Salar de Uyuni Bolivia

The day began with some last minute shopping before heading out to the train graveyard. Peter, being a mechanical engineer, was the only one interested in the trains, so it wasn't long before we all piled back into our Toyota Landcruiser and headed for the Salar. 

The Salar de Uyuni is one of the strangest landscapes I have ever seen: miles and miles of flat whiteness, punctuated by the occasional coral island, covered in giant cacti.

The next stop was Bolivia's salt processing town. This small town of 80 families produces salt for the whole country. We were shown the production process where the damp salt is dried on a huge pan over a woodfired kiln. After 30 minutes the dry salt is heaped in a pile to cool-off before being ground with iodine, ready for production. The final stage is then to bag it, sealing each bag with a flaming LPG bottle. Mini bags are produced for the tourist market and sold for 1 Boliviano, around NZ$0.20. Lots of 50 x 1kg bags are sold into the national market for 15 Bolivianos (US$2).  This family-run operation can produce 5000kg of salt per day, with a staff of 8.  All the salt production businesses are run at a family level and it is all shoveled by hand.  The salt is not exported internationally as all of Bolivia's neighbors have their own salt production areas.

From there we took a step back in the process and visited the salt mounds. This is where the salt is scraped from the Salar and formed into pyramids to begin the drying process.  A week later it is shoveled onto trucks and sent to be processed. The ground was surprisingly wet and wherever it was dug into the moisture below would seep up. This part of the salt flat is only around 50m deep, shallow compared to the middle where it reaches 150m in thickness.

From here we truly entered the Salar, setting out into the vast expanse of whiteness.  Before long we had another short stop, at Los Ojos del Salar - the eyes of the salt flat. These bubbling springs are a reminder that the surrounding volcanoes are not completely dormant. Locals believe that they have curative powers and come from La Paz to soak arthritic knees and ankles in the cold spring water. Cynthia was tempted to try the healing powers on her still-swollen ankle, but decided the water was a little too cold!

The next stop was the most amusing of the day: the Salar photo stop. We drove to our own section of the Salar and began to play with creating images normally only possible with the aid of Photoshop. Because of the monotony of the Salar there is no depth perception. We thought something must have gone wrong with our trusty vehicle as our guide/driver, Vladimir, had donned his mechanics overalls, but it turned out he was just preparing to be our photographer. Out came a serving spoon, a pot and an apple. We held people in the palms of our hands, ran away from giants stomping on us, were eaten from serving spoons, sat on apples and rode in shoes. Our workout for the day was holding strange poses for what felt like an eternity. Just when we thought we were done Vladimir turned into a film director with a tube of Pringles, two apples and two iPhone. With music courtesy of Cynthia's phone we crawled out of the Pringles tube and danced across the 'set'. Fortunately we had a large expanse of Salar to ourselves. Watching it afterwards was hilarious. Once we had stopped laughing long enough to talk we packed up and headed for lunch then to Inti Huasi Island.

Inti Huasi Island is covered in giant coral as it was once on the bottom of the sea. Growing on the coral are over 6000 cacti, some up to 6m tall. These grow at a rate of 1cm per year, so some of them are pretty old. All the rubbish bins and signs on the island are made of this slow growing cactus wood. Fortunately souvenirs of the same material are no longer available for sale. We climbed up and over the island before going through a coral archway and down through a cave. It really was a stunning and weird place.

After a brief stop to see how the salt bricks are cut from the Salar we made the final push for the hotel. The bumpy, uneven, windy roads were a bit of a shock after the smooth, even terrain of the salt flats. Questions for the driver were deferred in order to provide maximum concentration for the quite interesting 4 wheel driving task at hand. An hour later we arrived at our Salt Hotel. The bed bases, the walls, the tables and the chairs are all made entirely of salt. It is quite a neat place, and relatively warm compared to outside, especially as there is a howling gale outside, dropping the temperature well below zero.

LAKE QUILOTOA AND A BURRO

On this day our plan had been to visit Vulcan Cotopaxi, but eruption warnings and the closure of the refugio meant a change of plans.

