Foto: The halffrozen lake Laguna Verde (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Bolivia - The Bolivian border lies in the mountains and in the middle of basically nowhere. Again, we fill in a visa form and get a stamp. The whole ritual is becoming familiar. After about an hour, everything is arranged, the luggage is loaded onto the four jeeps, and we enter Bolivia. The bus returns to San Pedro. We drive with the jeeps to the South Lípez nature park and first visit Laguna Verde. The lake is above 4,500 meters and partly frozen. Corrie goes a bit too far onto Laguna Verde and sinks through the ice with her feet. Fortunately, she has her luggage with dry shoes nearby. Along the shore of the lake, we take a short walk. I can really feel my poor condition due to the high altitude. I also remember to keep drinking enough. It is advised to drink one liter of water per 1,000 meters. That means I have to drink four liters today. Cheers! We continue driving through the mountainous area and past the lakes. Along the way, we pass the beautiful shapes of the desert: rocks sculpted by the wind. The painter Salvador Dalí was inspired by this environment. The desert is therefore sometimes called the Desert of Dalí. At Laguna Chalviri, we stop for lunch. In the hot spring next to the lake, we can enjoy a foot bath. The water is around 25 degrees Celsius. Because of the cool wind, it is not really the time to swim. We continue to the geysers. Just before visiting the Sol de Mañana geysers, we pass a pass at 4,950 meters altitude—my altitude record. At the geysers, it is simply cold. Well wrapped up, we walk along the geysers. The boiling mass, the smoke, and the smell of sulfur together form a surreal but very impressive spectacle. An impression that cannot be captured by a simple photo.
Awe for the miners of Potosi
Bolivia - The mine tunnel is still accessible. Sometimes the passage is a bit lower, so a helmet comes in handy. At the entrance of the small museum, there is a small recess where the whole group can sit and clear the rails for the carts carrying mine gravel that ...
Salt flats of Salar de Uyuni
Bolivia - Without any more flat tires, around half past three we drive onto the salt lake. A strange sensation. The lake most resembles a frozen and snow-covered lake. The enormous surface area (about one-fifth of the Netherlands) makes the lake and the journey ...
The excavations of Tiahuanaco
Bolivia - At half past eight, the bus departs for Tiwanaku. Here lie the ancient ruins of the Tiwanaku culture. Between 500 and 1200 AD, they were already far ahead of their time. Even now, it is still a mystery with which tools they built the structures. On the ...
The highest capital city in the world La Paz
Bolivia - The luggage is loaded onto two minibusses and through the very busy traffic of La Paz and via the toll road, we are brought to our hotel. Our hotel is located in the city center. La Paz is situated in a basin, with the poor district El Alto and the airport ...