Plenty of Salt, Not Enough Oxygen...a Trip to Boliva, Colombia, and Ecuador
May 15, 2014, 7:29 pm
#31
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Part III: La Paz to Uyuni, Bolivia, Hotel Luna Salada, and Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats
When I'd originally booked this trip, the flight from Bolivia to Uyuni was at the annoying hour of 6:30am. That would mean getting up around 4:30a at the latest to head to the airport on my second day in Bolivia. UGH. Just as I was leaving DC I got an email...the flight had been retimed to 5:35am, and the reason was given as "due to a maintenance service in the International Airport EL ALTO in La Paz city and will be closed at about 4 hours, from 12:00 pm to 16:00 pm during all month MAY." .Uh, exactly how does that affect a 6:30 flight? .No clue. However, I resigned myself to a 3am wakeup call to get to the airport no later than 4:30...an hour before my flight, and hopefully a little sooner.
Woke up, out the door in about 20 minutes, and soon I was queued up to check in at El Alto. I can't say I've ever seen an airline bragging that they fly a "new fleet of CRJ-200s."
Check in was super quick, although I was kicked out of the bulkhead I'd reserved online, because I was told my Spanish wasn't good enough to be sitting in an exit row. Boo hiss. .It was still about 1:15 before the flight, so I had time for a quick (and pretty awful) coffee in the check in area, with a much better chocolate muffin.
Security was completely painless and took maybe two minutes, and soon I was in the rather decent departures area:
Boarding was called about 30 minutes before the flight, and we walked probably 300 meters across the tarmac to our plane:
Upon boarding, the flight attendant handed each passenger a goody bag:
Amaszonas flight 300
La Paz, Bolivia (LPB) to Uyuni, Bolivia (UYU)
Depart 5:35, Arrive 6:35, Flight Time 1 hour
Canadair CRJ-200, Registration CP-2742, Manufactured 1997, Seat 2F
Upon boarding, for some reason, the seats on this plane looked and felt really familiar. Only when I pulled up my phone to check out its history did I see why...it was a former United Express plane, and still had the United Express seats. So, this is hell. My least favourite aircraft (the CRJ) with vestiges of United Express. Great. Door closed about 5 minutes early with the seat next to me empty...and we started to taxi....a few minutes later, we headed back to our parking position and opened the door.
A rapid stream of spanish followed from the cockpit, with the simple english translation of "something wrong with the plane." Great! Well, ten minutes later "something" was fixed and we were off! The flight was a quick 45 minutes or so, and the flight attendants did do a quick beverage service from the trolley. Can't really complain...beats United Express!
Landing in Uyuni, it was cold. Really cold. -4C or about 26F according to my phone, and I was just in jeans and a lightweight pullover. Brilliant planning Jason, brilliant. I'd prebooked a driver/tourguide for the day, since I'd been told there were essentially two options in Uyuni: hang around town for one of the 6-people-packed-into-a-Landrover backpacker trips for about $50 a person, or book a private driver. Since I only had one day and no clue when I'd come back, I opted for my own driver so I could do what I wanted and stop however long I wanted.
My driver was waiting in the arrivals area as the sun rose, and we threw my backs in the vehicle and were off. He said we had to wait for a permit from the police in town, so we had about an hour to kill before we could head out. We headed into a small restaurant/cafe for coffee and a light breakfast, and slowly after us it began to fill up with backpackers who'd taken the 10+ hour overnight bus from La Paz. They all looked like death, and I was beginning to think the extra money I'd paid was well well worth it.
Permit obtained, we headed out to the "train cemetery" at the edge of town. Not much to see, but since it was featured in just about every travel article I read on the town, I figured we should stop. At least it was a cool contrast with the brilliant blue skies:
Stopped in town to pick up some snacks and waters, and in the centre of town was this...unique...sculpture:
Next stop was my hotel, the Hotel Luna Salada. It's a good 30 minutes out of town, right on the edge of the saltflats. .The hallways/common areas are open to the elements, so it got very very cold. This was the walkway to my room...note the floors, which are made entirely of crushed salt:
We were set to head out on the tour at 10, so I had an hour nap which made me feel much better after having gotten up at 3am! The hotel was cold...quite cold....since the salt walls don't really insulate things much and it drops below freezing at night. There were electric blankets on all the beds (a first for me) and they kept me nice and toasty warm!
The drive to the salt flats (with the obligatory 15 minute stop at a local craft market along the way) was pretty good...and upon entering the salt flats the driver really gunned it. .t felt weird to be speeding across the salt with no roads, no markings, just a sense of direction.
I'd told my driver I wanted to see an area where water had gathered, to get a pic of the salt with the reflection. He knew right where to go, and we found an area where water was a few inches deep. .We had to drive very slowly in this area, because supposedly if you drive too quickly the water splashes up on the car's undercarriage, and will corrode things, shorting out the electrical systems due to its high salt content and stranding you:
Then, we drove deeper into the salt flats, maybe another thirty minutes or so. The salt here was incredibly dry, and packed into geometric patterns:
We continued to drive and eventually reached the Isla Incahuasi, an "island" in the middle of the salt flats that's covered in cactus. This was a picnic stop for most of the trips, however we were the first to get there. It was nice, because I was free to hike all over the island for an hour taking pictures before it was time to get lunch. Keep in mind the elevation here was about 13,000 feet above sea level still, so hiking up the island was some major effort:
Hiking back down to the "shore" for picnic:
Got to the bottom and my driver was napping, but no big deal since I was in no rush. He quickly woke up, put up an umbrella at one of the small tables on the beach, spread a tablecloth on it, and proceeded to unpack a picnic feast. .Smoked lake trout, fruits, a couple of salads, the works. It was probably one of the nicest tour box lunches I've ever had. Major credit to them! .He said the hotel had provided it (I booked the tour through the hotel, although it was run by a private company) and I was pretty impressed.
After lunch, it was a 30-40 minute drive to the old salt hotel. Many years prior, someone had the idea to build a hotel in the middle of the salt flats. It turned out to be both a financial and ecological nightmare, since everything (including waste) had to be brought in and out. It was closed soon after, and now serves as a museum and rest stop.
