H Everyone,

I haven't updated my blog for a while and I have already covered the whole of Bolivia. Well that includes La Paz, Cotchabamba, Sucre, Potosi and Salar de Uyuni. I have to say, Bolivia is an amazing country. It's just so beautiful and relaxed, and dir cheap too. When I got to Chile I was right shocked about the cost difference. It's almost London pricing here!

Anyhow, when I got to La Paz I met up with this tour group of mine. A couple of days later than expected but I had a nice time exploring the city myself. I visited the markets and the coca museum which was really interesting. They actually used to put cocaine into the cola, that's why it is called 'coca' cola. They did this until 1911 or so and they also used to make cocain in Germany! All out of coca leaves which are still used here every day. It tastes horrible, so I prefered drinking the tea but it doesn't have the same effect.

One place I missed out on is the prison in La Paz, which is quite famous because of the way it is run. Someone said it's the only place where capitalism works in Bolivia. Basically, if you are inside, you run your own business and depending on how much money you make, the higher your status is. You can buy nicer prison cells and have access to the better parts of the prison! Apparently some huge drug dealers sit in this jail and their business is making and selling drugs inside. Unbelievable, but true. They have a full on laboratory set up apparently and when you visit the jail you can request anything you want and that will be presented to you by the end of the prison tour! There is a book about it called Marching Powder: http://www.amazon.com/Marching-Powder-Friendship-Americas-Strangest/dp/0312330340 I want to read this. So if anyone has got it, keep it for me please!

Anyhow, apart from La Paz, we visited Cochabamba which is a pretty ugly and lame town, and the only thing worth seeing there was a huge Jesus on top of the mountain. It's the same as the one in Rio but this one has some strange holes in it and is 5cm larger.

Then we visited Sucre which was so much nicer. Everything was clean and pretty. White and well kept houses and we stayed in one of the most amazing hotels. The first time I felt that my tour money was worth it - I even had a bathtub in which I soaked for ages! One of the best moments ever. Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia and we went to the house of freedom and learned all about their battle for independence, which was agreed in 1825 influences by Simon Bolivar, hence the name of the country!

Next stop was Potosi, famous for its silver mining. It used to be one of the richest towns in South America, but wonder what happened because it's all gone downhill. People are very poor and still work in the mines digging for minerals rather than silver as most of it is gone now. We did a tour of the mines and it was very interesting. We got them gifts which included dynamite. For some reason they weren't going to give us any detonators with it...

Right, next stop was Uyuni. The famous town just outside the salt flats, that however somehow appears deserted and dead. Nothing much happened there apart from having one of the best pizzas ever in the restaurant beneath our hotel. The next day we left with three jeeps to go across the salt flats. These salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, used to be lakes 40,000 years ago but dried out. That also happens slowly with the Dead Sea which will end up like the salars in Bolivia. It's the largest salt flat in the world with 4000sq miles and 3650m in height. That is 2000m higher than Ben Nevis! We stopped of and took some great pictures and then visited an island on the lake, which was just full of cactus. Incredible scenic site.

The following days we crossed the desert into Chile, passing by some amazing lagoons/lakes including Laguna Verde which is a whopping 5000m above sea level. That is more than one and a half time the height of the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspritze. Pretty impressive those heights and you can feel it when breathing and walking.

I guess the best thing on Bolivia is the countryside as it is just incredible, anywhere you are - beautiful scenery! And it's incredibly cheap. You can get an incredible lunch menu with soup and main course for less than $2. I haven't had once a bad meal in this country and the people are very friendly.

Wow this one was long, but still it is so much summarised! Speak soon. Ax