29/6/09 Uyuni to bushcamp

Both our cook groups had a really early start to visit the local markets in Uyuni to collect food for the next couple of days but the markets didn't open until 8 so we had a quick breakfast first. We shopped in the markets which was quite a challenge with our limited Spanish and the locals no English. We headed back to the hotel with our shopping and loaded up the truck before setting off out of Uyuni. We are heading for the town of Tarija where Kristy is taking us to see her family from her exchange days. It will take a couple of days but should be good fun. We drove through some really amazing scenery with rock formations that looked as if they were carved not naturally eroded. There was also a huge pinnacle which looked like a giant erect penis where Brendan pulled the truck to a halt and yelled out of his window "did you all see k*** rock!!" We stopped at a bushcamp near Tupiza (of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fame) and lit a fire and had a meal. Phil felt a bit rough and went for an early night and the rest of us watched a firework display courtesy of Jack and Greg a couple of the lads on our tour. they had bought them in La Paz where there had been a festival and fireworks were for sale everywhere in the streets. They were hilarious banging round the campsite, one was a little tank which fired a rocket and drove around the ground...brilliant.

30/6/09 Bushcamp to Tarija

After another long truck day we arrived in Tarija which felt like civilisation after the hours of nothing we had driven through to get to. Kristy's, our tour leader's, host brother welcomed us into their property which was really lovely overlooking a valley. They had given us their garden to use as a camp site and let us use toilets, showers and a huge terraced area they had built for their daughters wedding party. It was really fantastic and generous of them and we all loved meeting the family and finding out about them from Kristy. They had three friendly massive dogs which Phil took a bit of a shine to. They lit a bonfire for us and invited us into their home for drinks and chats. What a lovely family and a really great evening.

1/7/09 Tarija

We drove out of Tarija towards Argentina to the countryside about 1 hour to see the fossilised remains of mammals from the Bolivian glacial period 60000 years ago. Around the large area we visited there were hundreds of pieces of fossilised skeleton from giant sloths and mastadons as well as other mammals. They have been exposed after the land has been eroded. We were shown around by Bolivias leading paleantologist and geologist who explained the rock formations with Phil acting as interpreter of the complicated terms. On the way to see the fossils we had a puncture and the bus had no Jack so the boys all hitched it up on rocks to get the tyre changed. When we got back to the house George our host had cooked up a huge barbecue with loads of steaks and sausage as well as salads and breads so we all ate a massive feast....delicious. We then headed into town to see the museum that our mornings guide was the curator of. It holds all the remains dug up in the area and there are skeletons of giant sloth and a full mastadon.Upstairs there was a geological collection and a small mummy preserved which was probably a young child but had really adult hands and feet, really interesting and not on the usual tourist trail so we all enjoyed it. (Museo de Arqueologia Y Paleontologica) We went out for a meal in town before going back to bed.