There's also now a Dakar rally in Bolivia that goes through the salt flats, and outside the hotel was this monument to it, even though the actual route goes nowhere near here:
A few shots of me near the hotel, doing obligatory tourist poses. .I especially like the middle one:
Last stop of the day was some natural mineral springs, where areas rich in minerals bubbled up through the surface of the salt creating small pools of mineral rich water:
On the way out, I asked my driver to stop at an area I'd seen where miners gather salt for processing. The salt belongs to all the people of the area, and anyone who wants is free to farm it as long as they're local. Note the small mounds gathered up for collection:
Got back to the hotel with about two hours before dinner, and some time to attempt to update my blog on the insanely slow internet connection. Eventually, gave up and had a couple beers with an Irish couple in the lounge area:
Should have gotten to dinner right when it opened at 7, since a large german tour group descended on it and took up every available seat. Dinner ended at 9, and at 8:30 was finally able to get a table and enjoy the small buffet. Mystery meats described as "chicken and beef" along with a tomato salad and some quinoa:
Then, by 9:30 it was off to bed, with another VERY early morning coming up thanks to Amaszonas airlines....
Woke up, out the door in about 20 minutes, and soon I was queued up to check in at El Alto. I can't say I've ever seen an airline bragging that they fly a "new fleet of CRJ-200s."
Check in was super quick, although I was kicked out of the bulkhead I'd reserved online, because I was told my Spanish wasn't good enough to be sitting in an exit row. Boo hiss. .It was still about 1:15 before the flight, so I had time for a quick (and pretty awful) coffee in the check in area, with a much better chocolate muffin.
Security was completely painless and took maybe two minutes, and soon I was in the rather decent departures area:
Boarding was called about 30 minutes before the flight, and we walked probably 300 meters across the tarmac to our plane:
Upon boarding, the flight attendant handed each passenger a goody bag:
Amaszonas flight 300
La Paz, Bolivia (LPB) to Uyuni, Bolivia (UYU)
Depart 5:35, Arrive 6:35, Flight Time 1 hour
Canadair CRJ-200, Registration CP-2742, Manufactured 1997, Seat 2F
Upon boarding, for some reason, the seats on this plane looked and felt really familiar. Only when I pulled up my phone to check out its history did I see why...it was a former United Express plane, and still had the United Express seats. So, this is hell. My least favourite aircraft (the CRJ) with vestiges of United Express. Great. Door closed about 5 minutes early with the seat next to me empty...and we started to taxi....a few minutes later, we headed back to our parking position and opened the door.
A rapid stream of spanish followed from the cockpit, with the simple english translation of "something wrong with the plane." Great! Well, ten minutes later "something" was fixed and we were off! The flight was a quick 45 minutes or so, and the flight attendants did do a quick beverage service from the trolley. Can't really complain...beats United Express!
Landing in Uyuni, it was cold. Really cold. -4C or about 26F according to my phone, and I was just in jeans and a lightweight pullover. Brilliant planning Jason, brilliant. I'd prebooked a driver/tourguide for the day, since I'd been told there were essentially two options in Uyuni: hang around town for one of the 6-people-packed-into-a-Landrover backpacker trips for about $50 a person, or book a private driver. Since I only had one day and no clue when I'd come back, I opted for my own driver so I could do what I wanted and stop however long I wanted.
My driver was waiting in the arrivals area as the sun rose, and we threw my backs in the vehicle and were off. He said we had to wait for a permit from the police in town, so we had about an hour to kill before we could head out. We headed into a small restaurant/cafe for coffee and a light breakfast, and slowly after us it began to fill up with backpackers who'd taken the 10+ hour overnight bus from La Paz. They all looked like death, and I was beginning to think the extra money I'd paid was well well worth it.
Permit obtained, we headed out to the "train cemetery" at the edge of town. Not much to see, but since it was featured in just about every travel article I read on the town, I figured we should stop. At least it was a cool contrast with the brilliant blue skies:
Stopped in town to pick up some snacks and waters, and in the centre of town was this...unique...sculpture:
Next stop was my hotel, the Hotel Luna Salada. It's a good 30 minutes out of town, right on the edge of the saltflats. .The hallways/common areas are open to the elements, so it got very very cold. This was the walkway to my room...note the floors, which are made entirely of crushed salt:
We were set to head out on the tour at 10, so I had an hour nap which made me feel much better after having gotten up at 3am! The hotel was cold...quite cold....since the salt walls don't really insulate things much and it drops below freezing at night. There were electric blankets on all the beds (a first for me) and they kept me nice and toasty warm!
The drive to the salt flats (with the obligatory 15 minute stop at a local craft market along the way) was pretty good...and upon entering the salt flats the driver really gunned it. .t felt weird to be speeding across the salt with no roads, no markings, just a sense of direction.
I'd told my driver I wanted to see an area where water had gathered, to get a pic of the salt with the reflection. He knew right where to go, and we found an area where water was a few inches deep. .We had to drive very slowly in this area, because supposedly if you drive too quickly the water splashes up on the car's undercarriage, and will corrode things, shorting out the electrical systems due to its high salt content and stranding you:
Then, we drove deeper into the salt flats, maybe another thirty minutes or so. The salt here was incredibly dry, and packed into geometric patterns:
We continued to drive and eventually reached the Isla Incahuasi, an "island" in the middle of the salt flats that's covered in cactus. This was a picnic stop for most of the trips, however we were the first to get there. It was nice, because I was free to hike all over the island for an hour taking pictures before it was time to get lunch. Keep in mind the elevation here was about 13,000 feet above sea level still, so hiking up the island was some major effort:
Hiking back down to the "shore" for picnic:
Got to the bottom and my driver was napping, but no big deal since I was in no rush. He quickly woke up, put up an umbrella at one of the small tables on the beach, spread a tablecloth on it, and proceeded to unpack a picnic feast. .Smoked lake trout, fruits, a couple of salads, the works. It was probably one of the nicest tour box lunches I've ever had. Major credit to them! .He said the hotel had provided it (I booked the tour through the hotel, although it was run by a private company) and I was pretty impressed.
After lunch, it was a 30-40 minute drive to the old salt hotel. Many years prior, someone had the idea to build a hotel in the middle of the salt flats. It turned out to be both a financial and ecological nightmare, since everything (including waste) had to be brought in and out. It was closed soon after, and now serves as a museum and rest stop.
