Uyuni, Bolivia
So H, Jess and I got the bus just after midnight on the 8th April to the border town of La Quiaca with a few minutes to spare. Once we had boarded we knew we were going to be in for a bit of a ride. For a start the woman in front of me smelt of wee and Jess had to put up with this really hairy local.
We managed to get some kip as the bus wound its way north to the border, following the road the three of us had taken earlier in the day. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:45am which would have suited us as the border would have been open. Unfortunately we arrived 2 hours earlier than expected and the sun still hadn´t some up and it was frezing. I was still in my shorts. So we had to spend a couple of hours sat on the floor of the bus station waiting to get warm and for the border to open.
After some brekkie we crossed the border (a pathetic concrete bridge) into Bolivia. H and I spent the first couple of hours wandering around trying to find somewhere to change travellers cheques and after being told of numerous different places by people with guns we gave up and changed some cash instead. It was really hot in Villazòn and we made our way in the heat to the train station to buy tickets for the overnight train to Uyuni. We arrived 15 mintues late. Gutted. The ticket office wasn´t due to open for an other four hours. So we went back into town and grabbed some lunch...traditional Bolivian chicken and chips.
We met Charlie, Erica and Lizzie sometime after that, just as we had tried to check emails on possibly the worst connection imaginable. Anyway, they went off for lunch (chicken and chips) and the three of us went back to the train station.
Now, the train we were taking had two different classes - Salon and Executive. All the locals fight their way for a Salon class ticket as it is less than half the price of an Executive ticket, and they are all poor. Some people had been waiting there for hours and it began to get a bit heated when two ignorant backpackers waltzed straight in and put their bags by the ticket office, as if to declare their position at the front of the queue. H and Jess assumed their positions in the queue whilst I sat on my arse and looked after the bags. The girls joined us just in time for H and Jess to get the six of us tickets in Executiver class.
The train journey was really enjoyable, especially as there were six of us travelling together. It made a great change for the bus and we were treated to some great scenery (these are the only photo´s I have, taken on the girls cameras - you´ll find out why later!).
After ten hours we arrived in Uyuni at about 1am. Everyone was shattered, especially Jess, H and myself who had done the night bus the previous night to the border, then waited all day for the train, and then had a nine hour train ride. We checked into a hotel opposite the train station and crashed out.
Our mission on Sunday was to book ourselves onto a four day 4WD trip around South West Bolivia, to leave on the Monday. We did this without any problem, with a company called Empexsa, and I was obviously delighted to be going on a four day trip into the wilderness with five twentysomething girls ;).
We had been advised to take warm clothing as the evenings get very cold so I did myself proud and bought myself a poncho made out of a local animals fur and a ridiculous knitted hat with llamas on it. After seven weeks in the sunshine I figured I needed something warmer than "old faithful", my grey Bench hoodie.
We managed to get some kip as the bus wound its way north to the border, following the road the three of us had taken earlier in the day. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:45am which would have suited us as the border would have been open. Unfortunately we arrived 2 hours earlier than expected and the sun still hadn´t some up and it was frezing. I was still in my shorts. So we had to spend a couple of hours sat on the floor of the bus station waiting to get warm and for the border to open.
After some brekkie we crossed the border (a pathetic concrete bridge) into Bolivia. H and I spent the first couple of hours wandering around trying to find somewhere to change travellers cheques and after being told of numerous different places by people with guns we gave up and changed some cash instead. It was really hot in Villazòn and we made our way in the heat to the train station to buy tickets for the overnight train to Uyuni. We arrived 15 mintues late. Gutted. The ticket office wasn´t due to open for an other four hours. So we went back into town and grabbed some lunch...traditional Bolivian chicken and chips.
We met Charlie, Erica and Lizzie sometime after that, just as we had tried to check emails on possibly the worst connection imaginable. Anyway, they went off for lunch (chicken and chips) and the three of us went back to the train station.
Now, the train we were taking had two different classes - Salon and Executive. All the locals fight their way for a Salon class ticket as it is less than half the price of an Executive ticket, and they are all poor. Some people had been waiting there for hours and it began to get a bit heated when two ignorant backpackers waltzed straight in and put their bags by the ticket office, as if to declare their position at the front of the queue. H and Jess assumed their positions in the queue whilst I sat on my arse and looked after the bags. The girls joined us just in time for H and Jess to get the six of us tickets in Executiver class.
The train journey was really enjoyable, especially as there were six of us travelling together. It made a great change for the bus and we were treated to some great scenery (these are the only photo´s I have, taken on the girls cameras - you´ll find out why later!).
After ten hours we arrived in Uyuni at about 1am. Everyone was shattered, especially Jess, H and myself who had done the night bus the previous night to the border, then waited all day for the train, and then had a nine hour train ride. We checked into a hotel opposite the train station and crashed out.
Our mission on Sunday was to book ourselves onto a four day 4WD trip around South West Bolivia, to leave on the Monday. We did this without any problem, with a company called Empexsa, and I was obviously delighted to be going on a four day trip into the wilderness with five twentysomething girls ;).
We had been advised to take warm clothing as the evenings get very cold so I did myself proud and bought myself a poncho made out of a local animals fur and a ridiculous knitted hat with llamas on it. After seven weeks in the sunshine I figured I needed something warmer than "old faithful", my grey Bench hoodie.
posted by Jonny @ 9:23 PM
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