Bolivia

First cup of Coca Tea
So we left you in Cafayete, the picture perfect town by the Andes in Argentina. Well that was a ways back (no working PCs Im afraid). Were now in Sucre, the Judicial Captial of Bolivia. We have been to a few more towns, crossed a border on foot (almost illegally, nice one shehspaz), done a four day tour of the most beautiful parts of Bolivia, been a bit ill, tired, happy, and homesick.
After Cafayate a bus to Salta, a larger town that was nice, but didnt have anything we hadnt seen before, eccept one of those sky rail things which was cool. And a little rickety. Then on to Jujuy, still Argentina, where we visited the “nmissable” hot springs. Missable I can assure you, but we enjoyed the creepy Charlton Lido atomosphere literally in the middle of nowhere. Then another bus to La Quiaca, a town right on the border. Nothing much in town but it did have a tv in the room, woohoo! Was like a dodgy US motel where murders happen, but me made the best of it. Loads of episodes of House. Stayed one night then wandered around this arid town looking for somewhere 
Bolivian Market, Tupiza, Bolivia
that looked like Bolivia. After literally asking someone “donde esta Bolivia?” we passed some old ladies having a wee and found a border, which we nearly crossed without letting the pretty lax security know, and in to Villazon, Bolivia. Sat outside a cash machine for like a year while they filled it, then in a train station for four hours for one of only two trains of the week to leave. Seriously, two a week. Got the train to Tupiza and settled in to a real nice hostel. You getting all this? Now Tupiza is the final town that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ever saw before being shot for being naughty outlaws. So we had to have ourselves a horsey ride. Note: I havent been on a horse since i was, how old, mum, 8? Our guide was like 16, and safety? Ha, dont make me laugh, were cowboys (and girls). So we rode out of town to some canyons, scared myself to death going from trot to canter and just made it back alive with the sorest of bottys. If you ever get on a horse, stick to trot. It aint as easy as it looks. Laughing 
Following in the hoofsteps of Butch and Sundance
at the idea of my lanky staure on a horse? Yup, it was that funny.
Next day we left on our tour with Louise (english primary school teacher whos been travelling for two years), Michael (cool french hairdresser turned dance correographer), Iain (scottish vet), David (lovely young spanish guy who was our chef and produced some fine fine meals) and Carlos (our perfect Bolivian tour guide). We were very lucky to have such a cool group, it would have been hell stuck up in the mountains with people you couldnt stand! We drove for hours and rarely on roads. Saw tiny towns with barely any people in them, amazing lakes in azure blue and ice white at sickening altitudes, incredible views, bathed in natural springs, saw bubbling geysers, live volcanoes and stayed in some odd places (a hostel made out of salt). Yes, all amazing. Well bore with all the pictures on our return. So many flamingos.
The trip ended in Uyuni, a fairly scuzzy town where we hung out for the afternoon before getting a bus to Potosi, the highest city in the world. The bus got in at 1 in the morning 
Getting a raw hide
but they said we could stay on the bus till morning. So we curled up and tried to sleep, but when you can see your breath and hear the bus driver getting drunk with his pals in the drivers compartment it was little tough. But we made it out alive and got ourselves on a bus 6am that morning to Sucre, the Judicial (but not proper) captial of Bolivia. Been here a couple days, looking round some black markets and the likes. Were here a couple more til we leave for La Paz, the actual capital. Its really beautiful here and we happen to be here at the same time as the South American Olympic trials, athletes everywhere from 5 SA countries and a carnival atmosphere. Nice! Were about to try secure tickets for the boxing final tonight…
Hope youve taken notes. Youll be quizzed later. Enjoy the pics, theyre taking forever to upload, though we do now have our pictures backed up on disk, phew.
Laters peeps
love to all
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Nice ride
The beast that took us on our four day trip on some pretty tough terrain
From a great height
Picnic in the desert
Playin Ball
With the kids of a small town in the middle of nowhere, population probably about 50.
Lookina little boney
Lama Graveyard
Livin in a ghost town
The height above sea level of a ghost town we saw on our trip. The people fled when they thought it was haunted.
Nature at its finest
Worth waking at 4am for
Ed and a red lake
Flaminhell!
Under the tree rock/rock tree
Salt flats at dawn
Shehnaz squashes man
The crew