So , we took a rest. Took it slowly. Gently, slept in, coffees in bed, wines in the afternoon. Maybe a beer

The “rest” element of this trip in full swing.

Our Airbnb was perfect. Modern, clean, full of thoughtful touches that made you feel like you were at home. So nice to unpack – and I know this is boring- access to a washing machine. Everything got a good going over.

Each day we would choose one activity and build our day around it, a food tour ( thanks Judy and Warwick) – a gallery , a museum, a park or perhaps a cocktail ( thanks Alex) and we generally just wondered aimlessly around the streets if fabulous Buenos Aires. Weather was perfect ( sorry everyone in NZ) – 22-30degrees not too humid , not too hot. Nice enough to sit with doors open and no aircon.

So what behold, some of the highlights of our time in this wonderful city. Spunky, charming BA.

Recoleta cemetery

I suppose in what was once the richest city in the Americas , it makes sense that the cemetery would be something else. Ornate, elaborate and just a wee bit ostentatious. Ego’s were not left at the gates here- that’s for sure. If you had the dosh, you wanted others to know.

Covering over 14 acres in the middle of the city, there are over 6000 mausoleum’s. It’s fascinating to just see the architecture, mini versions of the highest forms of designs for their dead owners to rest in.

I was surprised that the coffins were very much open to view. You could even touch them, I assume they are lead lined? They also appeared to in many cases have a more discrete downstairs area too.

That’s enough of the dead people I suppose!

Nacional museum fine arts.

It’s remarkable that a country that is under such severe financial stress that there is still a strong sense of public good. Museums are “free” to be fair there is some arming to get a “donation” which we happily gave. But you did notice things like the absence of printed material. Staff looking stressed, maintenance not being done. But still, here we’re gazing at some incredible art, Rodin, Monet, Manet, Picasso, lautrec, . So many of the classics open to the public. I found the Argentinian art a little less accessible without a guide. But you still got a sense of things.

Having eaten so much meat we found a seafood restaurant to try and lighten things up. Success and then as we were leaving noticed this. What the actual? yup that’s Harry !

I feel like now is also to reveal a bit of a new thing ( for me at least) coffee tonic , yup , coffee with tonic water, ice squeeze of lemon. You have to try it! Pleasantly surprised.

Montevideo , Uruguay

In the middle of all this we decided to connect with a former exchange student ( from many years ago ) from Uruguay. Gabby very generously gave up her Sunday and came and met us off the ferry from BA.

2.5 hours by fast ferry and you’re in a new country. That will never ever loose its thrill for me.

A look around the old town, ( which was very quiet given the time of the year when everyone is on holiday.

Uruguay is small 3.5 million people. Not flashy , conservative and they’ve escaped a lot of the economic and political turmoil that impacts its neighbours. The parallels to NZ are definitely there. To start with Montevideo is as windy as hell , like Wellington!😂. They rely heavily on dairy and agriculture. Are politically stable and influenced heavily by their larger neighbours. I got the sense when it came to Argentina and its political problems, there are a few eye rolls from Uruguayans.

Buenos Aires ecopark

This was a tad unusual, a semi abandoned zoo in the heart of a large city. While the official line is that modern zoo practices are incompatible with modern day expectations. I have also heard that they simply ran out of money. So most of the animals are gone , except for a few hangers on like the lonely hippo and his neighbour the solitary giraffe, I feel they along with the single buffalo could create their own stories ?

The 18 hectare site has been rebranded as an eco park. Still free entry and it’s fair to say that some of the old enclosures, even empty are pretty stunning. Soz, I didn’t get pics. But you can imagine.

We also went to the Botanic gardens, again stunning and free! Right next door to the eco park.

So many places to explore and I suspect we having got to half of them. I’ll need to save them for next time. Because there will be a next time.

So that’s just about it for Argentina, next we fly to Iguacu stay on the Brazilian side but will hop back over the border to check out the Argentinian side of the falls. Looking forward to it!

wow, what a city this is, I love it.

