Wow, well it’s been a while since we updated the blog. Was such a treat to hit civilisation again in Argentina that we have been seriously chilling and even updating the blog is clearly too much effort.
So After La Paz, we hopped on a bus to Oruru and from there managed to get the last 2 cattle class tickets on the train to Uyuni where the salt plains are in Bolivia. The train really makes a nice change to the bus with that rhythmic rocking and being able to just watch the world go by. The scenery was beautiful, probably a bit like the Karoo as a comparison with dust devils and mountains in the background. We spent a day in Uyuni, which you can see in 45mins and booked for the salt plains tour the next day.
The scenery was startling. Salt plains as far as the eye could see which could be ice from it’s looks (not the heat!) dotted with islands of cacti and volcanic rock, and even the odd bird. The first night we spent in a salt hotel – the whole thing is built from salt bricks and even has some sort of salt mortar. The photo shows how they literally cut the salt bricks from the plains with an angle grinder and they are the perfect width as the next layer was much more powdery. Wish we could have brought a few bricks home for the farm – pure salt licks!
The next day saw us going into red dust terrain to see lagoon after lagoon with flamingos. Again interesting and extraordinary, from Borox mining and arsenic lagoons – we’re not really sure as our guide didn’t speak a word of English and talking about terrain and mining hasn’t been in our frame of reference, we just getting by ordering food, a room for the night and a bus.
Anyway, maybe we can look up Lagoon Verde for more info as it was also promoted for being the 8th wonder of the world.
The 2nd night we stayed in what could have been a mud hut in Hammanskraal (minus the litter) which was fun, just incredibly cold at night but wow!! what a night sky!!
Seem to have no concept of date, time and day so can’t remember when we left but we made our way back in the train to Argentina from Uyuni the next night. We stopped in Villazon, on the Bolivian side and made our way to the border which was a few km walk – amazing how you can get around with acting out, miming, pointing and the odd Spanish word. We somehow worked out that you need to walk across the border and catch a taxi into town and then a bus from there. So we hit Salta – a beautiful Argentinian town with a population of about 500k. Back to a normal altitude, shops, restaurants, cleanliness.
Yet another big bus ride to Mendoza which was selected as a destination when Rob and Jax gave us the coffee table book about off the beaten track places to visit! Mendoza was compared to Napa Valley and we decided to pin point it as a destination. 19 hours later we arrived in Mendoza –beautiful! The pavements are wide, the houses are quaint and the restaurants are plenty!! Meat, meat and more meat, we had such an awesome steak – and I have to admit, Argentinian meat is better than SA!! And we keep trying it to ensure that it really is the case! We ended up staying 5 nights in Mendoza and going for a run the one day now that we could breathe at a normal altitude. Mendoza also has a massive park (500 hectares) to explore including stadiums, water, rose garden etc. It’s very popular to hire bicycles and cycle round the wine farms which we did yesterday and then end of with a chocolate and preserve factory – awesome day out!!
We have also been pretty amazed at the time schedules and haven’t quite accepted the siesta thing – blooming inconvenient when you want to go to the shops anytime between 2 and 5/6. Even the banks and the mid sized supermarkets! Then everything is open til 10 or so and the restaurants don’t start filling up til at least 10/10:30. What is fascinating is the fact that small kids are also still up having dinner 11pm with their parents.
15 December
On the road again.........
We’re off to Beunos Aires overnight, another 14hr bus ride!
16th December
Beunos Aires for the day and just couldn’t pass on the opportunity to go to a Tango in the evening – very romantic! But we’ve realised that big cities hold little attraction for us so we only stayed 1 night and then caught the high speed boat across to Montevideo, and up to Punta Del Este. Lovely here!! Apparently the playground of the rich from Argentina and Brazil and certainly looks it. Mixture between Plett and CT in terms of accommodation, high rise apartment blocks and exquisite individual homes all mixed in together. We are staying about 5mins from the beach and 2 mins from the shops which are all Louis Vuiton, Tommy Hilfiger, and beautiful decor shops!
Off to go and do our normal lunch thing which is to find a supermarket, buy some wine, rolls, ham and tomato etc and sit in the park and ‘make picnic’!
Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas break! Will be thinking of you all. xx
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