Hey everyone,

it´s Sarah again. Im reclaiming the blog from my slightly strange flag collecting travel partner. Seriously the amount this boy goes on about flags is getting scary so it needs to be quickly skimmed over. We have just arrived in Potosi, the highest city in the World at 4000m which he can add nicely to our new list of all the new highest places we´ve been...highest capital city, highest Irish pub...all the important ones. But i just want to update you from Sunday which was the day we arrived in the beautiful former capital of Bolivia, Sucre.

Day 25

Today, very early in the morning we dragged our aching body´s and tired minds from Satan´s bus. And i mean that. I know Tom has mentioned the uncomfortable journey but to further press the point, Bolivian buses are not made for lanky, long limbed English people like Tom and myself who practically tied ourselves in knots to try to obtain some semblance of sleep. However, at least we arrived alive after 11 hours of hair raising turns and a change of tyre needed on the edge of a mountain. Unfortunately our hotel beds did not immediately await once reaching the city and much of the day was sat in our hotels reception area waiting for our rooms and then upon getting them, sleeping. Nothing very exciting to report!

Day 26

We woke to a glorious, sunny day today and the previous day and nights events seemed long gone. We took full advantage of the sunny weather to explore this former colonial town which is dazzling in the sun as it is all painted in bright white. We walked to an area called the Regoletta, which had a great view over the city and had a nice lunch with Bryan and Max, a new favourite 60 something New Zealanders who we had bumped in to on the way who told us stories of their attempts to order something new of the menu they had new had before...´papas fritas´ which hilariously had turned out to be French fries. We then continued our walk around town to find the city park where we relaxed and read our books in the sunshine with Tom and I finishing our very ´highly demanding´day with a bolivian beer on the balcony of a bar overlooking the beautiful city square.

Day 27

Today, Tom , Charlotte and I boarded the rickitiest double decker bus i have ever seen and headed out of the city to the Cretacious Park, home of some preserved dinosaur footprints found by the local cement plant and turned in to an attraction. Actually, we were suprisingly impressed as there were many footprints from a number of dinosaurs, some ranging to the size of a man and they could be seen very well from the viewing nest with a telescope. The thing which got Tom even more excited (he was very excited about the dino prints can i just add here...´I´ve loved all things dinosaur for such a long time´) were the very impressive dinosaur models they had at the park with one that we estimated was 60 feet tall and 100 foot long. A nice little interlude to our day anyway. The evening provided probably the best entertainment however. We had a great dinner a little French restaurant our guide Martin knew then headed back to our room for a game of the ring of fire, the notorious student drinking game, with some rum we had purchased earlier in the day. All the usual suspects were there but the suprise addition was Max, (the 60 something NZ-er) who is on this trip with his brother to try new things. And this was certainly a new one for him. The results were hilarious and even brought a warning from our neighbours who had had enough of the giggling, mostly stemming from Max and his outrageous jokes...here is one for you...¨When we go to Australia now from NZ they ask us - do you have any criminal convictions?- and we say - i didnt know you still needed one!¨ Very funny.

Day 28

Today we left Sucre at around lunchtime in taxis. Little did Tom, Catherine and I know that by stepping into our taxi we would be taking our lives into our hands. Our taxi looked like a teenage boy´s souped up plaything of a car, which had to be driven our speed bumps at the funniest angle to avoid scratching its lowered front and could only be driven at maximum speeds. Add to this the fact we had to climb up in altitude by 1300m and there were mountains in the way and you can get something of an idea! But we arrived in one piece and are now settled in our hotel ready to visit the Potosi mines tomorrow. Actually, i should have mentioned that on Monday night we went to a little cinema in Sucre which was showing a Spanish film with English subtitles about the life of a child miner in these particular mines. It was fascinating, if a little sad seeing as allegedly 800 children still work in the mines today. However, we have been told that the mines are a must see, although i am a little dubious but hopefully we should have more news soon on how this went.

Very much hoping everyone is well. Our next update is very likely to be from Chile as tomorrow we leave Potosi for Uyuni and the beginning of our salt flats trip which finishes by crossing into the desert in Chile. So it might be a while! Love to all, Sarah x