It’s sexy, sassy, easy to get around, one moment you feel like you’re in Paris, the next Vienna or maybe even the streets of Surrey Hills in Sydney.

We had two nights in the hotel before we said farewell to our lase Intrepid group and headed to our Airbnb. You form attachments to your group and this one was no exception. We had our farewell dinner at a very flash steak restaurant. ( adore their meat in this part of the world) – let’s just say heads were not great the next day and what goes on your stays on tour. Somehow we left with enough in the doggy bag to keep us going for the next 2 days.

We started with a walking tour, getting our bearings. Stunning architecture..

The weather here has been great , warm, balmy about 30c during the day. Almost perfect in my view

We have had a chill few days. Kind of need to kick back after the full on Intrepid plans. Still I’d absolutely do it again. So we’ve been taking it easy, sleeping in a bit and ticking off a few things each day on our list – if we don’t get through them all then that’s fine. I am in no doubt that Buenos Aires is definitely a city I could easily hang out in.

Some of the thing we have done include , a tour of the Colon Theatre. I had heard of this magnificent building and it did nor disappoint. I had no idea that Argentina was until as recently as the 1970’s one of the richest countries on earth. The colon theatre is part of that legacy

We have also checked out the San Telmo markets , the colourful La Boca district. The MALBA, the amazing ( museum of Latin American art in BA) and thanks to a generous present from a family member a food tour voucher which we did last night.

While it’s easy to approach a new city with Rose tinted glasses, Argentina has been and continues to go through some very rough economic times. Run away inflation reaching almost 300% in 2014 has had a huge impact. While inflation is down to 39% per annum. 52% of the argentine population are now in poverty. Unemployment is up to 7.9%. Salaries are now reviewed every 3 months. So much money has been printed ATM,s regularly run out of cash. It’s dire. The austerity measures by the current government have made a difference, ( some say artificially so) – but again this shows the importance and impact of our system of democracy and the checks and balances around it. We ignore it , not engage with it at our own peril.

I’m writing this on a ferry on the way to a day trip to Montevideo in Uruguay! ( one more stamp to add, although unfortunately Argentina don’t stamp passports anymore)

The tradition for these beautiful colours started when left over paint for ships started to be used by locals for their homes

Food here was pretty great but at this point I began to feel unwell so I scurried back to the Airbnb . We had steak, salad , and some Gelato- all in the neighbourhood we are staying in.

We have Three more days here. Looking forward to it.

It’s hard to reconcile the vast differences between two countries when they are only separated in this instance by a rather large stream.

We left Uyuni early in the morning , crossing yet more high country to make it to the border. It was not the most pleasant journey, 8 of us in a van, plus our bags and petrol in containers in the back giving off some pretty full on fumes. News is almost impossible to come by so we didn’t know what we could potentially face, a lot of traffic? Long queues at the border? Protest blockades? Really no idea so we had a lot of contingency time up our sleeves. After a 5 hour pretty cramped ride we made it to the border. No issues. No queues, we were practically the only ones crossing and before we knew it we were in Argentina.

After killing some time we finally got on our bus to get to Tilcara , our destination for the next two nights.

Not without incident it turns out. About two hours in we were pulled over at some random Police check point and all ordered off for a search. No idea why. But off we got, had to get all our bags and lineup for search. Every page of my passport examined , ( hoping I didn’t need an Argentina passport stamp because despite asking for one I didn’t get one) every bag opened by a very serious looking police officer. He had just finished checking me when it started to hail. The bloody heavens opened and this unbelievable hail storm had us all running for cover. It was so heavy and so persistent it almost looked like it had been snowing. Search aborted, we were allowed back on the bus and on our way.

Arriving in Tilcara was like arriving in another universe. It was late Sunday , families were gathered in the park , street vendors were selling tortillas, is that a cafe? A pub with a huge BBQ roasting a whole side of beef? Wait are those clothes boutique’s a chocolatier? What’s going on?