There's also now a Dakar rally in Bolivia that goes through the salt flats, and outside the hotel was this monument to it, even though the actual route goes nowhere near here:
A few shots of me near the hotel, doing obligatory tourist poses. .I especially like the middle one:
Last stop of the day was some natural mineral springs, where areas rich in minerals bubbled up through the surface of the salt creating small pools of mineral rich water:
On the way out, I asked my driver to stop at an area I'd seen where miners gather salt for processing. The salt belongs to all the people of the area, and anyone who wants is free to farm it as long as they're local. Note the small mounds gathered up for collection:
Got back to the hotel with about two hours before dinner, and some time to attempt to update my blog on the insanely slow internet connection. Eventually, gave up and had a couple beers with an Irish couple in the lounge area:
Should have gotten to dinner right when it opened at 7, since a large german tour group descended on it and took up every available seat. Dinner ended at 9, and at 8:30 was finally able to get a table and enjoy the small buffet. Mystery meats described as "chicken and beef" along with a tomato salad and some quinoa:
Then, by 9:30 it was off to bed, with another VERY early morning coming up thanks to Amaszonas airlines....
Last edited by ironmanjt; May 15, 2014 at 10:04 pm
May 17, 2014, 1:54 am
#33
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Great stuff so far. I really must get around to doing Bolivia.
Amazingly nice looking food on Avianca, even if the service was less than stellar. Looks like they are a nice new *A redemption option to Latin America.
Amazingly nice looking food on Avianca, even if the service was less than stellar. Looks like they are a nice new *A redemption option to Latin America.
May 17, 2014, 4:18 pm
#34
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 439
May 17, 2014, 7:13 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,526
Part IV: Uyuni to La Paz, and La Paz Part II
Originally when I'd booked the trip, my flight back from Uyuni to La Paz was scheduled for 9:35a, which would allow me to sleep in slightly, and still get to La Paz in time to have a nice relaxing day to see the city. Unfortunately, once again, Amaszonas had other ideas. Points to them for communications, but 48 hours before my flight I got an email that the flight had been moved to 6:45am. Are you KIDDING me people? UGH.
This meant instead of getting breakfast and leaving for the airport at the sane hour of 7:45 or so, I would have to leave for the airport no later than 5am. Yes, this meant another 4:15am wakeup call. UGH.
I went out front at 5:15a as agreed with my driver, and he was there...sleeping in his car....with heavy metal music blaring. I was slightly disturbed, but after knocking on the windows to wake him up, we had a safe 30-40 minute drive to the airport. All the stars were out, and it was gorgeous in the complete darkness.
There was already quite a long queue to check in which took 15 minutes or so in the semi-open air terminal, and I was stuck in the back of the plane this time. No big deal. The problem was, after security, we were in a waiting room that was semi-open to the elements and it was -5C outside. It was absolutely freezing, and I hadn't brought a jacket. I sat hunched up in a little ball for about 30 minutes and ran for the plane the minute they let us board. There was absolutely zero to see or do in the airport, except freeze and wait for the plane.
Amaszonas flight 301
Uyuni, Bolivia (UYU) to La Paz, Bolivia (LPB)
Depart 6:45, Arrive 7:35, Flight Time 50 minutes
Canadair CRJ-200, Registration CP-2733, Manufactured 1998, Seat 11D
This flight was completely full, and I had the pleasure of an overly chatty Indian seatmate from Mumbai who insisted on talking for the entire 50 minutes. Even when I put in my earbuds, he prattled on and on. Ugh. Not at this hour, please. Impressively, for a full flight of 50 people and only 40 minutes in the air, the flight attendants made two full passes with drinks. I was impressed! The Coke Zero was the only thing keeping me going.
Landed in La Paz right on time, but there was one problem. . It was rush hour, and it took nearly 90 minutes to get to the Radisson. .Fortunately I knew the fair price this time, and the taxi driver was happy to accept it. .Got to the hotel just after 9, but my room wasn't ready yet...so they invited me to go up to the executive lounge for breakfast. .Well, that was nice! .Had a small breakfast, and by the time I was done my room was ready.
They'd upgraded me to the executive floor for some reason, which was slightly nicer in furnishings than my previous room. I collapsed on the bed, and caught an hour nap to try and feel somewhat human.
After I woke up, I headed out to walk the city. My first stop was the office of Crillon Tours, where I had to pay for my trip to Lake Titicaca the next day. .The walk there was about 15 minutes, and it was a good chance to watch the city going about its business on a week day. There was, once again, nearly no English spoken in the office when I got there, but eventually I found the person I needed, got the tour paid by credit card, and I was off to walk some more.
I was headed to the old part of the city where some colonial buildings still stood, but on the way I ran into a group of...zebras? I have no idea what this was all about....
Just ten minutes further along, I ran into a chain gang of prisoners doing some hard manual labour repairing a road. And being supervised by....a police dog? I was beginning to wonder about Bolivians and animal costumes....
Finally, after a 20 minute walk uphill, and stopping frequently to catch my breath, I reached Calle Jaen, where some old colonial buildings stood. The streets were narrow, and the angle of the sun made it hard to get a good pic, but this was my best attempt:
I kept walking back through the city, and my next stop was the Mercado de las Brujas - the witches' market. You could by all sorts of interesting "ingredients here" including dried llama fetuses. .Supposedly when you're building a new building, be it a house, office, or whatever, you bury one of these dried llama fetuses in the foundation for good luck. Go figure....
By this point it was just after noon, and I was beginning to get really hungry. .I checked TripAdvisor, and in the area it recommended Sabor Cubano - a Cuban restaurant. I had a cuban sandwich and a couple of mojitos, and it was absolutely delicious. .It was SO good I considered a second sandwich...but behaved. .t was empty when I arrived there, but by the time I left around 130 it was maybe half full.