I had a novel experience in this wonderful place, but first a little bit of background info.

Laguna Quilotoa is a large 3km wide volcanic caldera that is filled with the most glorious coloured water.  Dissolved minerals create the stunning aquamarine colours, absolutely breath-taking at first sight.  Some of the local folks believe that the lake is botomless.

Quilotoa has a history of very violent pyroclastic eruptions, the last known one was in 1280 (radio-carbon dated) and sent ash showers covering 1,000,000 square kilometres, affecting the pre-Colombian agriculture.

Our 300 metre descent down to the Laguna began at over 3,700 metres via a steep path – quite wide, part scoria, part mud and some steps.  It was very cloudy and cool and raining lightly, so at first the lake was only vaguely discernible.  However, we were blessed – as we descended it gradually cleared and by the time we reached the lake-edge the sun was out and the most breath-taking sight was before us.  The colours were stunning.  Quite a few tourists were there, mostly Spanish speaking people.  The kayaks which were for hire were very tempting, but our time was limited.   In my dreams I will return there one day and paddle right around the lake!

Now I have to confess that I did not make the climb back up on my own two feet.  Right at the start I was well aware that I would need to hire one of the available burros (US $10) to do it for me, on four sturdy and dependable feet.  I would never have made it otherwise.

My burro, Paloma, belonged to a young couple who owned just two, and I believe this is how they make their living (some of my guilt feelings relieved by this thought).  The young woman Marta led Paloma and she was so sweet, quite shy and wearing her local traditional dress.  We managed to converse a tiny bit.

Paloma wore a wooden saddle, tightly cinched and covered by a soft woollen woven blanket, actually quite a comfortable seating arrangement!  I had a wooden pommel to hang onto, in between trying to take photos with one hand.  Paloma seemed well cared for, with no saddle sores or foot problems and she knew exactly when to pause briefly for a few extra breaths.  Such a sure-footed animal.
It was a lovely experience, one I would recommend and well worth the $10.

Marta, who walked briskly up the hill to 3,700,
chatting all the way while I (Ross) had
no spare breath to grunt replies.

If you ever go to Ecuador, do not miss a trip to Laguna Quilotoa!

Sue
PS  Like everyone, I am constantly thinking of the devastation, death and destruction caused by the Ecuador earthquakes and my heart goes out to the people who are suffering untold loss.

Post from the (NZ) Office

As planned I only stayed with the tour for the Ecuador sections and I am sitting at home watching Hazel lead some of my favourite sections of South America.

We left Ecuador two days before the earthquake which has now claimed over 500 lives.  If you are thinking of visiting Ecuador, don't be put off by the quakes.  While the aftershocks will continue in the severely damaged areas in the North West, most of the tourist areas are in different parts of the country and are only slightly affected or not impacted at all. The Galapagos and Amazon are unaffected, the Andes tourism facilities are all operational and the airport at Guayaquil is open. Possibly the best help you can provide is to continue with your plans to visit.

Of our original group of 16, half continued on to walk the Inca Trail.  Hopefully one of the group will write a blog of this to fill in more of the gaps and provide photos.  There were a few challenges with bureaucracy at the start due to two of the group using newer passports than they booked with.  Several found the walk quite challenging as it it climbed to 4,200m, but everyone was pleased to find that there were slower people walking the trail.  The sense of accomplishment, the history and the scenery were great compensation.  I also gathered that a 3:30 am start on the last day was not a favourite - especially when the train didn't get back to Cusco till 10:30 that night.

Len, Allan and Catherine will be arriving back in Wellington today while the others continue on to Bolivia and the Salar de Uyuni.  This last week is pretty hard travel and I suspect everyone is already feeling ready for a holiday - after all good travel is not the same as a holiday.

Ross

Cusco to Puno

A full day of travel and activities as we traveled from the Inca capital of Cusco to the lakeside town of Puno. 