We arrived at the hotel and practically squeeked with delight when we saw a swimming pool. Went to check the temperature and get the fuck out, it’s a giant jacuzzi. Ten minutes later we were all in. The staff then brought out pool towels. Quite a contrast from the day before when I had used a facecloth and was seriously eyeing up my scarf to dry off after the hot springs. This place is flash. Lights we can see with, shampoo and conditioner, a bloody bidet ! We were allowed giddy with the luxury of it all. The night ended in the courtyard of a local restaurant, where we feasted on vegetables? Yes real vegetables and between us three bottles of wine. The discomfort of the days travel melting away.

Next day, most of us decided to take a walk up to a waterfall. I was ready for a stroll not a hike and the 2-3kms of uphill climb just about did me in – sure it’s because I was still at altitude. 4 hours later I feel back on my bed, a siesta and then another lovely meal out.

The standards of living between the two countries at least from what we’ve experienced in the last 48 hours is so vast. The cars, the roads, the infrastructure, the way people dress, everything is different. It really illustrates to me how important our system of Government is and what a massive difference it can make to everyone. Something I wish a lot of the sheltered people at home could appreciate.

Next day We chose to have a lazy morning. And wonder to a nearby gallery we had heard about.

What a surprise that turned out to be. A privately owned and built photography museum featuring photographers from northern Argentina. The work itself was incredible, very contemporary even though the collection spanned a 100 years. But the real star was for me the architecture. This place is in the middle of nowhere. But has clearly been built to be part of the stunning environment it sits in. We loved it.

We had tried to find galleries in Bolivia but nothing ever really eventuated. This place was such a surprise, and such a delight. What an absolute privilege.

Tonight we fly to Buenos Aires and it will be the second to last night with this intrepid group. And then we are solo. The “intrepid “ part of our adventures are over. So now it’s time to buy a suitcase. The hand luggage bags have straining zips!

We left home over a month ago and we will be home in 3.5 weeks. Still a bit of ground to cover and a few more borders to cross, here are a couple of stats so far

Flights = 6 flights ( including tonight)

trains = 2

boats = 2

buses = too many to count

step count since dec 12 = 345,000

Hotel rooms = 20

Countries = 4

It’s been a blast so far.

Finally, probably what we had probably booked this tour for we headed to Uyuni.

Another 4 hour bus ride from Potosi ( after the delays of the day before something we were not looking forward to. But when you’re not the person responsible and you’re literally just along for the ride , you just roll with it – lesson in life there I’m sure.

We left on time, had great seats thanks to Tina our guide and off we went. Scenery once we got out of potosi was stunning. Very grand and dramatic. Dramatic sweeping mountains, arid almost desert like hills with cacti and then suddenly a green oasis with crops planted by a flowing river. Lamas, lots and lots of Lama’s. They seem to be able to adapt to all conditions. They often have small bits of fabric on by their ears or in their coats as identifiers.

So we arrive quite late in Uyuni , if it wasn’t grey and red dust instead you’d swear you were outback Australia. Very wide roads , mostly single level dwellings and a kind of bleak sense to it. The tourists being the ones keeping it propped up.

Next day after our briefing ( love these , the we are doing this, bring this, don’t forget this be here at this time) we piled into our 4 wheel drive to our first stop. And it was a weird one.

The train cemetery.

Uyuni was a transfer port in the late 19th century for minerals to the port in what is now northern Chile. There was a war, Bolivia lost the port and suddenly they had no sea access and no where for these trains to go to. So they sat in Uyuni and have been there ever since.

It was kinda eerie , and weird at the same tone. Crawling with tourists it had not been open the days prior due to the roads being too muddy but here it was now! And dry as a bone. Odd the things that become tourist attractions, yet again absolutely no restrictions and tourists were on top of, inside of and even dismantling these rusty hulks to get their own souvenirs. Surely there must be accidents? Tetanus, broken bones? I must be getting old. The folly of youth .