Wandered the city for another two hours or so after lunch, just taking in random sites, with random coffee breaks along the way. By 4pm I was exhausted, and collapsed back at the hotel to catch up on the blog, etc. Three straight nights of barely five hours of sleep had caught up with me, and I was fading fast. .Plus, I'd hoped the Titicaca tour the next day would leave at a sane hour, but nope...they were going to pick me up at 6:30am. Ugh, another pre-6am wakeup. I relaxed for a bit, and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the city from my room:
There was still a bit of daylight left, so I decided to wander the area near my hotel. Came across a group doing Capoeira which was fun to watch for a bit:
...and President Evo is building a better Bolivia for all!
I relaxed a bit more,.and then when it opened at 6pm I hit the executive lounge for what I hoped would be a glass or two of wine. Nope, no wine....odd....it was water, and coffee. .Strange. I did a bit of email, and then headed out to a place I'd seen called Swiss Fondue for dinner. .It was odd....I had heard tons of German and French spoken during the trip, and after asking several people they were all Swiss. .I have no idea why the Swiss apparently have such a thing for Bolivia, but also...they seem to have lots of restaurants there too. Go figure.
Earlier in the day I'd looked for another restaurant mentioned on TripAdvisor called La Quebecoise...only because I was curious 1) what a Quebecois restaurant was really like....was it poutine? and 2) ... was it doing in Bolivia. Unfortunately, it appears it had gone out of business.
So...Swiss Fondue. Got there, and once again, only one table was taken...by a Singaporean couple. Maybe it was low season in Bolivia? Anyways, went back and forth with the waiter in broken english and spanish for a bit, before the owner took over....who was francophone swiss, and things went uphill from there. Moved to a high/bar table near the window, and ordered a beer. They'd just gotten in some local microbrew, and it was surprisingly good with some raclette cheese melted on toast:
Had a really nice chat on and off with the owner after the appetizer, and figured while I was in Bolivia I had to go for it....I had to have llama fondue, lol. Everything came...llama and chicken and it was absolutely delicious!
During dinner, I got an email from work that there was some urgent work to be done, so I decided to head up to the hotel restaurant and grab a 1/2 bottle of wine for while I worked. I regretted not trying the hotel restaurant, because it had an amazing view of the city:
Bit of work, finally to bed around midnight, and the 545a alarm was coming soon for a daytrip to Lake Titicaca....
This meant instead of getting breakfast and leaving for the airport at the sane hour of 7:45 or so, I would have to leave for the airport no later than 5am. Yes, this meant another 4:15am wakeup call. UGH.
I went out front at 5:15a as agreed with my driver, and he was there...sleeping in his car....with heavy metal music blaring. I was slightly disturbed, but after knocking on the windows to wake him up, we had a safe 30-40 minute drive to the airport. All the stars were out, and it was gorgeous in the complete darkness.
There was already quite a long queue to check in which took 15 minutes or so in the semi-open air terminal, and I was stuck in the back of the plane this time. No big deal. The problem was, after security, we were in a waiting room that was semi-open to the elements and it was -5C outside. It was absolutely freezing, and I hadn't brought a jacket. I sat hunched up in a little ball for about 30 minutes and ran for the plane the minute they let us board. There was absolutely zero to see or do in the airport, except freeze and wait for the plane.
Amaszonas flight 301
Uyuni, Bolivia (UYU) to La Paz, Bolivia (LPB)
Depart 6:45, Arrive 7:35, Flight Time 50 minutes
Canadair CRJ-200, Registration CP-2733, Manufactured 1998, Seat 11D
This flight was completely full, and I had the pleasure of an overly chatty Indian seatmate from Mumbai who insisted on talking for the entire 50 minutes. Even when I put in my earbuds, he prattled on and on. Ugh. Not at this hour, please. Impressively, for a full flight of 50 people and only 40 minutes in the air, the flight attendants made two full passes with drinks. I was impressed! The Coke Zero was the only thing keeping me going.
Landed in La Paz right on time, but there was one problem. . It was rush hour, and it took nearly 90 minutes to get to the Radisson. .Fortunately I knew the fair price this time, and the taxi driver was happy to accept it. .Got to the hotel just after 9, but my room wasn't ready yet...so they invited me to go up to the executive lounge for breakfast. .Well, that was nice! .Had a small breakfast, and by the time I was done my room was ready.
They'd upgraded me to the executive floor for some reason, which was slightly nicer in furnishings than my previous room. I collapsed on the bed, and caught an hour nap to try and feel somewhat human.
After I woke up, I headed out to walk the city. My first stop was the office of Crillon Tours, where I had to pay for my trip to Lake Titicaca the next day. .The walk there was about 15 minutes, and it was a good chance to watch the city going about its business on a week day. There was, once again, nearly no English spoken in the office when I got there, but eventually I found the person I needed, got the tour paid by credit card, and I was off to walk some more.
I was headed to the old part of the city where some colonial buildings still stood, but on the way I ran into a group of...zebras? I have no idea what this was all about....
Just ten minutes further along, I ran into a chain gang of prisoners doing some hard manual labour repairing a road. And being supervised by....a police dog? I was beginning to wonder about Bolivians and animal costumes....
Finally, after a 20 minute walk uphill, and stopping frequently to catch my breath, I reached Calle Jaen, where some old colonial buildings stood. The streets were narrow, and the angle of the sun made it hard to get a good pic, but this was my best attempt:
I kept walking back through the city, and my next stop was the Mercado de las Brujas - the witches' market. You could by all sorts of interesting "ingredients here" including dried llama fetuses. .Supposedly when you're building a new building, be it a house, office, or whatever, you bury one of these dried llama fetuses in the foundation for good luck. Go figure....
By this point it was just after noon, and I was beginning to get really hungry. .I checked TripAdvisor, and in the area it recommended Sabor Cubano - a Cuban restaurant. I had a cuban sandwich and a couple of mojitos, and it was absolutely delicious. .It was SO good I considered a second sandwich...but behaved. .t was empty when I arrived there, but by the time I left around 130 it was maybe half full.
Wandered the city for another two hours or so after lunch, just taking in random sites, with random coffee breaks along the way. By 4pm I was exhausted, and collapsed back at the hotel to catch up on the blog, etc. Three straight nights of barely five hours of sleep had caught up with me, and I was fading fast. .Plus, I'd hoped the Titicaca tour the next day would leave at a sane hour, but nope...they were going to pick me up at 6:30am. Ugh, another pre-6am wakeup. I relaxed for a bit, and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the city from my room:
There was still a bit of daylight left, so I decided to wander the area near my hotel. Came across a group doing Capoeira which was fun to watch for a bit:
...and President Evo is building a better Bolivia for all!
