Adventures in an ´82 Land Cruiser

Sunset from the train on the way to Uyuni, Bolivia

When traveling internationally, certain skills are learnend quickly. For example, we rarely return in the same form of transportation that we arrive in. On a day trip, we might take a collectivo (minibus) and taxi to get somewhere, and then return on a large bus. A great excercise in letting go, we just figure out how to get somewhere and then the method of return presents itself depending on various factors such as time of day, money and amount of people traveling. Other international travel skills have prooven difficult for us to acquire. Namely, never go with the first offer on the table. Whether considering a taxi ride or a three day trip through the Salar de Uyuni (salt flats of Uyuni), it´s better to shop around.
Both skills were ignored on this excursion - we returned in the same vehicle we left in, and we went with the first offer that came our way . We spent over 24 hours in a beat up ´82 Toyota Land Cruiser that made our butts hurt and knees sore. What an adventure!

Juliet snagged our group of three (our friend Shanti, Josh and I) the moment we got off the train late at night. Her price was consistent with what we´d read in the guide book, so we agreed to go with her tour agency the following day. As about two dozen new or newer Land Cruisers prepared to leave, we eagerly awaited ours. The last to arrive, our jalopy pulled up and we cringed. It all seems a bit funny now, but driving through extremely treacherous dusty roads with windows that don´t roll up was not the most enjoyable of experiences.

Our first stop was at a train grave yard. All the trains that stopped working throughout the 1940s were deposited here. The grafitti on the side of one read "experienced mechanic needed".

Our next stop was the salt flat. Over 4,00o square feet, this prehistoric dried up lake bed is located at the crest of the Andes and contains over 10 billion tons of salt. The salt is very hard, shortening our afternoon yoga practice because it hurt our hands!

We stayed the night in a hostal made entirely of salt! We met some great musicians from Argentina and had a lovely open mic night full of accordian, fiddle, guitar and flute. Below is the dining area of our hotel. The walls, floor, chairs and tables are made entirely of salt. Even our mattresses sat atop salt frames!

The following day was filled with short stops at various lakes, rock formations and parks. Pink flamingoes migrate to the lakes near the salar, but we only saw a few because winter had almost arrived.

Our last night on the tour was freezing! Everyone in our group of five slept with all clothes on, and several blankets each. We awoke before dawn and headed for a hot spring. It was so fabulous we decided to skip a two hour trip to another lake and soak instead. Feeling quite refreshed, we loaded once more into the trusty Land Cruiser (which had only broken down once on the trip) for the seven hour drive back to Uyuni.

A Peek At La Paz

La Paz at a distance, taken from Valle de las Animas

We didn´t have much strength when we arrived in the world´s highest captial city (12,00 feet), but we did have a contact of a Bolivian family who has ties to St. Louis. Michelle, a wonderfully kind woman from St. Louis had given us Paul´s name before she took over for Za at Scholastic. She mentioned he owns and operates a veggetarian resturaunt and has apartments for rent. We found the location of the resturaunt on our first morning, and celebrated its name, NamásTé, by having our first of many ´almuerzos´. A set lunch with four courses, this eatery knows veggetarian delights. For only 15 Bolivianos (just over $2.00), we broke our Isla del Sol fast happliy. We met Paul after filling up on lunch, and he showed us his only available apartment. After feeling the wonderful energy of NamasTé, and securing a time to teach yoga at the resturaunt, we decided to stay for two weeks. We were delighted as we unpacked our bags and settled into the spacious two bedroom apartment. As we stacked the two week´s supply of toilett paper in the bathroom, we felt satisfied and relived that we were going to stay a while.

NamásTé resturaunt is part of a four story apartment complex, built by Paul´s father sixty years ago. The family lived in St. Louis for 26 years, and one brother still lives there. Gonz, one of Paul´s brothers is a painter. His work fills NamásTé and several other spots in the city. Below is his mural on the Prado, the main street that runs through the heart of the city.



We loved walking up and down the Prado during our stay. Below are coca leaf readers telling fortunes during the Sunday artisan´s fair.

NamásTé also hosts musical concerts over the lunch hour. We learned about the insturment below, the hang, when our new friend Andrea gave a concert. This Austrian born invention sounds melodic and peaceful, and looks like a space ship or inverted steel drum. Its player, also from Austria, has one of the most beautiful voices we´ve ever heard. Later in the week, Za also played a concert over the lunch hour with her violin.

We heard La Paz is famous for guitar making, and felt inspired by Andrea´s (and her boyfriend Bruno´s) music. Josh negotiated a good price on his new travel guitar during the first few days of our stay.

Yoga classes drew four to six students three days a week, and our time was filled with music and friends. We went to see Los Fabulosos Cadillacs with our friends, and about 11,000 other excited people.



Our friend Ceciilia, whom we met in Cusco and caught up with in her home town just south of La Paz, showed us Valle de la Luna. Also a yoga teacher, we enjoyed taking her class and learning how to make home made raw chocolate at her house. The view behind her house is below, quite stunning!

Just shy of a full moon, we walked around Valley of the Moon until we couldn´t see our hand in front of our face.

We made lasting connections in La Paz, and were very sad to leave such a wonderful spot. Paul´s family opened their home, resturuant and hearts for us and for this we are so greatfull. Thanks to everyone who showed us this brilliant city.

Valle de las Animas

We took a day trip to Valle de las Animas with four of our travel buddies. The climb was intense, but worth it! At first, we had to climb through a deep crevasse. Walking between two huge mountians, with only a few feet on either side, was an excercise in overcomming claustrophobia. The rocks were loose and Za had to breathe deeply and remind herself not to look up several times.



Upon exiting the crevasse, another vast expanse of mountain unfolded. We couldn´t belive how much futher we had to go.



Our group halfway up.

Almost there!

We´ve never seen rock formations quite like this! Za had hoped we could take another route down. After seeing the sharp drop off, she knew there were no other alternatives.

We had sandwiches at the summitt and oggled at the distant capital. As the sun began to set, we played music with our cold fingers. What a perfect day!