The first archeological site, Raqchi, was an Inca site with a Wari influence. The Wari were one of the pre-Inca tribes that were absorbed during the Inca expansion. The site had the remains of a huge temple and 150 food storage silos. The central wall of the temple is 15m high and is still standing. The bottom three metres are brilliant Inca stonework and the remainder is adobe and wood. It is amazing that it has survived earthquakes, the conquistadors and 500 years of weather... Small sections of window have been rebuilt to reconnect the pillars and the foundations of the other walls and pillars are still visible. It is an impressive site.

From there it was not far to a great buffet lunch, beginning with a delicious quinoa soup. We then loaded up our plates with salad and veges, barely leaving room for the beef or chicken. I don't think any of us touched the rice or pasta. After a few days of limited veges it was nice to have such an ample supply available.

Outside there was an interesting ritual going on. We had arrived to lunch just as what looked like a funerary pyre was being lit. The pyre was surrounded by a circle of robed and chanting people reminiscent of similar scenes in Nepal. By the time we left the pyre was well alight and the ceremony was continuing. Our guide told us that it was a Jewish group of Peruvian descent who were making an offering of a sacrificial lamb. Not something you see every day.

The scenery on this trip is absolutely stunning. The wide valleys with eroded rolling hills have given us a glimpse of rural and small town life in Peru. The fields are a patchwork of colours, with barley, wheat and quinoa in different stages of production. Occasionally we pass a woman wearying the traditional bulky skirts, cutting bundles of wheat or barley to be tied and stacked in neat pyramid bundles in the fields. Other women carry large bundles on their backs in brightly coloured blankets. The backdrop to all of this is the occasional 5500m snowy peak.  Plans of catching up on some much needed sleep were postponed while there was so much to see out the window.

In the hour between lunch and the pass we climbed 800m leaving behind the wheat fields and entering alpaca territory. The pass, at 4300m, is the boundary between the regions of Cusco and Puno.  Life in the small communities in this area must be tough and the adobe brick houses are built small to combat the cold in the freezing winter months.  In the absence of trees in this area, dried dung is the main source of fuel and heating.  

Crossing the pass we left the valleys of Cusco behind and entered the drier and opener expanses of the altiplano.

Our final stop was at some pre-Incan terraces. We skipped the terraces and headed into the small town.  Cynthia and Andre added to their handicrafts collection while Peter, Jane and I checked out the local market.  We found lots of meat (and sheepskins) and the car tyre sandals many of the porters were wearing on the Inca Trail (a bargain at NZ$5 - they would never wear out, but they may take a while to wear in!).  We also found some good fruit including a bean-like thing that was a bit like eating cocoa beans from the pods.

The final stretch was two hours on the bus, arriving in Puno around 5.30pm after a full, very scenic day.

Hazel

Cusco

Cusco is one of my favourite cities in the world.

The two and a half days here before beginning the Inca Trail felt far too short.  The main square is beautiful, the place feels safe and the surrounding archeological sites have made it the main drawcard for Peru. Despite the huge numbers of tourists Cusco retains its charm and more often than not there is an unexpected event taking place in the Plaza de Armas.  While we were there it was the anniversary of the Cusco bank and the square was set up for displays of traditional dancing. Later the same day there was a large group of pro-life activists with a smaller pro-choice protest nearby.

Our favourite restaurant was a small place close to our hotel that had a clay pizza oven. It had great character and the pizzas and enchiladas were great.

On our first full day in Cusco we did a day trip to the sacred valley where we visited the archeological sites of Ollantaytambo, Pisac and Moray, all stunning sites.  Moray was particularly fascinating as it was a series of circular terraces used to adapt and study plants and seeds that would not normally grow at that altitude. The Inca society really was an advanced civilisation.

The last stop of the day was the salt pans of Moras.  During the dry season the 5000 salt pans are flooded with the warm salt water that flows from within the mountain.  20 days later the salt is ready to be harvested; the top layer for human consumption, the next layer for animals and the bottom layer for tanning. It is a huge operation and it was great to hear that it is owned and run by the local community. The salt from this stream had been mined for over 4000 years.