I relaxed a bit more,.and then when it opened at 6pm I hit the executive lounge for what I hoped would be a glass or two of wine. Nope, no wine....odd....it was water, and coffee. .Strange. I did a bit of email, and then headed out to a place I'd seen called Swiss Fondue for dinner. .It was odd....I had heard tons of German and French spoken during the trip, and after asking several people they were all Swiss. .I have no idea why the Swiss apparently have such a thing for Bolivia, but also...they seem to have lots of restaurants there too. Go figure.
Earlier in the day I'd looked for another restaurant mentioned on TripAdvisor called La Quebecoise...only because I was curious 1) what a Quebecois restaurant was really like....was it poutine? and 2) ... was it doing in Bolivia. Unfortunately, it appears it had gone out of business.
So...Swiss Fondue. Got there, and once again, only one table was taken...by a Singaporean couple. Maybe it was low season in Bolivia? Anyways, went back and forth with the waiter in broken english and spanish for a bit, before the owner took over....who was francophone swiss, and things went uphill from there. Moved to a high/bar table near the window, and ordered a beer. They'd just gotten in some local microbrew, and it was surprisingly good with some raclette cheese melted on toast:
Had a really nice chat on and off with the owner after the appetizer, and figured while I was in Bolivia I had to go for it....I had to have llama fondue, lol. Everything came...llama and chicken and it was absolutely delicious!
During dinner, I got an email from work that there was some urgent work to be done, so I decided to head up to the hotel restaurant and grab a 1/2 bottle of wine for while I worked. I regretted not trying the hotel restaurant, because it had an amazing view of the city:
Bit of work, finally to bed around midnight, and the 545a alarm was coming soon for a daytrip to Lake Titicaca....
Last edited by ironmanjt; May 18, 2014 at 7:19 am
May 18, 2014, 5:35 am
#36
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
Looks like a very beautiful and photogenic city
.
Those dried llama fetuses would give you nightmares though!
Just saw this on reddit
:
http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearne...a_costumes_to/
.Those dried llama fetuses would give you nightmares though!
:http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearne...a_costumes_to/
May 18, 2014, 7:16 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
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Posts: 5,526
Guess that explains it, this was a hugely busy intersection.
May 20, 2014, 11:29 am
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Part V: Daytrip to Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
I wasn't really expecting this daytrip to leave at 6:30am...it's probably a good thing I didn't know that in advance, or I might not have booked it. .I was beginning to seriously run on fumes by this point in the trip, but hopefully seeing Lake Titicaca would make it all worth it. .I had to admit, though, as anyone who wasted time watching Beavis and Butt-head as a kid, every time I hear Lake Titicaca I still think of the Great Cornholio...lol
Anyways, enough stupidity. Got to the lobby of my hotel at exactly 6:30, and there were no signs of life stirring yet. There was, however, a petite Bolivian looking lady wandering the lobby looking puzzled, so I asked who she was looking for. Yes, she was my guide...and the driver was on the way. This was all in Spanish, because up until this point she seemed extremely reluctant to speak English. She eventually warmed up, and we were underway.
It was about a 90 minute drive to Huatajata where we would pick up the hydrofoil across the lake. .Although this was scheduled to be a group tour, there was nobody else booked from La Paz today, so I'd have the van to the hydrofoil all to myself. .Additionally, the hydrofoil ride would be all alone, and we would pick up a large group of...you guessed it....Swiss tourists coming from Peru in Copacabana for the second part of the trip.
We made it Huatajata on time, after a long drive through the sprawling expanses of El Alto. .Once there, there was a "museum" to see before starting the trip. .When I was booking this, I discussed with several Bolivians I knew, and they all recommended to make the booking with Crillon Tours. .Seems they had built much of the tourist infrastructure on the lake, including the hydrofoils, and had all the connections to make the trip the best possible. .They'd even built a museum on Huatajata telling a bit of the history around Lake Titicaca, both before and after the arrivals of the Spanish. .I was given 20 minutes to check out the museum while my guide got everything sorted for the hydrofoil. First highlight of the museum, a burial mummy:
...followed by the arrival of the Spanish:
Manco Capac, the first Incan incarnation of the Sun God, and his sister and Mama Ocllo in a traditional boat....
Outside the museum were some friendly alpacas (or are they llamas?) .just hanging around....
...and one especially woolly one in bad need of a haircut. .Lake Titicaca in the background:
There was also a cuy (guinea pig) hanging around....
Our hydrofoil, the Sun Arrow, set to take just me and my tour guide on an approximately 90 minute trip to Copacabana over the lake.
We boarded, and there was lots of room to spread out...
The routes of travel....at different points on the cruise the individual lights would light up:
After docking in Copacabana (at a small naval base...see, Crillon Tours really does have the infrastructure sorted) we took a walk of the town while waiting for the giant bus of Swiss tourists to arrive and join us. .The entrance to the main cathedral:
After the cathedral we walked the town for a bit and grabbed a coffee. .The town was crawling with backpackers, probably more so than anywhere else I've seen in the world. .It was actually mildly disappointing - the number of coffee shops, hostels, and cheap tourist shops was really unattractive (although with the constant cries of "hola! .senor!", but fortunately the natural beauty of the lake really made up for it:
At this point we walked back to the boat, and an hour later, around 1pm, the Swiss finally arrived. .Their tour guide took over (we were outnumbered 30 to 1) and gave all the narration on the boat. .In German. .Fortunately, we were sitting by one of the francophone swiss tourists who was translating for others, so I didn't miss too much I think. .The next stop was the Isla de la Sol, or Sun Island. .We took a hike to the top (which the Swiss skipped....it was close to 200 or so steps at 14,000 feet in altitude, and at the top was a spring from which flowed the "fountain of youth." I had a drink...we'll see if it works!
The view down towards the lake from the top of Sun Island:
Lunch was serve on the island, and it was an absolutely gorgeous view. .Lunch was quinoa soup, lake trout, and a mandarin. .Pretty tasty...and the views....
