Hey everyone, its been a while since we have had a chance to write.... been busy crossing the Atacama desert (the dryest place on the earth apparently!). Anyway, we survived so ill fill you in on the days since we last wrote our journal...

After our trip to the jungle we travelled to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.  It was hard to believe that the lake was a lake at all since, living up to its name as the highest navigable lake in the world, it just seemed to go on forever. We travelled out onto the lake by boat (after getting little bike taxis down to the harbour – a very scary, vulnerable journey in these rickerty contraptions).  First the trip took us to see the reed islands,  whole communities of people who had lived on these artificial islands since the 1500.  Their original purpose was to hide locals when the Inca´s were invading Puno, which seemed like a pretty cool idea, but what i couldnt understand was why they had continued to live there for the last 500 years!!  Its not just for tourists either as some of the more remote islands dont even get tourists – it just seemed like their reed islands with huts and boats  made of reeds would be such hard work to sustain.  After the reed islands the rest of our tour group headed on further into the lake to visit a natural island, and the natives but unfortunately i was feeling pretty rubbish with an upset tummy, so Richard and i decided to head back to the main land and chill out in the hotel.  Thankfully, like last time it was only 24 hours and i was feeling much better....  2 days later we left Puno and headed into Bolivia, following the lake until we arrived in La Paz.  Once again it was a pretty hairy journey on a bus with a ferry crossing that i was sure we wouldnt survive!  La Paz is an amazing place, crazy busy with the wide streets made very narrow and bustly by all the market stalls....  there were all the traditional markets mixed in with stalls selling ´western crap´ as well as a witches market which sold all sorts of remedies and herbal potions and lotions, as well as llama foetuses as a remedy for something.  We were warned not to take photos of these strange stalls for fear of the ´witches´, stall holders´, throwing things and cursing us!! We stayed in La Paz for a few days which enabled us to arrange some of our own activites...Richard and a few others on the tour decided to take the challenge of a bike ride down the ´worlds most dangerours road´ despite being warned against it by our tour guide.  Anyway, ill let Richard fill you in on that....  In contrast to this crazy activity I, had a lovely relaxed day shopping with the girls....! We then moved on, further into Bolivia, to Potosi a small town, made very wealthy in the past by its Silver mine, which is still in operation but no longer as profitable since i think they find more Zinc than Silver now-a-days.  Richard and i both took up the oportunity to do a mine tour, with just a few of the others from the group. Many were scared off by horror stories of the mine....but we were ´brave miners´our Bolivian tour guide Olberto told us!!!! Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh The trip was certainly an experience, but more of an experince in the Bolivians lacking heath and safety procedures than anything else!!  We first went to the refinery factory and saw the refinery process.... as we walked into the factory we were told to put our hand to the wall and not touch the conveyabelt which whirred only about 20cm in front of us with no protective guard!!  Then, we were about to walk along the side of the vats of liquid produce when a girl infront of us slipped an fell into a vat of zinc to waist height!!  Unbelieveble!  Anyway, DESPITE feeling slightly shaken from this sight they then took us to buy DYNAMITE from the miners market to take to the miners as a present.  Hummm...  THEN....they got volunteers to set off an explosion just outside of the mine entrance so we could see the result....Richard, ever fearless....or stupid??  Volunteered himself and was then made to kneed dynamite, stick in the line thing, add powder for extra umph...light it and then run.....  Anyway he survived!  Next it was into the mine itself - very dark and low with hissing pipes running past our heads and hardly any room to move off the cart tracks....the mine is still working so we had to keep jumping out of the way as the poor miners who wiorked 12 hours a day in dreadful conditions went past.  We had taken them gifts of alcohol (93% stuff!!), coke, coca leaves and cigarettes.  After about 20 min Michelle, and i decided enough was enough and came out, whilst Richard and the others went deeper into the mine where temperatures reached 35 degrees!  Only when we got out did they tell us that 7 million men had died down the mines in the last 300 years – i didnt dare do the maths! Next day after a lazy start and a huge breakfast on the square (for about 3 pounds total – Bolivia is good value!) we travelled, on the most horrendous bus journey , across a desert with windows that wouldnt open, no air conditioning, and a bus crammed full of locals till they were sitting in the aisles, including a sick child and a smelly woman who insisted on standing next to me and holding the baggage compartment above me – nnniice...  7 hours later we reached Uyuini on the edge of the Salt plains.   From here, the next day, we started our 3 day crossing to from Bolivia to Chile.  We travelled in 4x4´s, luxury after the last bus journey!!  The crossing was a truly amazing experience.  First we travelled accross the salt plains, miles upon miles of pure white which eventually met a sheer blue sky somewhere in the far distance.  It was the most surreal, extreme and magical place i have ever been.  We stopped half way at fish island which was full of cactuses, some of them reaching over 1200cm, which made them 1200 years old!  We also had a stop to see a salt mine/factory and another stop to take photos!! (The almost non existant perspective enabled us to do some crazy camera work – check out the photos.)  That evening we stayed in a salt hotel!  All the bricks were made of salt and the floor, even in the bedrooms, was covered in crushed salt – very weird! There was only limited electricity so we used a candle to light our room! On the second day of the crossing we saw a volcano, which was quietly smoking from one corner and had a river of strange rock flowing from it (old, dried lava).We went to a number of lagoons. Each famous for the brilliant colour of its water, one was bright pink and covered in pink flamingos – a fantastic sight.  Another was green which contracsted with the red rock of the mountain which sored over it.  It really inspired me and i wanted to paint it (real Howard Hodgkins stuff Dad) the photos just didnt seem to do it justice. Our accomodation on the second night was quite an experince.  We had thought the salt hotel was primative but this took primative to another level...  With nothing else to do, no running water- so no showers, and beds you really didnt want to even sit on till you had to, we decided to just get drunk and forget about the rather gross, damp, cold and unhygenic place in which we were staying!!  Enough said! On the last day we got up early (a short night in the scanky bed thank goodness)  and we saw the sun rise as we headed to the geysers.  These were a truly wonderful sight, especially as the rising sun behind them made the shooting air and gasses all sparkly and mysterious.  Then, for the final part of the journey we crossed the Atacama desert – a sheer red landscape and quite a contrast to the white salt desert of the previous day. Eventually we arrived in Chile.  Civilisation was a welcome sight and we are now enjoying a few days in San Pedro.  This morning was a lovely sleep in... and this evening, once the heat of the day has gone, we are going for a 3 hour ride to see some pre inca ruins.  We are both please as 2 friends from the group are coming, Michelle who can ride...and Manfred who cant!!  He he !! So, thats us to date!  Going to have to go as this internet place is sweltering..... will go and get a drink in the shaded courtyard of one of the many cafes in this pretty desert oasis!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm   Hope you are all well, love Sarah xxxxxxxxxx