The next morning felt like a sleep-in as we set out alarms for 7am.  We took taxis up to the ruins above Cusco and walked down through four archeological sites, the most impressive of which was Saqsayhuaman. This site is incredible with phenomenal stonework and huge stones, the largest of which weighs around 130 tons. Fortunately many of these were too large for the invading Spanish to pillage for their own constructions, although they did destroy the towers that once stood at the highest point.
We had an excellent guide, possibly the best we have had on the trip. His English was limited but he made an effort where he could and I translated the rest.

What an awesome place, I could easily spend a few weeks here.

Ecuador Earthquake

We left Ecuador 3 days before the earthquake.  The eight people continuing on to walk the Inca Trail were in Cusco when the quake struck and would not have felt it.  They are currently out of cell phone and email range but I talked to them a few hours earlier when they were packing and all was well.

While in Ecuador we often remarked on the building code and its apparent weaknesses and so can imagine the devastation that has occurred on the coast. Our thoughts are with Ecuadorians recovering from the effects of the quake.

Incidentally if you are thinking of a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos, if you can you should still go. Tourism is very important to Ecuador and the sooner it recovers the sooner the country returns to normal.  The Galapagos and the Amazon areas are unlikely to be affected and transport links through Guaquil and Quito will be quickly restored.

Ross

Puerto Ayora – Fish Market, Swimming and Giant Tortoises

These tortoise shells are from Santa Cruise and are much smaller than the 600kg models of other islands

Our last full day in the Galapagos was spent in Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz and the largest town in the Galapagos.  It is a start or end point for most cruises and almost every tourist passes through here as it is the closest town to the airport.  As a result the entire town is geared towards tourism and has a little bit of a Queenstown feel.  However, like Queenstown, the surrounding attractions make it a great place to spend a couple of days. 

We started our full day here with a trip down to the fish market.  The fishing boats come in early in the morning and pelicans and the occasional seal line up for an easy meal.  The workers are incredibly efficient in preparing and filleting and preparing the fish and the waiting animals are remarkably patient.  The previous morning we saw a seal get thrown a fish head and skeleton.  The seal caught in hopped to the edge of the wharf, threw the fish into the water and flopped in after it.  He obviously felt there was less competition in the water than on land.  We also saw a pelican swallow a whole fish carcass – it looked rather uncomfortable for a few moments as the fish was sticking out through his throat.

Note the Iguana on the fish carcases at the market

From there we headed to Las Grietas, a lovely swimming canyon.  On our guides recommendation we went early to avoid the crowds.  We had the place to ourselves and the 20 minute walk had warmed us up nicely.  It is such a great place to swim between the cliffs.  We scrambled from one pool to the next over very sharp rocks – sandals or shoes would certainly have been handy.  The place was filling up and the sun was just starting the touch the water by the time we left.  The walk and short water taxi trip back was enough to dry us out and warm us up enough to want a cold coconut when we got back to the main wharf.

After lunch we headed to the highlands to visit the Giant Land Tortoises at El Chato Reserve.  Just out of town we stopped at the Mirador de Tuneles

which had a huge but very short lava tunel before continuing on to the tortoises.  The first activity at the tortoise reserve was climbing into the giant tortoise shell.  This beast would have been 150 years old when it died sometime last century.  I was the first to climb in to get things started.  These shells are heavy and lifting yourself up on all fours is a challenge.  Then some of the others had a go and the guide showed them how to a haul themselves upright, giving them a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle look. 

From there we walked around the reserve and saw some of the tortoises.  There weren’t huge numbers around as many of the females had left for lower ground to make their nests.  The ones we did see were pretty muddy as they like to sleep in the mud ponds – about 5pm each day they haul themselves off to a pond to sleep for the night.  These tortoises are one of 2 species on Santa Cruz and there are about 3500 of them left.  The tortoise population was pretty decimated by pirates and sailors who took them for meat supplies as they can last without food or water for nearly a year.  As a result some species became extinct and some became extremely endangered.  The Tortoise breeding program at the Charles Darwin Centre has

raised and released thousands of the most endangered species. 

We finished the day with a great dinner on ‘Eat Street’ – a street that becomes a series of open air restaurants each evening.  It has a great atmosphere and wonderful food with very generous servings.  The whole fish was a particular winner.

Another great day.

Hazel