Then back into the 4 wheel drive and after some lunch we headed off to salt flats. Pictures ( and geez there are a lot of them) do not do this justice.

Uyuni salt flats are 10,500 sq kilometres. They were formed tens of thousands of years ago when tectonic forces landlocked the sea that was there and then slowly the water was evaporated leaving only the salt behind. The salt layer is on average 10m thick and up to 130m thick in place. The brine underneath is the world’s biggest source of lithium. This place is immense and beautiful. Apparently Neil Armstrong saw the reflection of Uyuni from space and decided he needed to sed it so visited in the early 70’s and it’s only really been popular as a tourist destination since the 1990’s. You may have heard of the Bonneville flats in Utah, also salt beds. A place famous for setting land speed records ( Burt Munro and the movie fastest little Indian) by comparison Bonneville flats are 100sq km.

We had blue skies and clear weather, but this is rainy season and many people come at this time of year to see the mirror effect of the water sitting on top of the salt but in the last few days it has all evaporated, that didn’t matter to me. Still spectacular.

Lots of trick photography shots seems to be a thing to do as well so feast your eyes. When in Rome…

Having driven over the lake and gone another hour over land we headed to what was being called homestay but was called a hostel in the brochure. But again, we need not have worried, David and I were given a great room with two beds and an ensuite in walls built completely of salt bricks. Definitely more hostel than homestay but that’s fine. No wifi which is great so I’m writing this offline and will publish later.

One of advantage of being so remote is the night sky, it’s quite spectacular with no city lights. So lights out , early to bed and with the odour of salt it wasn’t long before we were fast asleep..

Wonder what the next day will bring?

Yesterday ended up being a travel day, we were to be ready at 9 to get a 4 hour ten bus to Potosi our next destination. Departure time was 10. We got to the the station well in advance, tickets sorted , bus found we were ready to go. The station was a rainbow of characters, surprisingly the number of pets ready to board was interesting . A very cool Diane Keaton dressed cat, a rabbit in a basket looking like it was ready for Easter. And of course multiple dogs , usually in an outfit of some description.

So on we get, and we wait. It’s boiling hot and the windows don’t open and ten o’o’clock comes and goes. We then find out the departure time is now eleven o’oclock, why? No idea that then becomes 11:15 and ar 11:15 it becomes 11:25. It’s Bolivian time we are told. Given yesterday’s ongoing gut issues, not ideal but finally we are off. We arrive ready to eat, find a cafe , order and it takes almost an hour to arrive. Bolivian time the owner jokes. By now it’s 4:30 and we the museum and convent excursions were closed , but I’m kinda over the religious stuff.

It’s definitely been a feature that time is loose here, opening hours are a “guide” only and several times I have turned up to advertised opening times only to find things are closed. Bolivian time indeed.

Potosi

Potosi has a couple of claims to fame. It’s the highest altitude city in the world at 4090m. ( although that seems very close to El Alto so it may be in contention). It’s a Unesco heritage site. Sometimes known as the Imperisl city. And at one point was the most wealthy city in South America. Why? Mining. The mountain that dominates the city Cerro Richo or Rich mountain has been mined for almost 500 years.

At one point when the Spanish were in charge so much silver was being produced it flooded the Spanish economy, causing a massive inflationary effect. Half of the world’s silver in the second half of the 16th century came from Potosi.

Today it continues to be the main economic heart for the region. But its days of wealth are well behind it.

While the relics of its once famous wealth are evident in some of the architecture , to me there was an air of sadness and desperation.

As part of the tour Intrepid had given us the option to do a mine tour. The wording in the guide was rather circumspect, citing potential danger. Nevertheless we decided to go.

So off we went, picked up by a former miner who now runs tours. We were initially taken to a miners market where miners can pick up supplies. This included items like cocoa leaves ( for energy) alcohol and dynamite! I kid you not.

