Hello all,

Well we have finally settled into Bolivian life, if that is possible. We had a shakey start (literally, the roads here are UNBELIEVABLE!); after 4 hours to Oruro, a train that wasn't running (thanks again to our less than useless guidebook), a night bus which had ice on the windows and was a real bone shaker, we finally arrived in the unfriendly town of Uyuni (For some reason they didn't like us waking them up at 6am to ask if they had any rooms?). We spent a few dyas there as Greg had a jippy tummy and we thought best not to start the 3 day off road jeep tour and shake it up more than needed!

When we finally departed we were not dissapointed. We had days of what can only we described as weird scenery and natural wonders. Day 1 involved driving across the worlds highest and largest salt lake (dry at the moment); Salar de Uyuni. Blindingly white expanses of salt stretching for miles (The size of 1,800,000 football pitches), a surreal experience made more weired on arrivig at an 'ísland' of cactus plants in the middle, adding to the illusion that you were walking on water. We had lots of fun taking optical illusion photos (see pictures, if we manage to defeat slow technology and get them uploaded!). That evening we slept in a hostel made of salt! Day 2 we saw hundreds of pink flamingos living in the shallows of a rainbow of different coloured lakes; from iced over white, to mediteranean green. The odd thing being that the temperatures get below zero; not typical tropical flamingo habitat! We stopped to admire from afar one of the bigger active volcanoes that we passed as it smoked away and we walked in the set larva from the last eruption! We became accustomed to having numb bums as we hadn't (and didn't) see tarmacked road for the entire trip! It was great fun though. We stopped at a very odd place in the middle of the desert just as the sun was setting to look at an outcrop of weathered rocks that the wind had shaped into strange shapes; it looked like Salvador Dahli inspired scenery. The less said about the accomodation that evening the better! Day 3 started of spectacularly as we got to get upclose and personal with boiling hot bubbling geysers, then we stopped off for a soak in the thermal baths just as the sun came up. And to finish off our wierd and wonderful trip to the Chilean border and back, we made our last stop at a blood red lake in the valley of yet more breath-taking mountains, with yet more flamingos. We had covered over 1300 km in 3 days and certainly took away an unforgettable impression of southern Bolivia.

After leaving Uyuni we headed north east to Sucre. Here we found ourselves in the middle of a political war over where the capital of Bolivia should be and if the country really has democracy. Luckily we left a day before 10,000 demonstrators were due to arrive, however we did get to observe plenty of fire and firework demonstrations, which was exciting! Sucre was actually really lovely, and thankfully pleasantly warm. We spent to day seeing the biggest collection of dinosour footprints on the planet which was fantastic.

Now we're in Potosi, a once wealthy Silver mining town, and now just a mining town. This morning I was lucky enough to be dragged down a mine by Greg to see the miners at work. We took some coca leaves and drinks for them, but we could have bought them dynamite (seriously!). There was no touristy edge to this outing at all, we climbed the same wooden broken ladders as them, breathed the same odd smelling gas air and oohed and ahhed at the same natural iron and asbestos leaks. Oh and we hid around the same corner as them after observing them filing a wall with explosives, and waited for the bangs.....which thankfully did come! It was very insightful though, particularly watching the 10 year old boy at work.

Tonight we're catching the overnight bus back to La Paz where we're meeting up with Gem and Edd for the next stage in our travels....back to the jungle, yey! Can't wait to see some familiar faces, it's been nearly 3 months for me now!

Lots and lots and love, hugs and kisses,

Ruth and Greg

xxxxx