There was even a replica traditional reed boat out on the water was we had lunch:
After lunch, it was back on the hydrofoil for the final stop of the day, the Island of the Moon. .The view as we docked:
Ruins of the temples on the Island of the Moon:
From inside the ruins...this picture was much more impressive in higher resolution when you could see the moon.
The great thing about having my own guide, while the swiss wandered around en masse, is that we could get ahead of them, really explore things in detail and at the pace I wanted to, and have things mostly to ourselves. .While they were still exploring the temple ruins, we headed back down to the shore and I got to enjoy the views of Lake Titicaca:
After this, we took the hydrofoil back to Copacabana, arriving around 4pm. .The swiss headed out in a giant tour bus to their next stop, and it was just me, my guide, and my driver in the van back to La Paz. .We stopped a short way out of Copacabana to take a few last pics:
Then, after 45 minutes we had to cross the lake. .Something about this "ferry" didn't inspire confidence in me:
Fortunately, we made it across. .The late afternoon view from the other side:
As soon as we got to the outskirts of El Alto, it became bad. .Really bad. .I'm talking about the traffic. .What should have been approximately a 3 hour drive turned into nearly 5 hours, and we were still crawling towards the hotel. .I gave up, since we were near the Cuban place I'd had lunch the day before, and asked them to just drop me there. .I'd grab a taxi back after dinner when traffic was hopefully quieter. .I think I just wanted another delicious cuban sandwich and a few mojitos:
The restaurant, like so many places I went in La Paz, had this sign on display. .I'm guessing it's some local regulation that all public establishments must remind people that "under the law all are equal."
Back to the hotel with a taxi driver intent on winning the Indianapolis 500, and off to bed. .I had an early flight to Lima and then on to Medellin in the morning!
Anyways, enough stupidity. Got to the lobby of my hotel at exactly 6:30, and there were no signs of life stirring yet. There was, however, a petite Bolivian looking lady wandering the lobby looking puzzled, so I asked who she was looking for. Yes, she was my guide...and the driver was on the way. This was all in Spanish, because up until this point she seemed extremely reluctant to speak English. She eventually warmed up, and we were underway.
It was about a 90 minute drive to Huatajata where we would pick up the hydrofoil across the lake. .Although this was scheduled to be a group tour, there was nobody else booked from La Paz today, so I'd have the van to the hydrofoil all to myself. .Additionally, the hydrofoil ride would be all alone, and we would pick up a large group of...you guessed it....Swiss tourists coming from Peru in Copacabana for the second part of the trip.
We made it Huatajata on time, after a long drive through the sprawling expanses of El Alto. .Once there, there was a "museum" to see before starting the trip. .When I was booking this, I discussed with several Bolivians I knew, and they all recommended to make the booking with Crillon Tours. .Seems they had built much of the tourist infrastructure on the lake, including the hydrofoils, and had all the connections to make the trip the best possible. .They'd even built a museum on Huatajata telling a bit of the history around Lake Titicaca, both before and after the arrivals of the Spanish. .I was given 20 minutes to check out the museum while my guide got everything sorted for the hydrofoil. First highlight of the museum, a burial mummy:
...followed by the arrival of the Spanish:
Manco Capac, the first Incan incarnation of the Sun God, and his sister and Mama Ocllo in a traditional boat....
Outside the museum were some friendly alpacas (or are they llamas?) .just hanging around....
...and one especially woolly one in bad need of a haircut. .Lake Titicaca in the background:
There was also a cuy (guinea pig) hanging around....
Our hydrofoil, the Sun Arrow, set to take just me and my tour guide on an approximately 90 minute trip to Copacabana over the lake.
We boarded, and there was lots of room to spread out...
The routes of travel....at different points on the cruise the individual lights would light up:
After docking in Copacabana (at a small naval base...see, Crillon Tours really does have the infrastructure sorted) we took a walk of the town while waiting for the giant bus of Swiss tourists to arrive and join us. .The entrance to the main cathedral:
After the cathedral we walked the town for a bit and grabbed a coffee. .The town was crawling with backpackers, probably more so than anywhere else I've seen in the world. .It was actually mildly disappointing - the number of coffee shops, hostels, and cheap tourist shops was really unattractive (although with the constant cries of "hola! .senor!", but fortunately the natural beauty of the lake really made up for it:
At this point we walked back to the boat, and an hour later, around 1pm, the Swiss finally arrived. .Their tour guide took over (we were outnumbered 30 to 1) and gave all the narration on the boat. .In German. .Fortunately, we were sitting by one of the francophone swiss tourists who was translating for others, so I didn't miss too much I think. .The next stop was the Isla de la Sol, or Sun Island. .We took a hike to the top (which the Swiss skipped....it was close to 200 or so steps at 14,000 feet in altitude, and at the top was a spring from which flowed the "fountain of youth." I had a drink...we'll see if it works!
The view down towards the lake from the top of Sun Island:
Lunch was serve on the island, and it was an absolutely gorgeous view. .Lunch was quinoa soup, lake trout, and a mandarin. .Pretty tasty...and the views....
There was even a replica traditional reed boat out on the water was we had lunch:
After lunch, it was back on the hydrofoil for the final stop of the day, the Island of the Moon. .The view as we docked:
Ruins of the temples on the Island of the Moon:
From inside the ruins...this picture was much more impressive in higher resolution when you could see the moon.
The great thing about having my own guide, while the swiss wandered around en masse, is that we could get ahead of them, really explore things in detail and at the pace I wanted to, and have things mostly to ourselves. .While they were still exploring the temple ruins, we headed back down to the shore and I got to enjoy the views of Lake Titicaca:
After this, we took the hydrofoil back to Copacabana, arriving around 4pm. .The swiss headed out in a giant tour bus to their next stop, and it was just me, my guide, and my driver in the van back to La Paz. .We stopped a short way out of Copacabana to take a few last pics:
Then, after 45 minutes we had to cross the lake. .Something about this "ferry" didn't inspire confidence in me:
Fortunately, we made it across. .The late afternoon view from the other side:
As soon as we got to the outskirts of El Alto, it became bad. .Really bad. .I'm talking about the traffic. .What should have been approximately a 3 hour drive turned into nearly 5 hours, and we were still crawling towards the hotel. .I gave up, since we were near the Cuban place I'd had lunch the day before, and asked them to just drop me there. .I'd grab a taxi back after dinner when traffic was hopefully quieter. .I think I just wanted another delicious cuban sandwich and a few mojitos:
The restaurant, like so many places I went in La Paz, had this sign on display. .I'm guessing it's some local regulation that all public establishments must remind people that "under the law all are equal."
