with shovels and picks trying to clear the debris and mud. Aftre a few hours, a few brave 4WDs were able to get through, the bus however was different matter, it was going nowhere. After much musing and dread about spending another night on the bus 8as well as cncern about our lack of food and watr), eventually around midday a plan was hatched (that I had thought of at 5am) for the buses on either side of the landslide to swap passengers, turn around and everyone is happy. So, about 1pm we were finally on our way again and eventually we bumped and rolled out way into Tupiza late afternoon yesterdy. The good side of the delay was that we got sme fantastic photos of the rescue effort and we saw this amazing scenery that we would have otherwise missed (they really should do a James Bond film here). Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid allegedly met their demise very near here. Along the road we saw several buses which had plunged down the ravines and the roadside was studded with many little crosses which did nothing for my peace of mind as we bumped along the narrow single lne dirt road. Now that we have survived it it makes a good story but it was pretty scary at the time.

We had the best night´s sleep last night and this afternoon we are horse riding (or doing a "walk to horse" according to the brochure!) in the surrounding area then tomorrow we are headng off on our 5 day jeep tour through the Salar de Uyuni, a very remote - and high - area even by Bolivian standads. It should be one of the highlights of our trip. We´ve paid extra to have the jeep to ourselves and to stay in a salt hotel for one of the nights (yes, everything entirely made out of salt .. well maybe not the loos and showers.) We have a driver and a cook with us. The brochure says to be sure to bring the "bath suite" so we can swim in the hot springs. My phone ísn´t working at all here and there will be no internet where we´re going so we will be out of contact for the next 5 days.

Next update will be from Uyuni from where we´ll make our way to La Paz.

Adios for now

Jackie
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