We were encouraged to buy “gifts” for miners we would see on the tour, cocoa leaves, gloves, drinks , one young Australian decided he wants to buy dynamite as a gift- as you do.

We were then taken to a central place , given a briefing and put into our mining gear. I sort of knew we were going to be near a mine , but by now it’s becoming clear we are going in.

So off we go. But first a little more history.

After passing through various foreign ownership the mines were nationalised in the 1950,s. But decades of failed investment saw the infrastructure gradually degrade and the huge refinery was closed. Today , it’s basically a system of thousands of independent contractors, some working under fairly loose cooperative structures, chancing their luck on striking it rich. Spoiler alert. Most don’t. It’s now pretty much completely unregulated, with absolutely appalling conditions and using techniques that seem to be from centuries gone by. Hand carts. Picks, axes, crushing stones by hand with mallets. Of course health and safety is almost non existent and the average life expectancy for men is in their 40’s. As someone whose profession has centred around dignity in the workplace, I found it very confronting. There is a whole secondary economy for the widows who, along with their children try to eke out a living in desperately difficult conditions for the tailings

So we arrived and the entrance to the mine we were going into was barely a hole in the side of a hill. Jagged edges, no obvious support structures, and at times I felt like I should almost be crawling. I didn’t like it at all.

The smell of chemicals was in the air, the dust, the dryness it was all a bit overwhelming, of course no electrical lights and apparently no full maps exist and it’s no wonder there are many deaths. It was full on. We got to a point probably only 50m in where we stopped. Young men with wheel barrows of rocks were still running in and out and we stopped. There was an effigy of a quechen god that the miners pay respect to , mostly with cocoa leaves, cigarettes and the alcohol of choice. A 96% proof moonshine. ( if things were not already bad enough – let’s add alcohol).

By now David had exited and when it came time to go further in I decided to also turn back.

While we waited we watched the men carry on with their work. All by hand. Honestly it was like being back in the 19th century. While they worked a woman was doing some washing, one of the widows who along with her children, try’s to survive. They looked unwell. As did the skinny dogs. It was all very depressing. But they do it for the potential riches. As we were leaving we saw a canary yellow new Hummer , clearly that particular miner did well. But I wonder how long he will survive and what will happen to his family then? but hope is the currency they trade on here.

It’s such a massive failure on so many levels . The state who have failed these people , who see so little value in lives. No regulation, no safety- where is the public responsibility here? Or is this just a privilege concept of the west? I really didn’t enjoy this day at all.

Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia, I always thought it was La Paz, in truth government and administrative functions do sit in La Paz. But that does not stop this city from being incredibly charming. So, so different from the craziness, grit and crowds of La Paz. Sucre is cool , calm and ordered.

We arrived two nights ago by overnight bus, not that much fun to be honest , it felt like we were off road for hours, turns out we actually were. So we arrived early morning and our guide had arranged a table in the plaza for breakfast.

Sundays the plaza between 6am and 6pm are traffic free zones. So various community activities are arranged. Kids bikes, chess tables are set up, there’s a stage for performing and market stalls are set up. Sucre feels very European and is also known as the white city, with the white washed buildings it’s a stunner. Fancy chocolate shops, Bolivians dressed up in their finery it could not be more of a contrast from La Paz

After wondering around the city a few of us went to see the Dinosaur footprint fossils. It’s right next door to a huge cement works that “discovered” them in the 90’s. It’s now been turned into a park. Quite well done I thought , but the guides are quite put off by the fact that you don’t get really close up after a bit of a major landslide a few years ago. Goodness knows how this will be appropriately preserved, but for now I got to see them.

Back at the charming hotel we bumped into two of the crew from our last tour so we had a bit of a reunion moment which was fun. And then it was a very early night to catch up on some sleep.

Next day it was up early for another drive up and walk down an old Inca trail. So nice being outdoors and the weather was fantastic. These trails are centuries old , some pre Inca , rather pleased we were going down and not up!