Back to the hotel with a taxi driver intent on winning the Indianapolis 500, and off to bed. .I had an early flight to Lima and then on to Medellin in the morning!
May 29, 2014, 7:17 pm
#43
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
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Posts: 5,526
Part VI: La Paz to Medellin, Colombia on TACA Peru (via Lima)
Thanks to the hotel, had another "taxi of death" experience up to El Alto, where the driver showed absolutely zero fear weaving in and out of traffic as he worked his way up the side of the mountain to the airport. .There was no traffic at this hour, and we made great time. .Got to checkin, and only had to wait one person to get an agent...who was so uncomfortable in English that we carried on the check-in in Spanish. .I mean, I really appreciate all the practice, but I was blown away by just how reluctant Bolivians were to speak English. .All four boarding passes came out, and I was set for today and tomorrow. .Then, it was off to passport control. .There was a 15 minute wait or so, but no problems at all...but again, the whole thing was conducted in English.
Most surprising, was after exit immigration...there was a luggage check. .Open it up, and go through everything. .Not too sure what they were looking for, but I got really good at the phrase "es ropa...sola ropa!" .(it's clothes, just clothes!) on this trip...and they let me go with a fairly minimum check.
Headed into the lounge, which was surprisingly nice. .Juice, water, etc and a few small munchies on display, but more importantly there were outlets and a comfortable quiet place to wait for the flight. .I could have used Priority Pass to get in, but Avianca business class also did the trick.
When it was time to board, the lounge agent came and got us, and escorted us to the plane. .The jetbridge had an entrance from the lounge, so there was no need to go back into the terminal. .A very nice touch which I never would have expected in La Paz!
Avianca flight 908 (Operated by TACA Peru)
La Paz, Bolivia (LPB) to Lima, Peru (LIM)
Depart 8:00, Arrive 9:05, Flight Time 2:05
Airbus A320, Registration N492TA, Manufactured 2005, Seat 2A
OJ and water offered prior to pushing back, and a view of the airport:
There was a great graveyard of old planes, but unfortunately with the sun and earlier rain, it was hard to get a good shot:
A view of El Alto on climbout. .It was really unnerving taking off from El Alto, because with the high altitude the plane takes what feels like forever to get off the ground. I was hoping we'd go over the city to get a shot of how it sits in the valley, but no such luck. .I was so excited to take pictures that I asked for a window seat, something I rarely do. .Didn't matter, because the aisle ended up staying empty.
After 10-15 minutes in flight, we crossed over Lake Titicaca:
Breakfast was served. .Crew spoke VERY basic English, so I managed to pick up the choices of "eggs" or "french bread" in Spanish. .Turned out to be some sort of egg souffle which was pretty decent. .Kinda reminded me of a United breakfast...especially the super-cheap fruit cocktail, lol...and yes mom, I was drinking Diet Coke at 8am.
Landed in Lima right on time, and got a bus gate. .Yuck. .Bussed to the terminal, and then had to walk a bit before going through security...where despite the x-ray machines they also insisted on searching bags. .Once again, repeat after me: ."Es ropa...sola ropa!" .I was getting good at this...
I had a little time, so swung by the SUMAQ Lounge. .Now, a few things about this lounge. .When I was leaving Lima last year, I was kinda excited to visit it, since it had won some "lounge of the year" honour or another. .I found it sadly lacking, hot, no seating, poor food options, etc etc. .Thinking maybe they/I were just having a bad day, I gave it another go.
At least this time, the Lounge Dragon was pleasant when welcoming me, and there were plenty places to sit. .There were even outdoor seats....which was nice until I discovered it was just the smoking section.
The general repair of the lounge had gotten even worse, complete with construction pit:
...and don't go in the bathrooms...it's DANGEROUS!
Flight was running a little late, but left the lounge early to walk around a bit before boarding. .Eventually, exactly at departure time, we finally started boarding.
Avianca flight 146 (Operated by TACA Peru)
Lima, Peru (LIM) to Medellin, Colombia (MDE)
Depart 10:22, Arrive 13:32, Flight Time 3:10
Airbus A319, Registration N480TA, Manufactured 2007, Seat 2C
Standard TACA Peru/Avianca juice or water while boarding, and looked like the only empty seat in business would be next to me...when just before the door closed, this petite over-fabulous lady boarded and plopped herself down with a dramatic flair next to me....I swore it was Shakira!
After takeoff, some mixed nuts and raisins...this was a first.
There was a choice of "fish or meat" so I went with the meat. .Once again, Avianca absolutely nailed it. .I can now say it's probably not a fluke, Avianca is the only airline I've EVER seen who can nail a steak in the air. .I was seriously impressed!
Perfectly cooked medium steak:
...and the desert. .YUM. .This was definitely one of the best short-haul business class meals I've had anywhere in the world. .I give major points to Avianca for regional service.
So, after a couple glasses of wine...I couldn't resist asking my seatmate...are you Shakira?!
Turns out, she was a professional Shakira impersonator, hired for events Shakira can't make it to, lol. I asked if I could take a picture with her...and she said sure...it will be US$100. ...! Um, no thank you!
Other than that, there isn't much to say about the flight. .Drink refills flowed freely, we landed into Medellin about 30 minutes late...and unfortunately ran into a 30 minute wait at immigration. .The agents spoke no English once again, and the questioning was on par with what I've experienced in the UK and Canada...lots of questions about who are you, where do you work, why are you here, how long will you stay, etc etc. .My agent spoke very slow and patient Spanish, and it was a very pleasant experience.
While waiting in a very long customs line, the "man with the dog" came up and started sniffing my bag....and asked me "do you have something you are not supposed to? .drugs maybe?" .Uh yes, I have lots of drugs, and I'm going to be bringing tea to China and then vodka to Russia next week. .Boggle.
