In Bolivia!

So, for the first time in a week or so, I've got a computer for more than just a minute or two. So, I'll relate what's happened on the 3-country, 2 week vacation.

First, I arrived 30 minutes early to the bus terminal... the wrong one, and thanks to cell phones, taxis, and friends willing to stall a bus driver for 10 minutes managed to not miss the bus. Although, in my defense, I was told "Estacion Central" which is the name of a metro stop where there is also a bus station. What I didn't know is that there are two terminals, about 4 blocks apart.

The bus ride was 22 hours to a town called San Pedro de Atacama, where we saw the most arid desert in the world. It's actually quite beautiful, during sunrise and set you can see the colors of the mountains changing opposite the sun.

From San Pedro, we took a 3 day bus trip to Uyuni, Bolivia, across the 2nd largest salt flat in the world (The largest is in Utah). The ground and all buildings are made of salt. It almost looks like the ocean... except salt. The first night, after ascending to an altitude of 4500m, (around 13,000 feet) we all felt a bit under the weather, except for one Spanish girl whose diet consists of chocolate, beer, and steak. We went to bed quite early, and since at that altitude in winter the temperature can easily get to -20 degrees, and since the place we were staying at had no heat, no hot water, and walls that were in need of repair we all slept in layers, in sleeping bags, under blankets, and three to a bed. At 1:30 I woke up because my brain was politely informing me that if it didn't get more oxygen and water, it was going to kill me. Imagine the worst hangover possible, but in several degrees below zero, and at an altitude where you literally cannot walk at a normal pace and hold a conversation. So I drank as much water as I could, and got to bed about 2 hours later. Then, I hear movement while I'm awake at 4:30, and the Portuguese girl asks herself, "Where the hell is the flashlight..." to hear 4 of us answer. So, the 5 of us got up and had some water and medicine and got to bed about an hour later. The next night was much better, and had only a mild headache the morning of the third day. From Uyuni we went to Oruru, a small town half way between Uyuni and La Paz. We took an overnight train to La Paz, where I am now, and tomorrow we go to Copacabana, on Lake Titicaca.

Bolivia is running up the list of favortite countries quite quickly. In fact, we just ordered a pizza that's about 4 feet in diameter for $15. Lunch today, including salad bar, small buffet, entree and soup cost about $5.

Until next time, which will probably be sometime next week-
Dan