Crossing the altiplano to Potosi 27 November

We left La Paz around 6.30am. We had gathered in the reception at 6 and been driven by bus to a bus parking area where the Tucan bus was waiting with the driver Raoul. The bus is a bright yellow with the Tucan logo on the side and she is called Millie. I had had a lousy night sleeping in that hotel as it had room coming off a central opening where the lift and stairs were. This seemed to act as perfect ear canal carrying any sound up through the building. On top of that I couldn't close my curtains and the room was bright from the street lights outside. I hopped out of bed around 4.30 and when I discovered the water was hot I had a shower to get back at those people who had been talking and flushing loos through the night. So I was tired but felt some satisfaction at having got back at the world for contributing to my sleeplessness.We had the early start from La Pas to avoid some traffic hassle. Back up the 'hill', past the airport, through El Alto which was already buzzing with mini-busses ready to take the worker bees to the big city. Then we began a 12+ hous trip through the high altiplano which is arid, hilly and inhospitable - but surprisingly people are out there in little fertile corners of gorges for example growing crops in small cultivations by a meager stream.We had lunch out in the open where there were llamas grazing on what looked like dirt. They are tough animals and are the only ones that can eat some of the thorny and wiry plants up there. There were signs of snow in small pockets and powder snow on the higher hills around here.We were headed for Potosi a city of 110,000 people and at 4060 metros The highest city of it's size at that altitude in the world. Founded by the Spanish in 1549, it quickly grew into a city of over 100,000 larger than any city in Europe or America at that time. It was all about silver which had been found in the cone shaped mountain called Cerro Rico. Millions of people died in appalling conditions (some people estimate it was around 8 million) being worked to death by their Spanish overlords to get the silver out of the mountain and back to Spain. Today only a limited amount of silver is mined there but it is rich in tin, zinc, lead, antimony and wolfram. The state no long owns the mines they are run by cooperatives. More on that later.Probably due to the earlier wealth in the city there are some beautiful colonial buildings and the streets in the old centre of the town are mostly cobbled and quite narrow which meant our bus Millie had to stop in a new part of town and we got a few taxis to our hotel. Dinner was in a very pleasant restaurant not far from our hotel. I had a veal steak with chips and veggies and a glass of very nice red wine and it cost 48 Bolivianos which is about $8.

Moving day ie to the hotel next door

Today I had to check in at the hotel from where the trip to Buenos Aires starts. It was pure coincidence that when I booked to stay at the hotel Rosario all those months ago I would end up in the hotel right next door as the place Tucan used as a base in La Paz. I was sorry to Eave Rosario as it is such a welcoming place with the best staff, close to town and an excellent restaurant. The Internet cafe on the third floor had a view over to a snow capped mountain - across some ugly old high rise offices though. There were also great spots for lounging including a first floor open courtyard Spanish style including the bougainvillea. When I was leaving the receptionist told me to use the hotel as if I was still their guest including using the Internet and lounge with the free coca tea. I did. In fact I was there for hours around midday catching up on emails etc. Either side of that I walked through the clothes markets which which were set up along the street and in fact one had to walk on the street to move at all. Most of the sellers were Indian women who had brought massive bundles of different gear wrapped in their traditional striped blankets. As they were packing up they were helping one another squeeze the garments back into these packs and they made their way back to the buses to carry them back home. I can't imagine them selling much but it must help the family income. In the evening I walked back through the witches market and down to the old cathedral built in the 1500s and then again in the 1700s. It is ornately carved (by native Indians)and filled with the usual Catholic saints and gory crucifixions. It is a central focus in the city with a square for meeting and a bus 'station' where the minibuses crawl along with a young man leaning out of the open central door calling out the destinations and people scurrying out into the traffic to climb aboard often with large bundles and babies. The traffic seems chaotic but it also seems to work and while it looks like a death trap the drivers are patient and luckily it all seems to happen without incident.

Tiwanaku

Myself and and American chap, Ray went on a guided tour to Tiwanaku which is about an hour by road from the city. Our guide was called Edoardo. The route went through a dormitory city El Alto which is on top of the mountains towards the airport at 4000 mtrs plus. It is growing fast from zero 26 years ago to more than a million living there now. Our guide pointed out to us that even the poorer people can afford to build a small brick house and unlike some of their neighboring countries there are not people living on the streets. Education is compulsory and recent changes have meant this includes two years pre-school. University is free and there is enough work around for students to study and work. It is clear that a lot of the native Indians are leaving the country to live in the cities as there are many women wearing traditional dress which out guide informed us was usually dropped by 2nd and definitely 3rd generation.

Tiwanaku is a pre-Columbin settlement which is thought to have been occupied from about 500 BC to around 1200AD when it was deserted due to drought. The stonework is spectacular and one cannot imagine how the work was done with such precision with what must have been a limited toolset. The old city was on the altiplano close to lake Titicaca and is about 4000 metres above sea level. The parts ofthe site so far unearthed are large pyramids in wide flat layers. Sadly, when the Spaniards arrived they searched high and low for gold and so they wrecked the sun gates which had gold attached to the pillars in the temples. They also took away much of the stone facing from the main pyramid and dug down inside in case there was gold buried there. It is now a UNESCO site and more money is being put into the digging and it seems more than likely more will emerge from under the earth. Many stones were brought up to 70ks and weigh many tons. One of the was over 100 tones and many were in the 20 to 30 ton region. Much mystery remains as to their belief systems, social structure etc but they clearly had extremely capable engineering skills, masonry and also special farming techniques allowing them to grow food high on the dry altiplano using canals to provide humidity through evaporation. It is suggested that techniques developed here were used by the Incas around Cusco.

The farmers today are cultivating small areas and growing mainly potatoes and oats for their animals. There are a few cows for milk and donlkeys for carting stuff although the people carry as much as a donkey with huge loads strapped to their backs. I saw ploughing with oxen a few times and saw one tractor. Times are changing. The altiplano is high, cold being between two arms of the Andes and dry. It doesn´t look like the best place to have a farm. Houses were of mud brick with thatching and very small. However, further down the valley close to the city someof the traditional houses had corrogated iron roofs. I´´m sure that will catch on and spread quickly

Grooaannn

The longest day is about to get even longer for me as the flight from Buenos Aires to La Paz has been delayed. I have had a few airport priced coffees and still I found myself going woosy sitting ataring at the Departures screen waiting for a gate to come up. What if I was to fall asleep? I could be there for hours. So now I have found the internet cafe to keep me busy for an hour or so.

We flew in over the Andes this morning and I got a great picture on my phone - bare brown mountains with snow caps. I will try to load one on FB when I have a better connection. ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Getting off the Ground

At this stage in traveling I always ask myself why I do it. Such a disruption to daily life, always the last minute stuff that takes longer than expected and then there is the unexpected which eats into rapidly reducing packing time. Still I have got to Sydney airport and I am starting to believe it is going to happen after all. Next stop Buenos Aires - and I get there one hour before I leave here ie at 10 am on 23rd Nov..... bit weird. Then I spend the remainder of the day getting from there to La Paz where I land about 8pm if all goes well. I have a feeling I will need to take a rest the following day