After a 7 hour bus ride that felt like 12, we finally arrived to Tupiza where we would, yet again, be meeting up with the awesome Loz and Dotes! We finally found the hostel and was stoked to see their faces again and once checked in we got ready for our little afternoon adventure of horse riding through the gorgeous rocky mountains of Bolivia.

Once a company was found and prices were established we were given our cowboy hats and gaiters, we were on our way to meet the beasts that would be our vehicles of transportation for the next couple of hours. Once kitted up and mounted we followed the train tracks until we reached the trail that would lead us into the mountains. Along the way we got a feel for our horses and realised that Dotes' was the leader of the group, while I followed behind, followed by Loz, Lex and then our guide who was ultimately more of a superviser more than anything.

We eventually learned how to give direction to our horses and built up the confidence to direct them into a canter. Although our horses were somewhat sheep, meaning that whatever Dotes' horse did mine followed, then Loz's and then Lex's. So when I was trying to take pictures and Dotes's horse decided to trot I was forced to try and put my camera in my bag, balance and concentrate rather than laughing hysterically and almost falling off and facing a mouth full of rustic dirt.

Riding through what seemed like chilli and peanut trees we were mesmerized by the grandeur and the different colours of the mountains. Eventually our horses brought us to a small stream that stemmed from a valley. We jumped off and decided to explore the cracks and crevasses. The sun was setting around this time and after snapping a few pictures and climbed down to be told by our sleeping "guide" that we still had a few minutes until we had to leave so with that said we connected a little with our horses (I braided their hair... aahhhh mane) and generally gave the horsies some love. Once our guide woke up we jumped back on the horses and feeling more confident decided that a canter would be a great way to enjoy the journey home. Unfortunately for Lex, his ummmmm nether regions didn't quite agree and therefore suffered a rather uncomfortable ride back to the ranch. Alas...for the rest of us it was an awesome, thrilling journey and enjoyed the wind and fresh air in our hair and lungs.

As lucky as we always are we got back half an hour later than what we paid for and reluctantly said goobye to our furry friends. After having dinner at a novelty bar that had reruns of a fundraising concert called "something something Divas" from 1997 that consisted of Tina Turner, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan and drum roll......Elton John. After making fun of the corny performances, we paid the bill and called it a night, tomorrow we needed our strength for trip from hell #3! Wooohhoooo!! All in all, Bolivia.....thankyou for such an amazing, unforgettable time. To be short, Bolivia is the underdog of the trip!!