From North to South: April 2007

Sorata and beyond

Joshua and I have spent the last week in and above Sorata. Sorata is a charming, small town based at the northern end of the Cordillera Real. We spent several nights in the town itself, staying in an old German mansion with great gardens and endless cooridors. Our room had vaulted cieling, lots of antiques, and the sense of a forgotten era. During the day we went on hikes through the lush surrounding mountains, encountering villages and curious children as we went. We also drank lots of banana smoothies and spent hours just hanging out in the tranquil setting. Then from Sorata, we headed for the high altitudes with a guide (Mario) and a couple from Isreal. We did a four day trek that led us by green pastures, mountain communities, alpine lakes, bright flowers, and Mount Illiampu. The highlight was sleeping at the base of Mt. Illiampu. At 5,038 meters we were above the clouds and under the stars! It was amazing!

Now we're at Lake Titicaca... also a spectacular, peaceful place. Tomorrow we head for the well-spoken of island, Isla del Sol =)

Before Sorata, we spent a couple of nights in La Paz. Caked onto a mountain side, it was a city unlike any I've ever seen. Definitely chaotic and slightly overwhelming, by far my favorite part of La Paz was the market. You could find everything and anything, plus some! We got lost for hours in the colorful maze of street vendors... eating yummy delights for pennies whenever our stomaches grumbled! Good memories!

Below are some photos from the trek. Enjoy. I'd like to get some more photos up soon, but internet is much harder to come by and quite a bit slower here in Bolivia, so I'll just update as much as I can.

Hugs to you all,

Amy

Sunrise over Lake Chillata

Joshua taking a deep breath during the high altitude climb

Alaska Salmon for dinner at 5, 038 meters in Bolivia!!!

Mt. Illiampu at sunset

Hiking back down to Sorata on the last day. We descended almost 3,000 meters in one day... the thighs are still a bit sore.

On the way to Sorata our bus had a minor breakdown... minor meaning we were only delayed a couple of hours during which time the driver welded a rather elemental part of the bus back together. This lady, a fellow passanger, was just hanging out behind the bus watching the guys go about thier fixing business. The breakdown was actually kind of nice, because the sun was shinning, we were right next to a lake, and I had my book close.

Our guide (Mario) and fellow hiking campanion (Erez) loading up the mules. On the long, sunny, climbs I was quite grateful to have nothing more than a day pack on my back.

A glimpse of Illiampu surrounded by clouds

The green, lush valleys below were nothing short of gorgeous!

Potosi, Bolivia

Here in Potosi, Bolivia life is high-- 4,200 meters high! (That's over 12,000 ft. for all you metric deprived fellow Americans.) Joshua and I have spent the last several days, a little winded, in the highest city in the whole world! But surprisingly, we didn't come to Potosi for the altitude, we came for the disturbing and magnificent story of the mountain towering above.

Once yielding thousands of tons of silvers, nearby Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) served for centuries as a huge source of revenue for the Spanish crown. But now instead of yielding, Cerro Rico seems to take. It takes the many indigenous men who spend their life eking out a living by mining zinc, tin and copper -- the lucrative silver veins long-since dried up.

The result is a historic city brimming with intricate churches, cobble stone streets, colorful house, and also a disturbing contemporary social reality.

When sitting under the sun, on top of a bell tower, sipping coffee, the charm of Potosi dominates. However, when being led by our guide, a female with short black hair and gold pearl earrings, through a dark and toxic underground labyrinth, Potosi seems like it was created by to El Tio-- the devil-like figure said to rule the mines.

In exchange for gifts of coca leaves, soda and cigarettes, the miners pause for a few moments and share a bit about their day-to-day lives. Both the guide and the miners are frank.

"The average life expectancy is 40."

"Instead of eating breakfast and lunch we chew on coca leaves... about 30 grams a day."

"It takes me three hours to chisel out a 40 cm. meter hole for the dynamite."

"Instead of working 14 hours today, I'm going to work 7 hours tomorrow (a Sat.)"

"There's several hundred children working in the mines"

After nearly three hours undergound, bumping our heads regularly on the low ceilings, we come upon two men almost ready to blast away part of a wall. We watch as they load the dynamite and light the fuse.

"Run," our guide says. We scurry down the cavern and hide behind a wall. One min. in silence. "Boom!" Another 30 sec. "BOOM!" The whole cavern reverberates. Hurriedly, our guide then leads us this way and that until we emerge into blinding light.

Once again we see the the dry, llama filled mountains which cradles the part colonial, part indigenous city. We see the old mint, now a museum filled with splendid artwork and interesting artifacts. We see the church towers, the town square, the markets. We see the grid of an "orderly" Bolivian city.

A pictoral glimpse of Bolivia

Buenos Aires

So I have to admit that I wasn't so sure how this mountain girl would do in the big city... or should I say the huge, enormous city filled with millions of people.

Turns out, I've had a really good time in Buenos Aires. I've loved the constant bustle, the smell of street food, the sunny days and the inumerable cafes. I've also loved sharing this experience with Joshua. How fun it is to travel and be with such a dear friend!

Tomorrow we're off to Bolivia... 27 hours on the bus to get to the border! At least we have the best seats (up front) and each other's company. Let the adventure continue...

Love and hugs to you all,
Amy

A very European looking city!

Joshua next to a very savory piece of steak. Yum!

Nothing like cold beer and pizza before a soccer match

Team River's stadium

Argentines are futbol fanatics. The energy in the stadium was great... esp. given that the game (River vs. Belgrano) wasn't of particular importance on overall league standings.