So after a long walk it was back into town for some lunch , a wonder around where I was hit by my first bout of oh-oh where’s the loo NOW! So that first aid kit Imodium got brought out , hope it clears up before the bus ride tomorrow! Back up into altitude again which is tough for David and we are getting closer to the famous salt flats.

The dogs here are incredibly friendly and seem to latch onto to tourists, this guy ( we called him Pedro) has been following us everywhere, on walks, waiting outside restaurants, bars and just sits outside the hotel for us. It’s incredibly endearing and I want to bring him home.

He’s so cute and seems to be in really good condition. At the end of the day I relented and did feed him. I know, big mistake!

It’s been a restful few days in La Paz. A chance to get some laundry done, sleep in and look at attractions at a much more leisurely pace. Important before we head into the next Intrepid trip which stats today.

There have been some outstanding food treats in the vicinity of our Airbnb , a social enterprise restaurant rated one of the top 50 in Latin America and a small dégustation menu ( 9 or 14 courses) we went for the 9 course and it was stunning Menu cost $40us each. Bolivia is definitely cheaper than Peru , apparently one of the cheapest in South America. You can tell in a lot of ways.

We also went to the Cholita’s wrestling show. Definitely gimmicky and touristy, but still a bit of fun once you let yourself get into it. cholitas are a distinct, proud indigenous group recognisable by their distinct dress code . Colourful and the obligatory hat which seems to be perched on their heads. ( must be pinned as I can’t work out how they stay on?)

Back to the wrestling, it was amusing. But also a wee bit cringe for me. But here are a few pics , you had to not take it too seriously.

New Year’s Eve was a blast. We went to Gustu in the leafy well to do suburbs of La Paz. Gustu was founded by one of the Chefs from the famous restaurant Nobu. It was pretty fancy and included another plethora of gorgeous treats. Followed by in house entertainment that spilled out into the streets at midnight. Pretty much had no idea what was going on but we went with the flow – as you do in these situations.

Yes, it felt like we munched our way through the Amazon… I know, I know. But I didn’t really think of no “ indigenous species” as a food preference when booking.

We had our obligatory 12 grapes at midnight, a Spanish tradition that endures.

And then out onto the streets went the whole restaurant, everyone, chefs, service staff , guests. Everyone outside to dance

There have been other adventures to , I went to the Valley of the moon one morning, a chance to look at the stunning features caused by erosion.

It was interesting, but a bit one note for me, it was far more interesting trying to find my own way back to where we were staying . Managed to hail a taxi and get driven to the nearest cable car.

Which brings me onto the next thing. The cable cars. I know I have mentioned these before but they are truely amazing. Such an engineering feat and provide for a pretty under developed city a 21st century attraction, and example of cheap , clean public transport. I want it for Wellington! And of course the views make an hour just going from cable car to cable car flying over suburbs. Watching sorts being played, dogs being walked , people going about their daily lives absolutely fascinating. You can do the whole city circuit for about $1.50. Definitely for me the highlight of La Paz.

There were some other activities we could have done, the death road bike ride ( although my intrepid guide was not keen due to dodgy safety) an old road that you çan now cycle done from 4500 to 1100m with sheer cliff drops.

Some pre Incan archaeological ruins, but I’m a bit “ ruined” out for the moment.

And a couple of mountain hikes above snow lines to see lakes … but I wasn’t really in the space nor did I feel I had the right equipment so we rested instead.

Tonight we get a bus to Sucre , the official capital of Bolivia. ( in name only it would seem) 11 hours on a sleeper bus. Couple of days there, and then onto the salt flats.

We met our new group last night. Only six of us plus the guide so should be quite a different experience….

Oh fun fact. On one of the cable car rides we went over a navy facility. A navy ? Bolivia is completely land locked and then we realised, Lake Titicaca , the “navy” patrols lake Titicaca.