For Easter vacation, I made a run for the Peruvian border and crossed over to visit our neighbor to the southeast. Peruvians had always told me that Bolivians are a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, joie-de-vivre bunch, so I was eager to meet them. Boy were they way off.
It’s not that Bolivians were outright rude, but they certainly weren’t happy-go-lucky. I found them closed-off and lacking that silly, slapstick humor that most Peruvians possess. The one thing I kept saying to myself was, “I sure miss Peru.” It truly made me appreciate the people I’ve come to know and love over the past two years. As a whole, Peruvians are sincere, open, curious and always, always quick to laugh. They are a transparent people; what you see is what you get. This is refreshing for someone from the U.S., where sarcasm and cynicism are easier to find than a person who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Although the people in Bolivia weren’t quite as welcoming as I had hoped, the sights did not disappoint. It contains some of the most drastic landscapes I have ever encountered, from La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, to Uyuni, with its miles of open white salt flats (left behind from an ancient salt lake which once covered most of Bolivia). Throw in vast desserts, snow-capped mountains, red lagoons and eerie sulfur-spouting geysers and you’ve got some eclectic terrain. More than just a different country, it felt like a different planet sometimes. Only pictures can truly do it justice, so I’ll let them speak for themselves:
First stop: the floating islands of Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world)
These islands (and everything on them) are made of reeds, literally floating in the lake.
The islands were originally populated (and still are) by the Uro people, a pre-Incan tribe native to Peru and Bolivia. Most of the women look like this little lass (not much excercise to be had when you live on a tiny island!)
Boats remain the main mode of transportation (and are also made of reeds)
From Puno, we made our way around Lake Titicaca to Bolivia's capital of La Paz. It's a truly dramatic city, sliding off the side of steep mountains into the valley below. It is steep and smoggy, but not without its quirky charms.
One example of such charms: the witches' market, where you can buy stuffed-armadillos and dead llama fetuses, among other things.
A lovely local, proudly showing off one of the larger of the llama fetuses
Guess I should explain, why the llama fetuses... Andean culture believes that they bring good luck, so it is important to bury one under your house for protection. Here's my little lucky charm, after receiving the ceremonial blessing.
From La Paz, we made our way south to Uyuni, where we took a three-day tour around southern Bolivia. First stop: the train cemetery, where the Bolivian train system went to die.
Next stop: the salar de uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. Blindingly blanch-white as far as the eye can see, the salt flat is an overwhelming sight to behold. Part of it is covered in an inch or two of water, resulting in reflective views of the pure blue sky above.
Looks like snow, right? Wrong! Pure salt, as far as the eye can see.
The endless white made for odd perspectives and funny picture opportunities. Here I am, doing what I do best... holding up my friends.
Moving along, we drove into the mountainous lake district.
Our sweet ride during the trip!
No civilization in site.
We then travelled through the "rock gardens," lands filled with huge rock formations.
So many posed-photo opportunities, so little time...
Enjoying a little lunch with our group
The "tree rock," which looks a bit like South Carolina, doesn't it?
A national park, where we stayed the night. Gorgeous.
The red lagoon, so colored because of micro-organisms living in the water
The floating white stuff is borax
The only thing cooler than a red lagoon is a red lagoon full of flamingos. Hundreds of them live in the lake, feeding off of the organisms (which makes them pink) ... and I took hundreds of pictures of them.
A couple of my new buds, up close and personal
Taking flight...
Sparing you more of my flamingo pictures, I'll move along to the geysers. We arrived at the top of the mountain-range before sunrise to see them in the eerie morning light.
The natural geysers and bubbling pools spew hot sulfur into the air, which helps keep you warm on the freezing cold morning (altitude is over 14,500 feet).
This spot, more than any other, made me feel like I was visiting Mars.
Near the geysers, we wrapped up the tour with a visit to the natural hot springs for a relaxing soak.
When in Bolivia, watch out for the llamas crossing the road!
I took nearly as many llama photos as I did flamingo shots ...
Thanks Bolivia, I had a great time!
(one last picture just to prove that Bolivians put silly clothes on their dogs as well)
