Due to some mess with my travel agency, I had to take a local bus from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. It was not only a long ride (almost 13 hours), but it was also pretty rough and dusty. Until the Chiliean border, it was a dirty road. Bumpy and Dusty. And as the bus was pretty old, all the dust found its way into the bus. We had three and a half hours of the border crossing at the Chile border, one and a half to leave Bolivia, and 2 hours to enter Chile.
When we entered the Salar de Uyuni, we were very disappointed. 6 strangers and a guide went into a Toyota Landcruiser and entered the Salar de Uyuni around 10 am. The salt was brown like it was covered with sand; we thought it would be white, like snow. We cheered ourselves up together, “It will be better soon,” “It’s just the beginning,” and “Just wait a little bit.” The driver was silent; he only understood Spanish. He could have told us our mistake. After 5 minutes of driving in brown salt, I asked into the round, “Might it be brownish as we are all still wearing our sunglasses?”. With a gasp of relief from the seats, everyone took off their sunglasses, and the white, pure whiteness of the salt immediately blinded us. That started a day full of laughter and fun with the group.
In addition to my day trips to Titikakka Lake and the scary ride on the Death Road, I stayed a couple of more days around La Paz to explore the city and to feel the Bolivian way of living. It’s not a secret that Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, but on top of that, and that’s only my impression, it’s unlikely tourist-friendly. It happens everywhere, especially in poor countries, where the prices differ for tourists and locals.
Having seen the Peruan side of the Incas, I had to see the most crucial point for the Incas: the birthplace of the sun and the moon, the “Isla de Sol”. The people living there are called Aymara. Aymara and the Inca are two distinct indigenous peoples of the Andes Mountains. The Inca were a powerful empire that conquered and incorporated many other groups, including the Aymara, into their territory. The Aymara, however, have their unique language, culture, and traditions, and they have never been fully assimilated into Inca society.
Due to my decision to cancel Venezuela, I went to Quito (Ecuador) for some more relaxing time. Therefore, I did not take that many tours. On the first day, I walked around in the historic city center, and actually, I would call Quito the city of churches. Only the historic part of the city has more than 30 churches—some impressive, some relatively minor and unimpressive.
The North Yungas Road, also known as the Death Road, is a 64-kilometer (40-mile) road that connects the Bolivian capital of La Paz to the town of Coroico. The road was built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners of war from the Chaco War. It is a narrow, winding road with steep drops, and as a result, it was once considered as one of the most dangerous roads in the world. In 1995, it was estimated that 200 to 300 people were killed on the road each year. After they opened a new highway between La Paz and Coroico, the “Death Road” is closed for busses and trucks, and only rarely will you see cars there… It is mainly used by crazy mountain bikers going downhill to experience the thrill of riding this road, so that’s what I did 🙂
Besides the visit to Comuna 13 and the walk to the Stone, I also did some sightseeing. And Medellin is a big city, not exceptionally beautiful or destructive. It’s just a big city. I stayed in the area called “El Poblado”. It’s a bit up the hill, suitable for fleeing the city center’s traffic, dust, and noise. In addition, this area is full of tourists, including laundry services, restaurants, clubs, hostels, etc., so it’s easy to find company there. And if you need to go to the city, take an Uber for 3 USD, and everything is fine.
Entering Comuna 13, the past is still present; you see bullets inside the wall, graffiti describing the history, and museums telling you the story of their neighborhood. It is a cruel and terrifying story:From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Comuna 13 was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world, plagued by violence from drug trafficking organizations, guerrillas, gangs, and paramilitaries.
Imagine you own a big rock in the middle of nowhere and decide to sculpt stairs out of this rock that people can walk up, and you later realize that was the best idea ever as now hundreds of people pay 6 USD to step up, and you make a fortune of money. That is what might have happened with the Peñol stone next to the city of Guatapé.
If you ask people living in Cartagena, they will tell you they are more Caribean than Colombian. And walking in the beautiful streets of the historic city, I do feel the same: Palm Trees, Caribbean music, colorful houses… But Cartagena is so much more. It’s a big party city, young people everywhere, going out every day. It’s good food, it’s primarily good weather, but it’s also pretty touristic, which results in a lot of vendors asking you if you need sunglasses (even if you wear your own) or if you need drugs or a hooker for tonight.