I stopped to grab a Diet Coke in the arrivals area at a small shop after getting some cash, and then hopped in a cab. .It was a 30+ minute drive to the hotel, and I was tired. .My driver wanted to be super chatty, and I asked him if he minded if I drank my Coke in his cab. .No no, no problem. .Then, my stupid non-Spanish-speaking brain substituted ."bueno, el cocaine es muy importante en la manana!" (good, cocaine is very important in the morning!) instead of caffeine.....ugh, clearly I was still thinking back to the drug dog. .*shakes head* .WAY TO GO MORON.
He just laughed, and we had a good joke. .Soon I was to the hotel, and ready to explore!
Most surprising, was after exit immigration...there was a luggage check. .Open it up, and go through everything. .Not too sure what they were looking for, but I got really good at the phrase "es ropa...sola ropa!" .(it's clothes, just clothes!) on this trip...and they let me go with a fairly minimum check.
Headed into the lounge, which was surprisingly nice. .Juice, water, etc and a few small munchies on display, but more importantly there were outlets and a comfortable quiet place to wait for the flight. .I could have used Priority Pass to get in, but Avianca business class also did the trick.
When it was time to board, the lounge agent came and got us, and escorted us to the plane. .The jetbridge had an entrance from the lounge, so there was no need to go back into the terminal. .A very nice touch which I never would have expected in La Paz!
Avianca flight 908 (Operated by TACA Peru)
La Paz, Bolivia (LPB) to Lima, Peru (LIM)
Depart 8:00, Arrive 9:05, Flight Time 2:05
Airbus A320, Registration N492TA, Manufactured 2005, Seat 2A
OJ and water offered prior to pushing back, and a view of the airport:
There was a great graveyard of old planes, but unfortunately with the sun and earlier rain, it was hard to get a good shot:
A view of El Alto on climbout. .It was really unnerving taking off from El Alto, because with the high altitude the plane takes what feels like forever to get off the ground. I was hoping we'd go over the city to get a shot of how it sits in the valley, but no such luck. .I was so excited to take pictures that I asked for a window seat, something I rarely do. .Didn't matter, because the aisle ended up staying empty.
After 10-15 minutes in flight, we crossed over Lake Titicaca:
Breakfast was served. .Crew spoke VERY basic English, so I managed to pick up the choices of "eggs" or "french bread" in Spanish. .Turned out to be some sort of egg souffle which was pretty decent. .Kinda reminded me of a United breakfast...especially the super-cheap fruit cocktail, lol...and yes mom, I was drinking Diet Coke at 8am.
Landed in Lima right on time, and got a bus gate. .Yuck. .Bussed to the terminal, and then had to walk a bit before going through security...where despite the x-ray machines they also insisted on searching bags. .Once again, repeat after me: ."Es ropa...sola ropa!" .I was getting good at this...
I had a little time, so swung by the SUMAQ Lounge. .Now, a few things about this lounge. .When I was leaving Lima last year, I was kinda excited to visit it, since it had won some "lounge of the year" honour or another. .I found it sadly lacking, hot, no seating, poor food options, etc etc. .Thinking maybe they/I were just having a bad day, I gave it another go.
At least this time, the Lounge Dragon was pleasant when welcoming me, and there were plenty places to sit. .There were even outdoor seats....which was nice until I discovered it was just the smoking section.
The general repair of the lounge had gotten even worse, complete with construction pit:
...and don't go in the bathrooms...it's DANGEROUS!
Flight was running a little late, but left the lounge early to walk around a bit before boarding. .Eventually, exactly at departure time, we finally started boarding.
Avianca flight 146 (Operated by TACA Peru)
Lima, Peru (LIM) to Medellin, Colombia (MDE)
Depart 10:22, Arrive 13:32, Flight Time 3:10
Airbus A319, Registration N480TA, Manufactured 2007, Seat 2C
Standard TACA Peru/Avianca juice or water while boarding, and looked like the only empty seat in business would be next to me...when just before the door closed, this petite over-fabulous lady boarded and plopped herself down with a dramatic flair next to me....I swore it was Shakira!
After takeoff, some mixed nuts and raisins...this was a first.
There was a choice of "fish or meat" so I went with the meat. .Once again, Avianca absolutely nailed it. .I can now say it's probably not a fluke, Avianca is the only airline I've EVER seen who can nail a steak in the air. .I was seriously impressed!
Perfectly cooked medium steak:
...and the desert. .YUM. .This was definitely one of the best short-haul business class meals I've had anywhere in the world. .I give major points to Avianca for regional service.
So, after a couple glasses of wine...I couldn't resist asking my seatmate...are you Shakira?!
Turns out, she was a professional Shakira impersonator, hired for events Shakira can't make it to, lol. I asked if I could take a picture with her...and she said sure...it will be US$100. ...! Um, no thank you!
Other than that, there isn't much to say about the flight. .Drink refills flowed freely, we landed into Medellin about 30 minutes late...and unfortunately ran into a 30 minute wait at immigration. .The agents spoke no English once again, and the questioning was on par with what I've experienced in the UK and Canada...lots of questions about who are you, where do you work, why are you here, how long will you stay, etc etc. .My agent spoke very slow and patient Spanish, and it was a very pleasant experience.
While waiting in a very long customs line, the "man with the dog" came up and started sniffing my bag....and asked me "do you have something you are not supposed to? .drugs maybe?" .Uh yes, I have lots of drugs, and I'm going to be bringing tea to China and then vodka to Russia next week. .Boggle.
I stopped to grab a Diet Coke in the arrivals area at a small shop after getting some cash, and then hopped in a cab. .It was a 30+ minute drive to the hotel, and I was tired. .My driver wanted to be super chatty, and I asked him if he minded if I drank my Coke in his cab. .No no, no problem. .Then, my stupid non-Spanish-speaking brain substituted ."bueno, el cocaine es muy importante en la manana!" (good, cocaine is very important in the morning!) instead of caffeine.....ugh, clearly I was still thinking back to the drug dog. .*shakes head* .WAY TO GO MORON.
He just laughed, and we had a good joke. .Soon I was to the hotel, and ready to explore!
May 29, 2014, 7:34 pm
#44
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May 29, 2014, 7:38 pm
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,526